This Zinger Burger copycat tastes just like the famous Kentucky Fried Chicken sandwich with all the classic spices and seasonings. Crunchy chicken breasts topped with cheese and lettuce served inside soft sesame seed buns, complete with its signature sauce with a zing!
Zinger Burger KFC Copycat Recipe
Our KFC copycat Zinger Burger recipe is a homemade version of the famous crispy chicken sandwich with a spicy twist. It even includes the signature mayonnaise Zinger sauce to mimic the original meal! Read on, and I’ll let you in on my secret to making the Colonel’s chicken burger, but better!
What Is A Zinger Burger?
The Zinger Burger is a spicy chicken burger typically made with crispy breading fried to create a crunch with a bold kick. The fried chicken filets are loaded on soft brioche buns and topped with fresh lettuce, cheese, and a spicy mayo sauce. This burger was made famous by fast food chains such as Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Burger King, and McDonald’s, but now I’ve added my spin to it.
Want to make one? It’s as simple as soaking chicken breasts in a buttermilk marinade and coating them in spicy breading. Then, they’re pan-fried, garnished, slathered in sauce, and sandwiched between burger buns.
Ingredients For The Best Zinger Burger
- Skinless boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs: The cruncher burger is made with chicken thighs and the zinger burger is made with chicken breasts.
- Buttermilk: If you do not have buttermilk on hand, you can add 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to milk. Stir to combine.
- Hot sauce
- Kosher salt
- Ground white pepper
- Self rising flour
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Vegetable oil: Canola oil and peanut oil will also work well. Do not use olive oil because it doesn’t have a high enough smoke point for frying.
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Sriracha
- Sesame seed buns: While sesame seed buns are a classic choice, swapping them for soft brioche buns would add a buttery, slightly sweet flavor that complements the spiciness of the chicken.
- Muenster cheese: You can use cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, or any flavor you prefer instead of muenster cheese.
- Iceberg lettuce
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make The Best Copycat Zinger Burger: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the Marinade: Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Blend the Burger Sauce: Whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, and sriracha. Cover and chill in the refrigerator.
- Create the Coating: Whisk together the flour, onion powder, kosher salt, white pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Dredge the marinated chicken in the flour mixture.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat the oil to 330 – 350 degrees Fahrenheit and fry the chicken for 5 – 7 minutes per side or until golden brown. Place the chicken on a paper towel-lined baking tray to soak up the excess oil.
- Assemble The Sandwiches: Lay a slice of cheese over the hot chicken. Spread the zinger sauce on the top bun, place the chicken on the bottom bun, garnish with lettuce, and top with the bun.
- Serve: Serve and enjoy!
What To Serve With Zinger Burgers
The Zinger Burger is the perfect way to bring the family together for a fun “fast food” dinner experience. It delivers all the indulgence of your favorite takeout burger but with the warmth of homemade comfort. Serve it alongside French fries, onion rings, or sweet potato fries to make the meal feel like a treat. For extra freshness, a side of tangy KFC coleslaw, corn on the cob, green beans, or roasted veggies can balance out the heat of the burger.
Tips For Making Crispy Zinger Burgers
- Make the Marinade: If you are using a sealable container, turn the chicken over to completely coat it. If using a zip-lock bag, tightly seal the bag and “massage” the chicken to completely coat it.
- Test the Temperature: Use a candy/deep-frying thermometer to help you monitor the temperature. You will need to adjust the stovetop temperature up and down to keep the oil at around 340 degrees.
- Beware of Burning: When frying, it is important to keep a very close eye on the chicken. The coating can burn in a split second.
- Butter the Buns: You can lightly butter and toast the buns for an even creamier, crunchier sandwich.
- Skip the Stovetop: You can also prepare your chicken using a deep fryer. Set it for 325 – 350 degrees and cook the chicken as directed above.
Variations For The Best Zinger Burger
- Cut the Carbs: For a lower carb count, skip the buns and wrap the chicken in large lettuce leaves.
- Swap the Spices: For a spicier flavor profile, mix Cajun seasoning or chili powder into your flour dredge. Garlic powder can also be added to both the marinade and the coating.
- Double Dip: For extra crunch, double-dip the chicken! First dip in the buttermilk and flour, then back in the buttermilk and flour a scond time before frying.
