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They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but in my kitchen, it is passion and the requests of my loved ones that inspire new recipes! It so happened that last Sunday, I made fried chicken burgers for my family, and they turned out so incredibly juicy and crispy that a storm of compliments followed every single bite. The chicken ran out, but everyone was still craving more. Right then, I thought, why not make something completely spectacular next time so that just looking at a single burger leaves everyone wide-eyed with awe? That is exactly when the idea struck me: anyone can make a standard single burger, so why don’t I prepare three different, mouth-watering sauces (BBQ, Nashville Hot, and Special Mayo) for the fried chicken and stack them one on top of the other? My passion and this very thought resulted in this restaurant-style masterpiece, and today, I am going to teach you how I make a towering crispy chicken burger stack at home so you can give your family the same wonderful surprise!

The Crispy Chicken Burger Stack Trilogy

Learn how I make a towering crispy chicken burger stack with an ultra-crunchy crust and three delicious signature glazes. Here are my foolproof chef tips!

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Servings: 4

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Calories: 720

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

For the Ultra-Crispy Fried Chicken
1 kg Chicken thighs or breasts cut into large, uniform burger-sized fillets
2 cups Buttermilk for brining
1 tbsp Hot sauce
3 cups All-purpose flour
½ cup Cornstarch the secret to long-lasting crunch!
1 tbsp Garlic powder
1 tbsp Onion powder
1 tbsp Smoked paprika
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tbsp Salt & 1 tsp Black pepper
Oil for deep frying Peanut, canola, or corn oil
The Three Signature Glazes/Sauces
Layer 1 Bottom: Sweet BBQ Pulled Chicken Style Glaze
½ cup Smoked BBQ sauce mixed with 1 tbsp honey.
Layer 2 Middle: Spicy Nashville Hot Sauce Glaze
½ cup of the hot frying oil mixed with 1 tbsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp brown sugar, and ½ tsp garlic powder.
Layer 3 Top: Gourmet Special Mayo Sauce
¼ cup Mayonnaise mixed with 1 tbsp sriracha 1 tsp honey, and a dash of lemon juice.
For Assembly
3-4 Premium Brioche buns split and buttered
1 cup Tangy coleslaw shredded cabbage and carrots in a light vinegar-mayo dressing
12 slices Dill pickle chips
½ cup Shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese optional, for melting
Fresh green onions finely chopped for garnish

Equipment

1 Deep Fryer or Large, Heavy-Bottomed Dutch Oven
1 Meat Thermometer
1 Three Mixing Bowls
1 Wire Cooling Rack

Method

The Buttermilk Brine (For Supreme Juiciness)
Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper together in a large bowl.
Submerge your chicken fillets completely in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is even better). This tenderizes the meat thoroughly.
2. The Double-Dredge Crunch Technique
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
The Pro-Tip: Drizzle 2–3 tablespoons of the liquid buttermilk marinade into your dry flour mixture and rub it with your fingers. This creates small flour clumps that latch onto the chicken, forming those extra-crispy ridges when fried.
Take a piece of chicken from the buttermilk, let the excess drip off, coat it thoroughly in the flour mix, dip it back into the buttermilk for 1 second, and give it a final, firm press into the flour mix. Repeat for all pieces.
3. Frying to Golden PerfectionHeat your frying oil to 350°F (175°C ).
Lower the chicken fillets gently into the hot oil. Fry for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until the crust is deeply golden-brown and the internal temperature hits 165 °F (74 °C ).
Transfer the chicken immediately to a wire cooling rack.
4. Glazing the Layers
For the top burger: Toss a hot fried chicken fillet directly into the Special Mayo Sauce bowl until completely coated.
For the middle burger: Carefully whisk the hot frying oil into the Nashville spice blend, then brush this glistening spice oil heavily all over the second fillet.
For the bottom burger: Toss the third fillet in the warm, sweet honey-BBQ sauce.
5. Assembling the Towering Stack
Toast your brioche buns in a hot skillet with a little butter until golden brown.
Build the Stack (From Bottom to Top):
Bottom Bun: Lay down some pickles, place the BBQ Chicken Fillet, and top with shredded cheese.
Middle Bun (Bottom half): Place directly over the cheese, add the Nashville Hot Chicken Fillet, more pickles, and a scoop of creamy coleslaw.
Top Bun (Bottom half): Place on top, add the final Special Mayo Chicken Fillet, garnish with fresh chopped green onions, and cap it off with the top brioche bun!

Notes

Pro Tip:"When I first started building these giant food towers, they would slide around on the plate. My secret trick to keeping them perfectly stable is slicing the dill pickles thin, patting them completely dry with a paper towel, and using a long bamboo skewer right through the center of the buns!"

My Ultimate Guide: How I Make a Towering Crispy Chicken Burger Stack