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flameDessertChickenBeefSandwichesWeekend project
Super-Crispy Chicken Smash Burgers
Prep3 hours 30 minutes
Cook30 minutes
Serves10 or 11
Method
Steps
- Cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces and place them on a sheet tray in a single layer. Transfer to the freezer and freeze for 1 hour, or until the chicken pieces are quite hard but sliceable (not frozen solid—if the skins are not frozen enough or too frozen, they won't blend properly).
- Working in batches, fill the bowl of a food processor with a single layer of the chicken. Pulse until the chicken is coarsely ground (a bit rougher than meat you’d buy pre-ground), meaning you can still see separate bits and pieces of meat, and the mixture is not forming a paste. Remove the ground chicken to a bowl and repeat until all the chicken is ground (you should have about 4 cups).
- Cut 11 pieces of parchment paper, each 6 inches square. Arrange them on a work surface, then place a 3-inch-round cookie cutter on one sheet. Fill the cutter with ground chicken to about 3/4-inch high, remove the cutter, then press the patty down with a flat-bottomed plate until it’s about 1/4-inch thick and flat on top. Alternatively, fill a measuring cup with a heaping 1/4 cup of meat and press into a 1/4-inch-thick patty on the piece of parchment. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. (They’ll be quite wide, as they shrink during the cooking process.)
- Place the patties (keeping the parchment underneath) in a single layer on a sheet pan, then place in the freezer for 2 hours.
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper, and white pepper. Season the patties on one side.
- Spread the cut sides of each bun with 1/2 tablespoon butter per side. In a large carbon steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-high, toast the buns cut sides down until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to serving plates (hang onto the skillet), then spread one side of the bun generously with mayonnaise and the other side with Dijon mustard. Set aside.
- Heat the skillet over high heat with just enough canola oil to coat the skillet plus 1/2 tablespoon butter per patty (you can probably fit about 3 patties at a time). When the butter’s foaming, place the patties in the skillet seasoned side down and remove the other piece of parchment, then season the second side (now facing up).
- The patties will splatter quite a lot of hot fat, which can flame up, so I highly recommend wearing an oven mitt during the cooking process and exercising caution. Use a flat spatula to gently press down on the patties against the skillet so the two surfaces have thorough contact, then swirl the skillet so the fat distributes evenly around the patties. Cook, without moving the patties but continuing to press down on the center, until the first side is deeply browned, about 2 to 4 minutes. You'll be able to tell when the edges look deeply crispy and browned, almost like the surface of fried chicken.
- Carefully flip the patties (watch out for flames!) and allow the second side to crisp up and brown and the interior to cook through (165°F on an instant read thermometer), about 2 to 4 minutes. If your patties catch fire, immediately cover the pan with a metal lid or sheet pan and turn off the heat to smother the fire.
- Place the crispy patty on each bun. (If you'd like, you could do a double-decker burger.) Place a slice or two of cheese on each burger, then serve immediately with pickles.
Originally published at food52.com. Reproduced for personal collection.
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