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crispy chicken burger on bun with red pepper sauce and coleslaw on top.
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5 from 15 votes

Crispy Chicken Burgers (With Ground Chicken)

Sink your teeth into juicy, crispy chicken burgers made with ground chicken and a crunchy panko coating. Minimal effort, no deep frying and packed with flavor.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
rest time7 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings (change as needed): 5 burgers

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, Note 1
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil for pan frying vegetable, peanut, canola, olive oil

Panade and seasoning mixture

  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (or regular bread crumbs or 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs)
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (or milk or broth)
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (about 2 tablespoons dried)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Breading

  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 egg mixed with a tablespoon water
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (regular breadcrumbs ok, but texture less light and crispy)

Serving options

  • hamburger buns and toppings, Note 2

Instructions

  • PREPARE BREADING STATION: Place a beaten egg with a splash of water into a shallow bowl. Place flour into another shallow bowl. Place panko crumbs on a plate. Place a plate or cutting board nearby for the breaded chicken patties.
  • MAKE CHICKEN MIXTURE: In a large bowl, mix panade (Note 2) and seasoning ingredients together. Let stand a few minutes if using milk or broth to allow liquid to absorb. Add ground chicken to the panade mixture. Using a clean hand formed like a claw, combine lightly. Try not to overwork the mixture.
  • FORM BURGERS: Roughly divide chicken mixture into 5 parts. Wet your hands and lightly make a patty (about 1/3 pound/150 grams each). Patties will be wet and sticky, approximately 1 inch/2.5 cm thick.
    Dip each patty into flour to coat lightly. Shake off excess flour. Then dip patty into egg mixture, and finally into panko crumbs to cover entire surface. Repeat for all 5 chicken burgers. Let sit for 7 minutes to allow crumbs to adhere, flour to absorb moisture and burgers to come to room temperature.
  • PAN-FRY BURGERS: Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or other nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. Add the number of burgers that fit comfortably. Don't overcrowd the pan. Pan-fry burgers for 4 minutes, then turn and continue cooking another 3-5 minutes , depending on thickness, until golden brown. If panko coating is browning to quickly, lower heat to medium heat. The internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer should reach 160F/71C. Temperature will rise 5 degrees on resting.
    Transfer the crispy chicken patties to a wire rack over a baking sheet after pan-frying if you are making another batch. Keep them warm in a low heat oven.
  • SERVE: in brioche buns or regular hamburger buns with toppings of your choice. Note 3. Or skip the buns and just use toppings.

Notes

  1. Ground chicken: I prefer dark meat ground chicken - juicier and more flavorful. But hard to find. With the panade, white meat will work fine too. Try to get ground chicken (or turkey) with a 90:10 meat-to-fat ratio. This means 90% chicken and 10% fat. Even 93% meat. The 99% lean chicken in my experience is too dry. Substitute ground turkey.
  2. What is a panade? a panade is a milk-and-bread paste that's incorporated into ground meat before shaping it to keep the meat moist and tender. You can use mayo instead of milk.
  3. Topping possibilities:  
  4. Seasoning variations: Try adding thyme or oregano, a dollop of ketchup, pesto or BBQ sauce, lemon zest or sriracha for heat. Chopped cilantro instead of parsley will infuse a different flavor profile as well..
  5. To lower calories and carbs:
    • use light mayo or low-fat milk instead of full-fat mayo,
    • skip the bun or use a low-carb bun,
    • use leaner chicken e.g only 5% fat (if you must!),
    • make smaller burgers - 6 quarter-pound burgers instead of 5 third-of-a-pound burgers.
    • Alternatively, try our grilled chicken burgers with no breaded coating. 
  6. Make Ahead:
    • Make the burgers a couple of hours or a day ahead, then reheat them in a 350F/177C for 10 minutes or until heated through.
    • Leftover burgers will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Or freeze them for up to 3 months and defrost them before reheating.
 
Nutritional information is estimated and does not include buns or toppings. 
Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 764mg | Potassium: 804mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 416IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3mg