This Buffalo Chicken Burger is a juicy, flavorful alternative to hamburgers that will have everyone’s mouth watering!
Spicy chicken burgers seasoned with buffalo sauce are loaded with a creamy ranch coleslaw topping before filling sweet, soft brioche buns.
You can grill these burgers, or make them on the stove, so Buffalo Chicken Burgers are simple to make at any time of the year.
If you love burgers, and you also love Buffalo chicken wings, I am pleased to present you with the ultimate mashup of your favorite foods, the Buffalo Chicken Burger!
These ground chicken burgers are anything but plain and boring. They’re perfectly spicy from the addition of Buffalo hot sauce, and they’re tender and juicy from the right amount of breadcrumbs and my secret ingredient: mayonnaise!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Juicy, flavorful burgers made from ground chicken – Burgers made from chicken or turkey can sometimes turn out dry since the meat has less fat in it than ground beef. My tried and true method of avoiding dry chicken burgers works every time.
- A healthier alternative – This recipe has less fat than a traditional hamburger since it’s made with lean ground chicken. It also has less fat than fried chicken wings, since those include the chicken skin. You can feel good about making this recipe for you and your family!
If you want to make more tangy and spicy Buffalo Style recipes, I have plenty for you to choose from! When you’re finished here, check out my Buffalo Chicken Salad, Buffalo Chicken Pasta, and Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers.
Or learn how to make my easy, perfectly spicy Buffalo Wing Sauce, and just pour it on everything!
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make the best Buffalo chicken burgers:
- Ground Chicken: Feel free to use lean ground turkey instead. 1 pound of ground chicken makes four generously sized Buffalo chicken burgers.
- Cole Slaw Mix: I love how simple it is to pick up a bag of shredded cabbage and carrots at the grocery store! You can also slice up fresh slaw for this recipe. Along with some sliced red onion and ranch dressing, you’ll have the perfect crunchy topping for these burgers.
- Hot Sauce: For a true Buffalo flavor, use Franks Red Hot Sauce to add heat to this recipe.
- Breadcrumbs and Mayonnaise: Together these two hold the ground meat together so that it’s easier to form into patties, and they create a texture that keeps the ground chicken juicy as it’s cooked.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Burgers
- Make the Slaw: Mix the coleslaw mix, sliced red onion, ranch dressing, and salt and pepper together in a bowl. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed, then set aside.
- Mix the Ground Chicken: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken with breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, minced garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, buffalo sauce, and green onions. Use your hands to combine the ingredients well, but avoid overmixing.
- Make Patties: Divide the Buffalo chicken mixture into four portions and gently flatten and shape into patties that are about half an inch thick.
- Cook the Burgers: If using the stovetop, heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat then add the burger patties. Cook on both sides for about 10 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165°F/74°C. You can also cook these on a pre-heated grill for 10 minutes per side if you prefer.
- To Assemble: Lightly toast sliced brioche buns (or your favorite burger rolls). Spread ranch dressing on the bottom half, add the chicken patty, top that with a drizzle of buffalo sauce, then add the ranch coleslaw. Top with the other bun and dig in!
Tip!
Be careful not to mix the chicken mixture too much. To keep the patties light and juicy, only mix the meat as much as is necessary to distribute the ingredients evenly. I like to use my hands so that I can be very gentle with the ground chicken.
Recipe Tips
- Instead of breadcrumbs, you can use almond meal to make gluten-free buffalo chicken burgers! I’ve tested it both ways, and they were both delicious.
- Fresh minced garlic and sliced green onions are in the burgers both for flavor and moisture. I don’t suggest leaving them out.
- Use the right hot sauce. Franks Buffalo Sauce comes in a few different styles. Franks Red Hot Original is straight hot sauce, but the Red Hot Wings sauce is a buttery, more mild version. This is the one you want! The original sauce will make the burgers much too spicy. You can also mix the plain hot sauce into a homemade Buffalo wing sauce using my easy recipe.
Storing Tips
If at all possible, enjoy these burgers right away after cooking them. If you have leftovers, store the burgers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the coleslaw in a separate container.
