Buffalo Chicken Burgers with Blue Cheese Mayo
Cook Notes
BBQ Used: Kamado Joe Classic III
Cooking Method: Direct
Fuel used: Kamado Joe Big Block Charcoal
Cooking Temperature: Medium - High
Key Accessories
Kamado Joe Karbon Steel Half Moon Baskets
Thermapen One
I don’t usually use chicken thighs when making chicken burgers as my family much prefer breast (I feel like this is a common thing in families?) but I’ve seen so many people use them with great results so this was the perfect opportunity to give them a try. These burgers pack a punch, both in heat with the Buffalo sauce but there is also a nice, funky hit from the blue cheese mayo.
Method
As we are using a chicken thighs for this cook, I wanted to give them a soak in buttermilk to help tenderise them a little. I didn’t add any flavourings to the buttermilk as I don’t think the thighs are in there for long enough to really take on the flavour so I simply trimmed them up to remove any fat or bits I didn’t want to eat and I chucked them in a bowl and poured the buttermilk over. Put them into the fridge to chillout for at least 3-4 hours but I wouldn’t go much longer than 7-8 hours or the chicken can start to break down a little too much.
You can also prepare the blue cheese mayo in advance so it has some time to develop it’s flavour in the fridge. I used a soft blue cheese so it would incorporate into the mayo, rather than a harder, crumbly cheese that would just be pieces inside the sauce. mash the cheese in a bowl then slowly add the mayo, a tablespoon or two at a time. Whisk the sauce to combine the cheese with the mayo and when all the may has been added, you can do the same for the sour cream. Lastly, season the sauce with salt and pepper then give it a taste. This ratio of cheese to mayo should give you a nice strong flavour so if you are worried about the taste, start with a smaller amount of cheese and add more as you go.
when you are ready to cook, fire up your BBQ and set it up for high direct heat. Add a skillet to the cooking grate and half fill it with oil. Remove the chicken thighs from the buttermilk but don’t discard it as we will use it for a dredge. Add one beaten egg to the buttermilk and mix it together. Our flour mixture will be seasoned with the buffalo rub from The Smokey Carter. Mix together your flour and cornflour and add 2 heaped tablespoons of rub.
Use your Thermapen to check the temperature of your oil. You are aiming for a temperature of 170-180c however I like to pre-heat the oil to around 200c as it will cool down dramatically when you add the chicken.
Drop the chicken thighs into the flour mix and toss it around. Remove them and add them to the dredge before adding them back into the flour for the final coat. Press the flour into the thighs and don’t worry if your flour gets wet from the buttermilk - that’s what gives you nice crispy, knobbly bits on the outside.
Add the chicken thighs to the skillet to shallow fry, giving them 2-3 minutes on one side then flipping them over. Once you get a nice colour on both sides, check the internal temperature and as long as it is over 75c, you are good to lift them off. Place the cooked thighs on a wire rack to rest so they stay crispy. Once all the thighs have been fried, remove the skillet of oil from the BBQ and add the KJ half moon karbon steel pan to the grill to make the buffalo sauce in.
Bufallo sauce is really simple to make (if you are using a pre-made hot sauce). Add the butter to the pan to melt then pour in your hot sauce. The only other ingredient I like to add is a dash of Worcestershire sauce but other than that - it is super easy to make. Bring the sauce to a simmer to warm it through then add your chicken thighs back into it. Coat them in the buffalo sauce and give them a few minutes to warm through, then it’s time to build up your burger.
You can really add whatever burger toppings you enjoy - I went for a toasted Brioche roll with some of our blue cheese mayo on the bottom bun. Then some lettuce, one of our chicken burgers, smoked cheddar, some pickles and another dollop of blue cheese mayo on the top bun.
