Copycat McDonald’s McChicken Burger Recipe (But Better)

You won’t need to go to Mcdonald’s to satisfy your craving for a McChicken burger again. This DIY Mcdonald’s McChicken burger tastes better than the real thing.

Get your taste buds warmed up because my new chicken burger recipe will go off in your house.

Your kids are going to love it!

If you’ve made some of our delicious burgers in the past, such as our cheese and bacon chicken burger or beef burger, you’ll notice we love them to be juicy and tender.

And achieving maximum flavour is always key, from the patty right down to the sauce.

I tested this recipe over many weeks and had many failures, but I believe I now have the closest thing to the actual recipe.

Although there is a slight twist. I might have accidentally improved upon the original recipe.

That’s not a bad thing, Right?

Hey, if my kids love it, it goes on our website. After all, that’s our motto!

“Family friendly recipes”.

Before I show you how to make McChicken burgers, I have a short disclaimer.

Note: These burgers are, in fact, dipped in batter and deep-fried. In no way are they healthy or a great option if dieting. So if you don’t mind having deep-fried food, then by all means, please read on.

Ingredients for copycat McDonald’s McChicken burger recipe

Yes, the ingredient list is long, but it needs to be to make such an amazing burger.

It will be worth it, trust me!

The Basics:

• Soft burger buns
• Vegetable oil (for frying)
• Butter (for toasting buns)
• Lettuce
• Chicken mince or (breast, thigh blended)

Chicken Patties:

A burger patty, whether chicken or beef, should always be simple. Never over-season your burgers. The flavours come from the sauce. All you need here is the following:

• egg
• salt

That’s it!

Batter:

You read it right; I said batter. And not just any boring old batter. This one has some great additions adding an amazing depth of flavour to the chicken and burger sauce.

• Water
• Egg
• American mustard
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Cornflour (cornstarch)
• Plain (all-purpose) flour

Sauce:

It has a slight tang, but it’s balanced perfectly. You’ll notice how well the sauce works when you bite into your copycat McDonald’s McChicken burger for the first time. And it’s not over-tangy at all.

• Mayonnaise
• Gherkin juice (use the juice from a jar of pickles)
• Apple cider vinegar
• Garlic powder
• Salt & white pepper

How to make chicken burger patties?

Place 500g of chicken mince into a large bowl. Add in one egg and 1 cup corn flour, then season with 1 tsp of salt

Mix well to combine.

Place a sheet of baking paper onto a flat tray and evenly divide the mince to make roughly 4 large chicken patties.

Form a chicken patty until each one is around 1 cm in thickness and measures roughly the same size or slightly smaller than the bun.

Pro Tip: Working with chicken can be difficult because it’s quite sticky. Wet your hands with hold water before making the patties. This will prevent the chicken from sticking to your hands.

Try to make the patties slightly smaller than the bun, as the batter will make up the difference.

The last thing you want is a massive chicken burger that’s difficult for the kidlets to eat.

Once the chicken patties are done, pop them in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.

How to make the delicious sauce?

The next step is to prepare our sauce, so the flavours can have some time in the fridge to meld together.

In a small bowl, combine ½ cup mayonnaise with 1 tbsp of juice from a jar of gherkins.

Then add ½ tsp apple cider vinegar together with 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp white pepper.

Whisk until well combined, and place in the fridge uncovered until required.

Sauce done!

How to make awesome batter for chicken burgers?

The preparation for our copycat McDonald’s McChicken burger recipe is almost complete.

But before we can get these suckers into the fryer, we got to get the batter made.

Add 60g cornflour (cornstarch) and 120g plain (all-purpose) flour in a large bowl.

Then add 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper.

Further, add 2 tbsp of American mustard, 1 egg, and 1 cup of water.

Whisk until all lumps are gone, and the batter is somewhat runny, then set aside.

Get ready to fry these chicken burgers!

We are going to twice fry these suckers, so you end up with a crispy chicken burger.

I fried my burgers in a large wok. I found it easier to fit 2 chicken patties comfortably at the same time.

But I’ll leave that part up to you to decide.

Depending on the size of your fryer, pre-heat roughly 1-2 litres of vegetable oil until the temperature reaches 170°C (340°F).

Dip the chicken burgers into the batter, covering both sides, then carefully place them into your fryer away from you.

First Fry:

Fry for 5 minutes, turning halfway. Once pre-cooked, place the chicken patties onto a sheet of paper towel and fry until all chicken is done.

Allow the chicken to cool for 3-5 minutes before frying again.

Second Fry:

Turn the heat up on your fryer to 180°C (355°F). Then place the chicken back into your fryer.

Fry the chicken until golden or at least a further 5 minutes.

Again place the chicken onto a fresh sheet of paper towel to cool for a further 3-5 minutes.

The chicken will continue to cook during the cooling period as it’s insulated by the batter.

I recommend investing in an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken is safe for eating.

I use the Inkbird Instant Read Meat Thermometer. It’s deadly accurate and reads the internal temperature of any meat lightning fast.

I could never recommend any other product but this one.

Chicken should always reach a minimum temperature of 73°C (160°F) to be considered safe for eating.

So always check for peace of mind.

Toast your buns!

This step is entirely optional, but it makes biting into a copycat McDonald’s McChicken burger all so much better.

In a pan (skillet) over med-high heat, melt 1 tbsp of salted butter. Once the pan is nice and hot, place the top and bottom of the bun into the pan.

Move the buns around the pan to soak up the butter and toast for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, then set aside.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel between each toasting; otherwise, you’ll end up with burned butter on the inside of your buns.

Assemble those bad boys!

Once you have twice-fried the chicken and they’ve had some time to cool, it’s time to begin assembling your burger.

Place a dollop of sauce onto the base of each bun and spread it out, much like buttering toast.

Make sure to spread it out to the edges.

Place the lettuce and then the chicken patty, followed by another layer of sauce on the top side of the bun.

And most importantly, enjoy!

Check out some of our favourite burgers at JustSoYum!

We love our burgers at JustSoYum. Although there are a couple of burger recipes we’ve created for the Weber Q, the following burgers can be adapted for your skillet or BBQ.

• Tender Weber Q Chicken Burger with Cheese and Bacon
• Weber Q Beef Burger with Cheese Recipe
• Mouth-Watering Homemade Deluxe Cheeseburger
• Grilled Cheesy Meatball Sub with Herbed Passata Sauce

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Did you make my copycat McDonald’s McChicken Burger recipe? Tag @justsoyum on Instagram or Facebook so we can find your masterpiece.