Easy Buffalo Chicken Burgers (Juicy & Moist!)
This juicy chicken burger recipe is quick to prep and takes just 15 minutes to cook. With simple ingredients of ground chicken, crumbled blue cheese (optional), hot sauce, and diced celery (plus milk soaked bread crumbs–the secret to achieving moist buffalo chicken burgers) you’ll have the most delicious homemade burger on the table in under 30 minutes! Serve the burger on a soft bun with a generous spread of greek yogurt ranch and you’ve got a protein packed and balanced meal that is totally restaurant worthy!
Thank you Portofino Bakery for sponsoring this delicious chicken burger recipe! Your pillowy soft, golden potato buns are the perfect compliment for a totally crave-worthy burger!
There’s something so satisfying about biting into a nice juicy burger and this buffalo chicken burger is no exception! As a dietitian and busy mom, I wanted to create a nourishing recipe that’s easy to throw together during the week and also makes great leftovers and this one checks all the boxes. If hot sauce isn’t the vibe for everyone if your family you can skip it or swap it for barbecue sauce.
It’s a bit of a joke in our house just HOW obsessed I am with hot sauce. These Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bowls are more proof. Haha I could seriously drink it out of the bottle (maybe I have).
This simple recipe combines all of the flavors of your favorite buffalo chicken wings in burger form. Blue cheese adds a nice little zip while the celery adds a refreshing crunch. Adding milk-soaked bread crumbs makes for a perfectly moist ground chicken burger patty (no dry, crumbly chicken here)!
I developed this recipe so that you can make them year round with my pan-frying patty technique. But I know I have some BBQ lovers out there, so I also included steps to making the perfectly BBQ’d burger too!
Ingredients in Buffalo Chicken Burgers
To make these delicious patties you will need the following ingredients (or you can try some of these substitutions – if you do please let me know in the comments how they turned out!):
Bread crumbs: I used panko bread crumbs to help bind the ground chicken mixture together, giving the burger a cohesive texture and helping it hold its shape when cooking.
Milk: I like to use whatever milk we have on hand which is usually 2% or 3.25% but you can use any type of milk or non-dairy milk (just make sure it’s not sweetened or flavored). If you’re pan-frying the patties, the milk is very important because it mixes together with the bread crumbs to keep the burgers moist and tender.
Ground chicken: I use ground chicken when making these burger patties. Chicken is a great source of protein. Plus I love how it soaks up the flavor of the other ingredients like the blue cheese and hot sauce. You can also use chicken breast (like in these Juicy Maple-Soy Marinated Chicken Burgers) or other ground meats like ground turkey, ground beef or ground round.
Egg: The egg acts as a binder, helping hold all the ingredients together. Don’t skip it!
Blue cheese: I am a huge fan of blue cheese. I love the bold tangy flavor it brings to this recipe. If you’re not into blue cheese, you can leave it out or use goat cheese, feta cheese or even grated cheddar or asiago cheese instead.
Celery: I know this sounds a bit out there but hear me out – I wanted a burger that reminded me of wing night and you can’t have wings without the side of celery. It adds a fresh, crunchy texture to the burger patty and provides a nice contrast to the tangy blue cheese and hot sauce.
Salt & pepper: My go-to seasoning combo. You can also add in other seasonings if you want like garlic and onion powder or even cajun spice. Season the meat to suit your palate.
Hot Sauce (I like Frank’s Red Hot): I would say this is the star of the show. I used store-bought Frank’s hot sauce (it’s my fave!). It adds a spicy kick to the burger, bringing heat and flavor. In this recipe, I like to mix it into the ground chicken mixture for a uniform heat throughout the burger, and then add a bit more at the end for that signature saucy buffalo flavor.
Tip: If you’re making this for little one’s who don’t love the spice, you can also leave the hot sauce out of the patty mixture and add it to the cooked chicken patty for those who want it.
I am so happy to be partnering with Portofino Bakery on this delish Buffalo Chicken Burger Recipe. Let’s be honest, the bun is a huge part of making the perfect burger. You don’t want it overpowering the rest of the burger, but it is the vehicle after all, and having just the right taste and texture can make or break your perfect burger!
Portofino Bakery is a bakery on Vancouver Island dedicated to making quality products. I first discovered them through their peasant buns. I was shopping for a picnic and wanted to make some yummy sandwiches — the homemade look of the buns initially caught my eye and when I flipped them over to check out the ingredients I was so impressed with the simple and short whole foods ingredient list (and an impressive amount of fiber)! We have long since been fans of everything from their sourdough to their multi grain pan loaf, and literally everything in between, so it was an enthusiastic YES when the opportunity came to help them celebrate the launch of their new golden potato buns!
These buns are soft and flavorful and are the perfect compliment to soak up the sauces and flavors of this chicken burger!
How to Cook Buffalo Chicken Burgers
Add the breadcrumbs and milk to a small bowl and let the crumbs soak up the milk for 5-10 minutes (*This is the key to moist, juicy burgers! Soaking the crumbs in milk first prevents them from soaking up the juices from the meat).
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumb and milk mixture, celery, hot sauce, egg, salt and pepper. Stir ingredients with a fork to combine, being careful not to over mix as this will make for tougher burgers. Add the blue cheese last and fold in gently to leave some larger pieces in the burger patties.
