We love burger night. It is a very good excuse to experiment with new flavour combinations, build ridiculously satisfying burgers at home, or attempt to recreate a favourite takeaway burger without having to leave the house. This Hot Honey Chicken Burger has landed firmly in our top five combinations so far — and, honestly, the fact that it has been on repeat lately is becoming a bit of a problem.
This crispy chicken burger recipe brings together a very useful collection of burger components. You have a buttery, lightly toasted brioche burger bun, crisp lettuce, melted cheese, tangy sriracha mayo, crunchy pickles and a tender piece of fried chicken that gets generously coated in a sweet and spicy hot honey sauce. It is a little messy, slightly sticky and exactly what you want from a homemade chicken burger.
The real star here is the combination of hot honey chicken and the creamy sriracha mayo. The hot honey adds sweetness with a chilli kick, while the sriracha mayo brings tang, richness and just enough heat to keep things interesting. Add melted cheese and crunchy pickles to the mix and suddenly every bite has a bit of everything going on. And yes, the pickles are essential. We will not be accepting questions at this time.
This easy hot honey chicken burger recipe is ideal for a casual burger night, weekend dinner or homemade takeaway-style meal. The chicken is fried until crisp on the outside and tender inside, then tossed or drizzled with hot honey before being piled onto the brioche bun with all the good stuff.
If you are looking for a crispy chicken burger recipe, a hot honey chicken recipe, or simply a new homemade burger combination to add to your dinner rotation, this one deserves a spot on the list. It is familiar enough to be comforting, but the sweet-spicy hot honey gives it that little something extra. Just make plenty of pickles. Seriously.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil for frying macadamia, sunflower etc. enough for chips as well
- 4 regular brioche burger buns
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce thinly sliced
- 4-8 slices cheddar cheese processed or regular
- ⅓ cup sweet and tangy pickles sliced or diced
- 1-2 tbsp butter
Dry Mix
- 2 large chicken breasts halved lengthwise
- 1 ¾ cups regular flour
- ½ cup corn flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsps smoked paprika
- 1 ½ tsps onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme or herb of choice
- 1 tsp sea salt finely ground
- ½ tsp black pepper coarsely ground
Wet Mix
- 2 large eggs
- 300 ml buttermilk
Hot Honey Sauce
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 2-3 tbsp honey
- Juice from a lime
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup water warm, or more
Burger Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp hot sriracha sauce or regular
- 1 tsp ground smoked paprika
Double Fried Rosemary Salted Chips
- 8 large potatoes sliced as desired
- 2 sprigs rosemary stems removed
- 4 tbsp sea salt blender or grinder
Instructions
- Besides the below method. You can complete all the smaller tasks in between frying, such as prepping the buns by buttering and toasting them, slicing the iceberg lettuce (if you want) and setting out the gherkins, cheese etc. Once the chicken has been coated with the hot honey sauce you want to act fast and get layering and serving 🙂
Burger Sauce
- Add the mayonnaise, sriracha sauce, smoked paprika together and mix well.
Hot Honey Sauce
- Add the butter to a medium saucepan. and bring to a medium high heat. Once melted, add the cayenne pepper, honey, lime and pinch of salt. Stir until well combined. Once bubbling, add the water and stir until the sauce starts to thicken. Turn off the heat. Set aside until it's time to reheat.
Crispy Chicken
- Slice the chicken breast in half, lengthwise. Cover with clingwrap or baking paper and using a tenderizer or rolling pin, lightly tenderize the breast to a 1-2cm thickness.
- In a medium bowl, add eggs and buttermilk together and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients. Whisk until well combined. Drizzle 2 tablespoons worth of the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and mix lightly with the whisk. Set aside. Note: you want those flour clumps to stick to the chicken, this will deliver an extra layer of crunch.
- Fill a large saucepan with 5-8 cm worth of vegetable oil. Bring it to a medium heat. One hot, fry the chicken breasts in batches for about 2-3 minutes per side or until crispy and golden. Drain on a kitchen towel. Note: you'll know your oil is ready when bubbles appear around the spoons handle when dipped in the hot oil.
- Reheat the Hot Honey sauce and dip the chicken in the sauce. While the chicken is still warm, place a slice of cheese on top and get to building your burger.
Double Fried Rosemary Salt Fries
- Fill a large bowl halfway with water and set aside. Slice the potatoes into chips, about 1 cm strips and place in the water. Drain and dry using a clean kitchen towel.
- Fill a medium pot with vegetable oil and bring to a medium-high heat. 1st Fry: Once hot, add the drained and dried chips, in batches, and fry for 5-10 minutes, or until they've slightly softened. Remove and drain in a metal strainer. Note: how long you fry the chips depends on how thick you cut them.Once the burger is almost ready you can finish off the chips with a 2nd fry.2nd Fry: Increase the oil temperature to high and wat hot, add the fried chips back in and fry in batches until golden brown. Drain onto a kitchen towel and immediately season with the rosemary salt.