Smoky chicken burgers with slaw recipe
Tossing the cooked fillets in crispy breadcrumbs at the end of cooking adds a lovely bit of crunch, not dissimilar to coating and frying chicken in a pan on the hob.
Ingredients
For the burgers- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 100 g Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp flaked sea salt
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 800 g chicken thigh fillets (from approx. 1.2kg/2lb 10oz bone-in thighs)
- 75 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, cut in half
- 500 g red cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 red peppers, thinly sliced
- 0.5 bunch of spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
- 1 handful coriander (cilantro), chopped
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 pinch each of flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 brioche buns, halved
- 6 servings of lettuce, mayo, sweet chilli sauce or hot chilli sauce
Details
- Cuisine: American
- Recipe Type: Chicken
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 50 mins
- Serves: 6
Step-by-step
- Add the fennel seeds to a small frying pan (skillet) and set over a medium heat to toast for a couple of minutes. Tip into a pestle and mortar and roughly grind then add to a bowl.
- Spoon in the yogurt and stir through the paprika, salt, garlic and a good grind of black pepper.
- Cut a few deep slashes into each chicken thigh and add to the marinade. Stir really well to coat, cover and slide into the fridge to marinate for 24 hours.
- You can also make the slaw the day before if you want to get ahead. Take the cut garlic clove and wipe both halves around the inside of a large bowl – this will add just a little hint of garlic. If you want more crush it up and stir through.
- Add the cabbage, red peppers, spring onions (scallions), coriander (cilantro), yogurt, mayonnaise and vinegar. Season with a little salt and pepper and toss together. Cover and slide into the fridge. Stir again just before serving.
- When you are ready to cook, fire up your barbecue ready for indirect and direct grilling, aiming for a fairly high heat of around 200°C (400°F).
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs into a fireproof roasting tin and drizzle over the olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Set over the fire to toast for a few minutes until golden and crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Rest the chicken on the grill bars away from the fire so it can cook gently and indirectly. Turn over a few times, moving it around so all the pieces cook evenly. Once the internal temperature reaches 70°C (158°F), remove to a plate. This may take 30-45 minutes or so, depending on the size of the thighs and the heat from the fire.
- Brush all over with the sweet chilli sauce then add to the tin of crispy breadcrumbs, tossing around to coat. Set the tin back on the grill bars, again away from the fire, and keep cooking for a few more minutes until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F).
- Lightly toast the buns, then add some lettuce and pile in the chicken and a big dollop of slaw. Add sauces of your choosing and tuck in.
This recipe is from Seared by Genevieve Taylor (Quadrille, £20). Photography ©Jason Ingram.
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