Crispy fried chicken with a Cajun batter, sweet and spicy jalapeños, fresh lettuce and tomato, the perfect combination for a delicious burger. This is one incredible meal, just spicy enough to delight your tastebuds with a sweet finish.
On the Ingredients
- Cajun Spice is a mix created to make easy Cajun cuisine. This cuisine was developed by the Acadians, a francophone people expelled from Canada in the 1750s and 60s. They settled in Louisiana and brought delicious cooking traditions, mixing them with Spanish and West African cuisines. The distinct flavor pallet can be recreated with cajun seasoning, a mix of paprika, onion, garlic, marjoram, thyme, fennel seed, cumin, and cayenne.
- Jalapeños are chili peppers with heat, 4,000 to 8,500 SHU. They’re usually eaten while still green, though sometimes they’re allowed to ripen to yellow, orange, or red. Jalapeños have a lot of vitamins and minerals as well as capsaicin, the alkaloid that gives chilis their heat. Capsaicin has a lot of interesting possible health benefits, like boosting the metabolism, pain relief, preventing stomach ulcers, and perhaps even fighting cancer. (Read more on the health benefits).
Crispy Cajun Chicken Burger with Candied Jalapeños
Servings
6
servingsCrispy fried chicken with a Cajun batter, sweet and spicy jalapeños, fresh lettuce and tomato, the perfect combination for a delicious burger. This is one incredible meal, just spicy enough to delight your tastebuds with a sweet finish.
Ingredients
- Chicken
6 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp powdered garlic
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp baking powder
- Candied Jalapeños
5 large jalapeños
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar OR golden monk fruit sweetener
juice from half a lime
- Other Ingredients
2 slicing tomatoes
1/2 head of Boston lettuce (or a similar variety)
mayonnaise (optional)
6 hamburger buns (we used sprouted wheat buns)
butter
oil for frying
Directions
- Rinse the chicken thighs in cool water, then pat them dry. Mix the buttermilk, the powdered garlic, a 1/4 tsp of salt, and the black pepper in a medium bowl. Submerge the chicken, stirring to ensure the buttermilk coats the meat, and cover. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- A note about cutting jalapeños: Jalapeños are known for irritating skin and airways while cutting. You can use a pair of rubber gloves while cutting to protect your skin, but this won’t help your throat and sinuses. Here’s our method for taking care of both issues. Place a cutting board in the bottom of your silk and run the cold water tap so it’s pouring onto the board. While you cut the jalapeños, work under the stream of cold water. You can also use rubber gloves at the same time for more protection. If you do end up with irritated skin, submerge your hands in cold milk or yogurt until the sting eases, the casein in dairy can help wash the capsaicin that causes the burn.
- Cut the tops off the jalapeños with the cold water running over them. Use a spoon (grapefruit spoons work especially well) to scrape the seeds from inside the peppers. The seeds are where much of the heat is. If you like things a little more spicy, you can leave some of the seeds in. Slice the jalapeños into rings. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter for the jalapeños. Add the peppers and sugar or monkfruit sweetener. Stirring frequently, sauté until the peppers are tender. Pour the lime juice over them.
- Mix together the flour, cajun seasoning, and baking powder. Heat your oil in a fryer or a large pot with a flat bottom, such as a deep skillet or dutch oven. Heat the oil to 350° F. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small cube of bread in the oil; if it floats to the top immediately and bubbles form around it, it’s hot enough.
- Take a chicken thigh from the buttermilk marinade and coat it in the flour mixture thoroughly. Carefully place it in the hot oil. Depending on the size of your pan, repeat the step to fry two or three thighs at a time, but don’t crowd them. Fry for 10-15 minutes, turning halfway through, until the batter is golden brown and the internal temperature is 165° F. Remove the chicken and set it on a paper-lined tray to drain the excess oil. Repeat for the rest of the chicken. When the chicken is done, you can mix together the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk into a dough and put dollops into the oil. Fry until golden brown and puffy (it’s delicious).
- Spread some butter on the hamburger buns and grill them on a hot skillet until golden brown. Serve each chicken thigh on a grilled bun with lettuce, tomato, mayo (optional), and jalapeños.
