Name: Buttermilk Chicken Burger
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 large chicken breasts (around 200g each), sliced in half across the length so you have 2 flatter pieces (see note 1); 300ml buttermilk (see note 2); 100g plain/all-purpose flour; 100g cornflour/corn starch; 1 tbsp garlic powder; 2 tsp smoked paprika (see note 3); 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper; 500ml oil (vegetable or rapeseed/canola); 4 tbsp mayo; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 clove garlic, minced; 4 soft burger buns; lettuce; 4 cheese slices such as Emmental, Gruyere or Swiss (see note 4); 4 thick slices of tomato; 1 red onion, skin removed and cut into rounds down the length.

Question 1

What is buttermilk?

Accepted Answer

Buttermilk is a popular ingredient in many recipes. It has a tangy flavour and thick consistency which makes it an ideal base for dressings and marinades. You may also find it in baking recipes, to create moist cakes and fluffy pancakes. This is because it's more acidic than milk, so great to use with leavening agents which require an acid ingredient to react with. It's also a great source of calcium and vitamin B12 and some studies have shown it can help to boost immunity.

But what exactly is this miracle product? Buttermilk is a by-product of making butter. When you churn the cream into butter the leftover liquid is buttermilk. However, in most countries what you will now get when you buy buttermilk is simply fermented milk, which is a lot more economical to produce.

Question 2

How can I make buttermilk at home?

Accepted Answer

The great news is that you can make a buttermilk substitute at home in a couple of different ways and it's unbelievably quick and easy. If you can't get your hands on any buttermilk you can also do a straight swap for standard kefir instead too.

The best way to make your own buttermilk is to mix sour cream and milk. Use 3 parts sour cream with 1 part milk (you can use any type of milk, it even works ok with water). This is the soundest method to use for this recipe as it gives a lovely thick and creamy consistency which is perfect for clinging to the chicken.

You'll also see a lot of recipes telling you to mix lemon juice and milk together. You'll need around 1 tbsp of lemon juice for every 250ml of milk, left for around 15-20 minutes. Whole milk works best. While this does, for most intents and purposes, work, it is essentially making acidic milk rather than giving you a fermented product. It will suffice for this recipe, but the sour cream method gives a more authentic result. If you go down this route you will find that the milk coagulates and you get a lumpy result so you may want to whisk it vigorously before using, or place it in a lidded jar and shake.

Question 3

Why use cornflour instead of plain flour?

Accepted Answer

I use a mix of flour and cornflour/corn starch for these burgers. The cornflour gives a different result to plain flour when frying and you'll find that the surface of the burgers becomes more 'crackly' and puffy than using just normal flour as it concentrates the amount of starch you are using to fry. You can make it with only plain / all-purpose flour if you prefer though. Or you can make it with only cornflour for a super crispy result.

Question 4

What toppings can I use?

Accepted Answer

A well-made burger is a thing of beauty. The perfect combination of juicy meat, fresh bread, and crisp vegetables, it's no wonder that burgers have become a global phenomenon. In the below recipe I use a combination of classic lettuce, onion, tomato and cheese. Drizzled with some garlic mayo to top it all off.

You can experiment with the toppings as you prefer. Bacon is a great addition, as is some smashed avocado. You can also try different dressings such as a spicy sriracha mayo or a lemon yogurt sauce if you want a lighter option. Whatever your preference, there's no denying that toppings are an essential part of the burger experience so don't be afraid to get creative!

Don't forget to add a side like these dirty fries or this healthy kale coleslaw.

Question 5

How do I prepare the chicken?

Accepted Answer

You want the chicken breast to be fairly thin for this recipe, to ensure it cooks quickly and evenly. If your breast fillet is quite large then slice through the length of it by placing it on a chopping board with one hand over the top. Carefully slice along the length with a serrated knife until you have two thinner pieces.

If your breast is smaller then you can place it between two pieces of clingfilm and bash it until you have a flatter, thinner fillet. As a rule of thumb, you want around 100g-130g of chicken per person which should help indicate if you want to cut your breast into two or not.

Question 6

Why is my burger soggy?

Accepted Answer

The key to getting that perfect crunch is taking your time when you cook the chicken. Time to make sure all the fillets are coated properly, time to heat the oil to the right temperature and time to cook the burgers in batches if they don't all fit in the pan. The main 3 reasons why your chicken might be soggy are:

•	Your oil was not hot enough. This is undoubtedly the most common culprit. If you don't have a kitchen thermometer then I strongly recommend investing in one, they are very inexpensive. The chicken needs to sizzle on contact with the oil and after 10 minutes it should have turned a golden brown colour.
•	You didn't fully coat the chicken. The burger needs to be fully covered in flour. You won't need the entire amount of flour indicated in the recipe, but adding the chicken to a large bowl of it will make it easier to evenly coat it.
•	You overcrowded the pan - when you add the chicken to the pan it reduces the temperature of the oil. The more chicken you add the more the temperature will reduce. Furthermore, if the oil can't move around the chicken and the pieces overlap then those parts won't become crispy.

Buttermilk Chicken Burger

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition