Regular hamburgers are great on their own, but chicken-fried breaded hamburgers have the juiciness of regular burgers and the savory crispiness of fried chicken. If a burger married fried chicken, you would get this hearty sandwich.
The shake 'n bake gives these burgers an extra crispy coating and the lemon zest gives the patties a burst of zesty flavor.
No need to worry about adding numerous seasonings, as the shake ‘n bake gives the burger the signature crunch and flavors that will make your mouth water and the burger sauce is full of flavor.
If you're wild about burgers, I also have a recipe tutorial for how to grill frozen burgers you might like!
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What are Chicken-Fried Burgers?
Normally when you think of hearty sandwiches, reuben sandwiches and bacon sandwiches might come to mind. With the word chicken in this recipe, that might throw you off. Let me clear that up for you: these burgers do not contain chicken.
Chicken-fried burgers are hamburgers that are breaded and fried like chicken, hence the name ‘chicken-fried’. The method of chicken frying is popular with beef, pork and, in this case, beef-pork burgers. They can also be called country fried burgers.
Ingredients
- ground pork - I use lean ground pork.
- ground beef - I also use lean for the beef.
- evaporated milk - If you don't have any on hand and want to make evaporated milk, all you have to do is gently boil milk until it reduces by about half in volume. This ingredient is important because it helps bind the burger ingredients together and keeps the patties juicy, even when well-cooked.
- burger buns - Use your favorite.
- canola oil - For frying the breaded burger patties.
- shake 'n bake - I use the original crispy chicken shake 'n bake mix. 1 box (2 packages) should be enough.
- egg - To bind the hamburger mixture together.
- lemon - I add freshly grated lemon zest for a hit of lemony flavor but this is optional.
- burger toppings - Such as red onion, lettuce, tomato and hamburger pickles.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
Chef's Note: The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of evaporated milk, but what will you do with the rest of the milk? You can either save it for future recipes, use it for coffee, in baking, or substitute it for regular milk in other recipes, if you think it would work.
How to Make Them
Step 1. Mix together the ground meat, evaporated milk, egg, ½ cup shake ‘n bake mix, lemon zest, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Step 2. Make 4 equal-size patties with the mixture.
Pro Tip: For a more tender burger, handle the meat mixture as little as possible (just until combined) and form loose burger patties.
Step 3. Spread another ½ cup of shake ‘n bake mix onto a plate. Press the patties into the mix on both sides and edges, until covered.
Step 4. Mix the sauce ingredients together and reserve.
Step 5. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the canola oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the hamburger patties for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and fully cooked.
Step 6. (Optional) Toast the burger buns by frying them on the open side in a clean frying pan over medium heat, just until lightly toasted (about 30 seconds or so).
Chef's Note: You could also drain the grease from the frying pan you used to fry the burgers and then toast the buns in them. If you're frying the buns in too much leftover grease, they will end up soaking it up or turning black instead of golden brown.
Step 7. Add the hamburger patties to the toasted burger buns with desired toppings and burger sauce. Enjoy!
If you want to see what they look like on the inside, here it is:
Serving Suggestions
- French fries are the perfect side for these breaded burgers with their crispiness and saltiness. However, an all-fried meal may unsettle sensitive stomachs.
- For healthier options, try baking the fries or go with crispy turnip fries.
- You can also pair these with roasted vegetables like white asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, brussels sprouts or a light watermelon salad. Roasted brussels sprouts are a great choice because the loose leaves become salty and crispy, similar to French fries.
- Looking for a drink to go with that burger? Try my Virgin Moscow Mule or grilled pineapple juice.
Joss' Tips
- Cheese: If you're adding cheese slices, add them on top of the patties during the last minute or two of cooking.
- Leftover raw meat: Leftover ground beef and pork can be refrigerated or frozen for another use.
- Burger patty thickness: I use a 4” circular cookie cutter to shape the burgers with a burger thickness of about ¾“ to 1”.
- Temperature: Ground meat should reach an internal temperature of 160°F. Use an instant read food thermometer for the patties.
- Keep it crispy: When taking the burger patties off of the heat, don't stack them on top of each other. I like to transfer them to a baking rack with paper towel underneath to catch any grease drippings. This way the coating will stay nice and crispy.
Recipe FAQs
It's simply a ground beef patty that has been coated in bread crumbs or shake 'n bake mix.
Leftover burger patties can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Toppings should be stored separately.
More Juicy Burger Recipes to Try
If you tried this Chicken-Fried Breaded Hamburgers Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Chicken-Fried Breaded Hamburgers
Ingredients
For the Breaded Burgers
- 8.8 ounces lean ground pork - 250 g
- 8.8 ounces lean ground beef - 250 g
- 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
- 1 egg
- ½ cup chicken shake ‘n bake mix - (original crispy) + about ½ cup extra for breading the patties
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest - optional
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 burger buns
- desired toppings
For the Burger Sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Mix together the ground meat, evaporated milk, egg, ½ cup shake ‘n bake mix, lemon zest, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. (For a more tender burger, handle the meat mixture as little as possible and form loose burger patties.)
- Make 4 equal-size patties with the mixture.
- Spread another ½ cup of shake ‘n bake mix onto a plate. Press the patties into the mix on both sides and edges, until covered.
- Mix the sauce ingredients together and reserve.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the canola oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the hamburger patties for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and fully cooked.
- Optional: Toast the burger buns by frying them on the open side in a clean frying pan over medium heat, just until lightly toasted (about 30 seconds or so).
- Add the hamburger patties to the toasted burger buns with desired toppings and burger sauce. Enjoy!
Equipment
Notes
- Leftover raw meat: Leftover ground beef and pork can be refrigerated or frozen for another use.
- Burger patty thickness: I use a 4” circular cookie cutter to shape the burgers with a burger thickness of about ¾“ to 1”.
- Cheese: If you're adding cheese slices, add them on top of the patty during the last minute or two of cooking.
- Temperature: Ground meat should reach an internal temperature of 160°F. Use an instant read food thermometer for the patties.
- Keep it crispy: When taking the burger patties off of the heat, don't stack them on top of each other. I like to transfer them to a baking rack with paper towel underneath to catch any grease drippings. This way the coating will stay nice and crispy.
- Storage: Leftover burger patties can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Toppings should be stored separately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Laurie Rasor says
Have A Good Day
Joss D says
Thank you Laurie! Have a good day as well. 🙂