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· November 6, 2021

Spicy Crispy Chicken Burger

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A favorite Spicy Crispy Chicken Burger that packs some heat, inspired by KFC’s Zinger Burger and the Indonesian-style crispy Ayam Geprek (“smashed chicken”).

*This post may contain affiliate links which helps bring you delicious recipes for free.

Spicy Crispy chicken burger zinger

Never would I have thought that US fast food joints would grip my attention and keep me on the edge of my seat over the past 2 years. But lo and behold, we’ve had the ongoing famous Chicken Sandwich Wars to keep us entertained!

Who’s the winner of this craze? You decide. But with all the chicken burgers that have been popping up, I started to get an intense craving for KFC’s Zinger Burger. Sadly though, it’s been discontinued in the US. So I decided to make one myself!

Crispy Chicken Zinger Burger With A Twist

The Zinger Burger or Zinger Sandwich uses KFC’s fried chicken recipe for the patty, with an added spicy heat to its seasonings. It’s served between toasted buns with some lettuce and a delicious creamy sauce.

Spicy Crispy chicken burger zinger

I tweaked the method of preparing the chicken by incorporating ways from making Indonesian-style Ayam Geprek (“smashed chicken”). This means we don’t use the wet milky-style batter that’s more popular in the US. Instead, coat the chicken in a mixture of egg whites and flour, followed by an ice water bath, then again in the batter. The chicken will turn out super crispy and crunchy.

Notes for Spicy Crispy Chicken Burger

  • Ice Water Bath – I know this might sound a little strange, but trust me on this. By dipping the chicken in the ice water bath between coats of batter, the chicken absorbs and grabs on to the flour better. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes after the final coating before frying. You will end up with a crunchy crust on your chicken.
  • Boneless chicken thigh – Use chicken thighs for a juicier patty.
  • Zinger Burger Sauce – The sauce is a simple mix of mayo, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, light soy sauce, vinegar and chili flakes (for extra heat).

*Recipe updated on November 8th 2020.

Looking for more Chicken recipes? Check these out:

  • Chinese Crispy Lemon Chicken
  • Malaysian Creamy Butter Chicken
  • Cheesy Korean Fried Chicken
  • Easy 15-Minutes Chicken Teriyaki (No Mirin and Sake)

Follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest for more updates!

Spicy Crispy chicken burger zinger

Spicy Crispy Chicken Burger

Inspired by KFC's Zinger Burger and the Indonesian Ayam Geprek, this spicy crispy burger will satisfy your fried chicken and burger cravings.
4.82 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Marinate Time 3 hrs
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Wet Batter

  • 4 boneless chicken thighs see notes
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp gochugaru see notes
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar

Dry Mix

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tbsp gochugaru
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder optional
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar

Spicy Creamy Sauce

  • 2 tbsp Japanese mayo
  • 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha
  • 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp chili flakes

Others

  • 3 cups ice cold water
  • burger buns
  • lettuce
  • American cheese slices

Instructions
 

Chicken Marinade

  • Mix all the wet seasoning better in a bowl.
  • Add chicken thigh and coat every single piece with the marinate.
  • Marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Dry Mix

  • Mix all the dry mix ingredients in a bowl.

Spicy Sauce

  • Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.

Dredging

  • Take a piece of the chicken thigh and lightly dredge it in the dry mix. Making sure every inch is coated.
  • Dip the chicken in ice cold water for 5 seconds, careful not to rub off the flour coat.
  • After lifting the chicken out of the water, wait for 10 seconds before putting it back into the dry mix so the water does not drip into the dry batter.
  • Dredge the chicken again, making sure the every inch is coated.
  • Repeat the process until you've done it a total of 2 times. Best to use new ice water for every piece of chicken.
  • Let it rest for 5 minutes before frying.

Deep Frying

  • Deep fry in hot oil over medium heat until golden brown. Depending on your stovetop, mine took between 10-15 minutes.
  • Let it rest. Optional: Fry for another 5-8 minutes for extra crispy chicken.
  • Remove from oil and let it rest. During this time, sprinkle a pinch of salt and if you want, more gochugaru.