The mixture will be quite wet. That’s what makes them extra juicy! But if they’re too wet to shape, add more dry breadcrumbs as needed. Shape the mixture into four to six evenly-sized patties, pressing the middles down with your thumb to make a small dip in the center.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot (it will shimmer a bit when hot – approx. 2 minutes), place burger patties gently onto the pan to make sure they don’t fall apart.
Cook for 11 minutes on the first side, leaving them undisturbed while they cook. This will allow them to brown which creates flavor, and prevent them from falling apart. Flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes on the other side until cooked all the way through. You’ll know they’re cooked when juices run clear and no pink remains when you cut through the patty.
Assemble your burgers with desired toppings and enjoy!
To make this a balanced plate method meal, I suggest serving with a side salad or grilled vegetables.
That’s it, easy peasy!
Meal prep tip: Double the recipe and store the extra patties in an airtight container, layering parchment paper in between to prevent sticking. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months (defrosting overnight in the fridge when ready to use).
How to Cook Chicken Burgers on the BBQ
These burgers are quite moist when raw and may fall apart on the BBQ so I recommend using a barbecue mat or opting for the stovetop cooking method.
To cook burgers on the BBQ, heat to medium-high and cook for 5-6 minutes per side or until juices run clear and there is no pink color to the meat when you cut through the patty.
Nutritional Benefits (Nutrition by Addition)
Burgers are a great way to practice nutrition by addition – looking at what you can add to your plate instead of what you need to cut out.
Sometimes nutrition by addition can look like adding a nourishing ingredient to a recipe that would taste good and add to the satisfaction of the dish – like avocado as a topping to my Juicy Greek Turkey Burger. But it also can be used along with one of my fave nutrition tools The Plate Method,
This is something I teach my clients about in the Make Food Feel Good Program. The Plate Method is a great guide for building nourishing meals that are ½ plate veggie, ¼ plate protein, ¼ plate carbohydrates, and some nourishing fats (like cooking oil, avocado or cheese).
In this recipe, the protein and carbohydrate are already taken care of but I like adding a little more veggies to this dish. Here are some of my fave sides to serve this burger with:
Did you Make This Recipe?
If you make these Pan-fried Buffalo Chicken Burgers it would make my day if you would leave a comment and/or star rating below—I love hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @lindsaypleskot.rd so I can see your versions! It makes me so happy to see these recipes come to life in your kitchens! Xo
Easy Buffalo Chicken Burgers (Juicy & Moist!)
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Makes 4 large or 6 small burger patties 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: North American
Description
This juicy chicken burger recipe has a quick prep time, is easy to put together, and is packed with all of the ingredients reminiscent of your favourite buffalo chicken wings. Celery, blue cheese and chicken make up the patties, and golden potato buns are the perfect compliment for this mouth-watering burger!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk of choice
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup blue cheese
- 2 stalks celery, diced (approx ¼ cup diced)
- ¼ tsp each salt & pepper
- 2 Tbsp hot sauce of choice (I used Frank’s Red Hot)
- 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 4 Portofino Golden Potato Bun
- Lettuce and tomato to garnish
- Other optional toppings: avocado, pickle, ranch dressing (try my homemade Greek yogurt ranch or use your favorite store-bought option) or mayo, more hot sauce to top if desired.
Instructions
- Add the breadcrumbs and milk to a small bowl and let the crumbs soak up the milk for 5-10 minutes (*This is the key to moist, juicy burgers! Soaking the crumbs in milk first prevents them from soaking up the juices from the meat).
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumb and milk mixture, celery, hot sauce, egg, salt and pepper. Stir ingredients with a fork to combine, being careful not to over mix as this will make for tougher burgers. Add the blue cheese last and fold in gently to leave some big pieces in the burger patties.
- The mixture will be quite wet. That’s what makes them extra juicy! But if they are too wet to shape, add more dry breadcrumbs as needed. Shape the mixture into four to six evenly-sized patties, pressing the middles down with your thumb to make a small dip in the center.
- Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot (it will shimmer a bit when hot – approx. 2 minutes), place burger patties gently onto the pan to make sure they don’t fall apart.
- Cook for 11 minutes on the first side, leaving them undisturbed while they cook. This will allow them to brown which creates flavor, and prevent them from falling apart. Flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes on the other side until cooked all the way through. You’ll know they’re cooked when juices run clear and no pink remains when you cut through the patty.
- Assemble your burgers with desired toppings and enjoy!
- To make this a balanced plate method meal, I suggest serving with a side salad or grilled vegetables.
Notes
- Ground Chicken can be replaced with ground turkey, ground beef or any other ground meat of choice! These could also be made plant-based with your favorite plant based “ground” alternative. If wanting to make vegan, replace egg with a flax or chia egg.
- Blue Cheese can be replaced with goat cheese, feta cheese or even grated cheddar or asiago cheese. You can also leave the cheese out if you prefer!
- Celery can be replaced with grated zucchini or carrots or left out entirely.
I think the cheese ratio is off in the ingredients and the egg is also missing from the list!
Thank you for catching this Naomi! You are totally right. I appreciate the extra set of eyes, thanks for letting me know! It has been updated 🙂 I hope you enjoy!