What To Serve With Buffalo Chicken Burgers
A juicy burger like this one goes perfectly with homemade french fries, or skip the fryer and make oven fries instead.
For a healthier option, enjoy your burger with a salad on the side, or make extra of the crunchy ranch slaw and skip the bun to save some carbs.
Need a sweet dessert after that spicy chicken burger? Try my classic Peach Pie, or Chocolate Cupcakes.
Recipe FAQs
The spice level of this recipe is mild to medium. You can reduce the amount of buffalo sauce if you’d like. To make the burgers spicier, I suggest adding more Buffalo sauce to the top of each burger.
Yes, you can! For this recipe, look for Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce, which is a buttery version of the classic hot sauce. You can also mix hot sauce with butter and honey to make homemade buffalo sauce instead.
Sure! In Buffalo NY, chicken wings are almost exclusively enjoyed with blue cheese dressing, and almost never with ranch! I’d suggest adding fresh crumbled blue cheese to the slaw along with the ranch dressing or using your favorite blue cheese salad dressing instead.
More Burger Recipes
All Sandwiches →
These are the best Buffalo Chicken Burgers! Perfectly spicy, perfectly juicy, and simple to make, this recipe will end up on your menu plan again.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Buffalo Chicken Burger
Equipment
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet or grill
Ingredients
For the slaw
- 3 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup (60 ml) ranch dressing plus extra to assemble the burgers
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the burgers:
- 1 lb (450 grams) ground chicken
- ½ cup breadcrumbs or almond meal
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup (120 ml) buffalo sauce divided
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
- 4 brioche buns plus a little butter for toasting
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- To make the slaw, in a medium-sized bowl combine cabbage with onion, ranch dressing, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine, taste for seasonings and adjust to your preference.
- To make the burgers, in a large bowl, combine ground chicken with almond meal or breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, buffalo sauce, and green onions. Use your hands to combine well, but do not overwork to get a better texture.
- Divide the mixture into 4 or 6 portions, and gently flatten and shape into patties that are about half an inch thick.
- If using the stovetop, heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat and add the patties to the pan. Cook on both sides for about 10 minutes or until the internal temperature of the patties is 165°F/74°C.
- If using the grill, preheat the grill to medium heat (around 350°F/180°C). Clean and oil the grill grates. Cook the patties for about 10 minutes on both sides until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F/74°C.
- To serve: Slice the buns in half, and toast the cut side until golden and crispy. Spread a little bit of ranch on the bottom half bun, add the patty, drizzle buffalo sauce, and top with slaw and the other bun.
Notes:
- Instead of breadcrumbs, you can use almond meal to make gluten-free buffalo chicken burgers! I’ve tested it both ways, and they were both delicious.
- Fresh minced garlic and sliced green onions are in the burgers both for flavor and moisture. I don’t suggest leaving them out.
- Be careful not to mix the chicken mixture too much. To keep the patties light and juicy, only mix the meat as much as is necessary to distribute the ingredients evenly. I like to use my hands so that I can be very gentle with the ground chicken.
- Use the right hot sauce. Franks Buffalo Sauce comes in a few different styles. Franks Red Hot Original is straight hot sauce, but the Red Hot Wings sauce is a buttery, more mild version. This is the one you want! The original sauce will make the burgers much too spicy. You can also mix the plain hot sauce into a homemade Buffalo wing sauce using my easy recipe.
- Storage: If at all possible, enjoy these burgers right away after cooking them. If you have leftovers, store the burgers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the coleslaw in a separate container.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Shar says
Can’t resist this flavorful buffalo chicken burger! The addition of cabbage slaw made it more scrumptious and remarkable.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you for the great review, Shar! I’m so happy you loved this chicken burger!
Connie W says
My teenage boys loved this! So great to mix up our burgers! Easy to make too.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
That’s so great to hear, Connie! Thanks for the kind review!
Elizabeth says
This buffalo chicken burger is bursting with flavors! It was seasoned and cooked well! Planning to have this again for our fam gathering this Sunday!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Elizabeth! Thank you for the wonderful review!