Crispy Chicken Burger

This is one of the best sellers on our new hot food menu. We serve these lightly spiced, crispy coated chicken breasts in a brioche roll with iceberg lettuce, tomato and pesto mayo. It might look like a lot of ingredients, but most of them you probably already have plus it’s really quick and simple, but tastes great!

You’ll Need:

Frying pan, baking tray and three shallow bowls wide enough to coat the chicken in. To make two burgers you’ll need:

1 large chicken breast

150g breadcrumbs (see Handy Hints)

150g plain flour

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

Large pinch of salt and pepper

2 eggs

100mls milk

(if you want to make your burger exactly like ours you’ll also need approximately 3 tablespoons mayo, 2 teaspoons of green pesto, sliced tomato, iceberg lettuce and 2 burger buns)

This is what you do:

Get the oven on at 180c.

Get all the burger ingredients ready and everything you need out.

Mix the flour, paprika salt and pepper in one of the bowls, the eggs and milk in the other and the breadcrumbs in another

Butterfly the chicken breast (that is cut horizontally through the middle so you end up with two thin chicken breasts)

Coat the chicken well in the four, then in the egg mix, then repeat (doing this twice means the coating will be really crispy). Finally coat the chicken pieces really well in the breadcrumbs, pressing down gently to make sure they stick.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a big frying pan over a medium heat then fry the chicken breasts till golden brown on the bottom, turn and fry the other side.

Then pop them on a baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven for 5-10 mins (the time will vary, depending on the thickness, so don’t go by time alone (see Handy Hints)

If you’re building your burgers like us, while the chicken is finishing off in the oven, tip out the oil in the frying pan and clean it, and toast the brioche buns, by placing them cut side down in the dry pan over a medium so the inside gets nice and toasted.

Mix the mayo and pesto, then spread most on the bottom the buns but leave a little to spread on the inside of the top bun too, then the tomato, then the lettuce (this order keeps the burger as crispy as possible!)

Handy Hints:

Getting organised before you start is a good idea! Coating the chicken is a messy business and your hands will get covered, so you don’t want to be rummaging round the kitchen at this point!

Don’t be tempted to skip toasting the buns. Not only does it add flavour but it helps to stop the buns getting soggy and falling apart. If you don’t like pesto, try flavouring the mayo with a few drops of siracha or sweet chilli sauce instead.

if your chicken breast is thick, it will take longer to cook, so if you’re not sure, cut into the thickest part of the burger to check it’s cooked through. No one will see once the burger is built!

To make breadcrumbs, take three slices of bread and lay flat on a baking tray and put them in the over for 30 mins or so till the bread is dried through and toasted then whizz in the processor. It’s a great way to use up the heels! They freeze well too.

---