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My crispy chicken burgers for two have everything you want in a sandwich: crispy, crunchy, sweet, spicy, and salty, and all served on a brioche bun with fresh veggies and pickled onions. Did I mention the spicy honey drizzle over the top? An incredibly flavorful bite of food.
You could call this a fried chicken sandwich, or refer to this as a chicken cutlet sandwich, but it eats like a crispy chicken burger with all the toppings, so that’s where I went with this. BTW, if you like fried chicken in all its forms, be sure to check out how to make chicken cutlets in my chicken cutlet recipe in Chicken Parmesan for Two.
You’ve got to start this crispy chicken burger recipe by making an incredible spice mixture. That’s the key to a really flavorful coating on the chicken. This spice blend delivers. I simply mix up all my spices in a bowl. Yes, there’s a lot of them, but making this is easy. It is packed with so much flavor, it would be hard to make a bad sandwich here. FYI: this spice mixture would be great on grilled chicken, steak, pork or fish too. So, make extra and keep in a small jar for future use. Put this to the side for a moment.
Next up, I prep my red onions. I make a super simple quick pickled onion for the top of my chicken burgers. You won’t believe how much flavors these guys bring to the party. And talk about easy? You just slice the onions and put in a small bowl. Top with a mixture of rice wine vinegar and a little sugar, and let that sit for about 1/2 hour. They sit while you make the rest of the sandwich. So easy. FYI: these are great in salads and on top of other sandwiches too.
I also like to slice my tomatoes and have my lettuce and pickles ready to go. You could grill your buns now too. This way, once the chicken is done, you are just assembling the sandwich.
Next up, make your sweet and salty chili crunch sauce. Again, so easy. Just mix the honey, Momofuku Chili Crunch (my chili crunch of choice) and salt in a small bowl. That’s it. Put it to the side until you are ready to assemble the sandwich.
To get started on the main event (the chicken), add your spice mixture to the flour and add in the cornstarch. Mix really well in a shallow bowl or plate. Get your chicken thighs, spread out and pounded thin. I do this by cutting each skinned and deboned thigh into two pieces. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet, heavy pot or rolling pin, until even and thin. This will allow all the chicken to cook at the same rate and it will give you thin, crispy pieces of chicken on your sandwich. NOTE: I use chicken thigh cutlets because there is just so much more flavor and because they are really hard to overcook. Feel free to use chicken breast if that is your preference. I just find that they tend to dry out and just don’t have the juicy-ness of the thigh meat. This is your sandwich, you decide! Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken for even more flavor.
Next up, dredge all your chicken piece in the flour and cornstarch mixture. Be sure you really coat them well and get that flour into every nook and cranny. Press the four into the meat. That will be your crust. Let that sit while you heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet.
Once your oil comes to 350 – 375 degrees F. you are ready to fry the chicken. Use a thermometer so you aren’t guessing. Carefully slide the breaded chicken into the oil and fry on the first side until golden brown (about 6-7 minutes). Carefully flip the chicken over and let the second side get golden brown. About another 5-7 minutes.
Once golden brown and cooked through, place on a plate lined with paper towels to allow the chicken to drain. Sprinkle immediately with salt.
I often get asked if you can make baked chicken cutlets instead. And the answer is, of course! Baked chicken cutlet recipes exist and if you would prefer to bake the chicken in this recipe, I recommend several things:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Also heat a baking sheet topped with a rack in the oven at the same time.
Next, after breading your chicken and before putting on the preheated rack, spray the rack with cooking spray. Spray the chicken cutlet with cooking spray on one side and place that side down on the rack. Spray the top side of the cutlet too. Bake for 15 -20 minutes. Gently flip the chicken and bake another 10 minutes.
If the chicken hasn’t gotten completely golden, finish under the broiler.
You will get a slightly crisped exterior but it won’t compare to the deep frying. You could also make these chicken cutlets in an air fryer. But honestly, this is a fried chicken sandwich, so indulge and get that chicken super crispy and fry it! Just sayin…..
Toast your brioche buns on a grill pan or under the broiler in the oven. Add your lettuce and tomatoes on the bottom of the bun. Top each bun with two pieces of the fried chicken thighs and finish with dill pickles and your quick pickled red onions. Drizzle the sandwich with your spicy honey, put on the top bun and dig in! This is one joyful crispy chicken burger and one everyone is going to love.
Did you like this recipe? Please rate it below and leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you. Looking for other yummy chicken recipes? Be sure to try these:
Baked Maple-Bacon Chicken Wings & Drumsticks
Blackberry Glazed Chicken Legs with Ginger and Lime
Chicken Thighs with Figs and Thyme