- Create A Cruncher: This zinger is made with chicken breast but you can easily swap the breasts for chicken thighs to create a cruncher burger. Why choose one when you can make both?
- Tasty Toppings: In addition to lettuce, try topping your burger with tomato slices, pickles, sliced avocado, crispy bacon, coleslaw, or onions.
Proper Storage
- In The Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- In The Freezer: You can freeze the cooked chicken for up to 2 months. Allow the chicken to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To Reheat: You can reheat your burger in the oven for 15-20 minutes until crispy and heated through.
More Easy Burger Recipes
- Air Fryer Hamburgers
- Big Mac Salad – Cheeseburger Salad
- Burger Dinner Foil Packets
- Cheeseburger Soup
- Big Mac Sliders
- Big Mac Sloppy Joes
If you tried this Zinger Burger Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Zinger Burger
Serves — 4
This copycat KFC Zinger Burger recipe is so easy to make at home. Chicken is marinated, breaded, and fried until golden brown, then served with lettuce, Zinger sauce and sandwiched in a bun.
Prep Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 (1 – 1 ½ lbs) skinless, boneless chicken breast (or 4 thighs – the cruncher burger is made with thighs and the zinger is made with chicken breast)
Marinade
- 1½ cups buttermilk well shaken
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce (your favorite brand, I used Frank’s red hot original)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
Coating
- 1 cup self rising flour
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 cups vegetable oil for frying
Zinger sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise (your favorite brand)
- 1½ tablespoons ketchup (your favorite brand)
- 1½ tablespoons sriracha
- 4 sesame seed buns
- 8 slices muenster cheese
- Iceberg lettuce (optional topping)
Instructions
- Add the buttermilk, hot sauce, kosher salt and white pepper to a small mixing bowl. Whisk the marinade to combine.
- Place the chicken in either a sealable container or a gallon size ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken. If you are using the container, turn the chicken over to completely coat. If using the ziplock, tightly seal the bag and “massage’ the chicken to completely coat the chicken. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Add the mayonnaise, ketchup and sriracha to a small bowl. Whisk to completely incorporate. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready for garnishing the sandwiches.
- Just before frying the chicken, Add the self rising flour, onion powder, kosher salt, white pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper to a shallow bowl or baking dish. Whisk to combine and set it aside.
- Add the oil to a 4 – 5 quart stock pot. Heat the oil over medium high to high heat. (You will want to use a candy/deep frying thermometer to help you monitor the temperature.) Heat the oil to 330 – 350*. (340* seems to be the sweet spot)
- Just before the oil reaches 325*, remove 1 piece of chicken at a time from the marinade. Allow some of the marinade to drip off. Dredge the coated chicken in the flour mixture.
- Immediately add the coated chicken to the heated oil. You should be able to cook 2 pieces of chicken at a time. Keep a close eye on the temperature, adjusting the stove top temp up and down to keep the oil at the appropriate temperature. (Keep in mind that the oil temp will fluctuate when you add the chicken) Fry the chicken for 5 – 7 minutes per side.
- Once the chicken is a deep golden brown, and the internal temperature reaches 165*, remove the chicken to a baking dish lined with paper towels. Repeat the steps for the remaining 2 pieces of chicken.
- While the 1st batch of chicken is draining, lay 2 slices of muenster cheese over the hot chicken.
- Once all the chicken pieces have been cooked and cheese has been added, spread the zinger sauce on the top bun. Place the chicken on the bottom bun and top with iceberg lettuce. Top with the bun and serve.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the cooked chicken for up to 2 months. All the chicken to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To Reheat: You can reheat your burger in the oven for 15-20 minutes until crispy and heated through.
- It is important to keep a very close eye on the chicken when frying. The coating can burn in a split second.
- You can lightly butter and toast the buns for an even creamier, crunchier sandwich.
- For the best flavor, I recommend marinating your chicken for at least 4 hours to overnight. This will also ensure your chicken is juicy and tender.
- You can coat the chicken once but a double-coating will provide even more crispiness.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 861kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 72g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 2900mg | Potassium: 1177mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1073IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 594mg | Iron: 3mg
Thanks for the delicious and crispy recipe
So glad you enjoyed it!