Assembling

  • Toast the burger buns.
  • Spread a generous amount of the sauce on both burger buns.
  • Add the chicken to the bottom part of the bun, a slice of cheese, lettuce and the top of the bun. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

*Depending on the size of your burger bun and chicken thigh, you may want to cut the chicken thigh in half before marinating to fit the burger bun.
*I like the flavor of gochugaru but you can substitute with chili powder or any order spicy seasoning.
Keyword burger, chicken burger, crispy chicken, fried chicken burger, spicy chicken, zinger burger
Did you try this recipe?I would love to know how it went! Please leave a rating, comment down below, or tag me on Instagram @FarahJEats.

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Comments

  1. Carolyn says

    November 9, 2021 at 3:43 AM

    Can you airfry instead of frying? I hate deep frying – it’s so labor intensive and clean up heavy.

    Reply
    • Farah J says

      November 9, 2021 at 5:34 PM

      It’s possible but I don’t recommend dredging with flour multiple times like I did. This method is most suitable for deep frying. If you’re cooking it in the air fryer, dredge the marinated chicken with seasoned flour then dip it in the ice cold water then do a final dredging of the flour. Generously spray cooking oil on the chicken and air fry. Good luck, do let me know how it goes! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Faheema Peters says

    November 14, 2021 at 5:16 PM

    5 stars
    I loved trying out this recipe. Worth every minute of my Sunday. Hubby was impressed and can’t wait until I try other recipes from Farah website or page. Thank you Farah.

    Reply
    • Farah J says

      November 15, 2021 at 5:36 PM

      That’s so great, so happy to hear that. Thanks for trying it out 🙂

      Reply
  3. Rosa says

    November 15, 2021 at 3:12 PM

    Absolutely amazing recipe! Easy to make, the right amount of ingredient so there is as little waste as possible! Overall it tasted amazing and I can’t wait to try more recipes! Kind regards from the Netherlands

    Reply
    • Farah J says

      November 15, 2021 at 5:36 PM

      Thank you so much! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Tee says

    November 17, 2021 at 3:53 PM

    5 stars
    Tried the recipe today,my whole family enjoys it,was so crispy and delicious,thanks for putting us through

    Reply
    • Farah J says

      November 17, 2021 at 8:21 PM

      So happy to hear that! Thanks for trying it 🙂

      Reply
  5. Noam says

    November 18, 2021 at 3:58 AM

    Such an easy recipe and so delicious!!

    Reply
    • Farah J says

      November 19, 2021 at 10:55 PM

      Thanks for trying it! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Bart says

    November 28, 2021 at 6:00 AM

    My son made it and loved it so did my grand kids. He shallow fried his and I want to deep fry mine so could you give me and idea of oil temperature.

    Reply
    • Farah J says

      December 8, 2021 at 12:34 AM

      So happy to hear that! For deep frying, I would say the ideal temperature is 350 F/177 C and don’t overcrowd the pot. Good luck 🙂

      Reply
  7. Izzy says

    January 22, 2022 at 7:21 PM

    This recipe was incredible! So simple to make and so crunchy! We will forever more use this recipe for all the fried chicken we do! Thank you Farah! ☺️

    Reply
    • Farah J says

      January 24, 2022 at 5:17 PM

      Thanks for trying the recipe Izzy! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kay says

    March 4, 2022 at 3:27 PM

    I made this for my in laws and they LOVE It!! Defo put me in the good books xxx I was just wondering how many calories are in this burger roughly??

    Reply
  9. Bhavika says

    March 10, 2022 at 5:57 PM

    The chicken is so crispy and the marination flavor is perfect!!!!
    Thankyou so much for this recipe😍

    Reply
  10. Charlie says

    March 21, 2022 at 8:43 PM

    I’m trying this tomorrow how would you recommend cooking it when using a oven ?

    Reply
    • Farah J says

      April 4, 2022 at 6:31 PM

      Unfortunately with this method, it won’t come out the same if you cook it with an oven. I recommend using panko crumbs instead and seasoning it with the same seasoning for flour. Bake at 400 F using a baking rack until crispy (maybe 40-50 minutes), flipping halfway.

      Reply
  11. roses says

    April 15, 2022 at 4:34 PM

    Im just a 14 year old girl going on about life and when I saw this recipe I had to make it!! I was so happy when it nded up amazing and it tasted even better than it looks! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Farah J says

      April 18, 2022 at 6:57 PM

      I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for trying the recipe young chef! 🙂

      Reply
  12. izabella says

    February 2, 2023 at 2:29 AM

    5 stars
    LOVE this recipe! But I would add more salt tot he dry mix. Love that it doesn’t require buttermilk like most fried chicken.

    Reply

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