High-Protein McChicken Burgers with Crispy Chips

These McChicken-style burgers are a high-protein fakeaway that’s perfect for when the drive-thru craving hits. You get a golden, crunchy crumb and a creamy mustard mayo without the deep fryer.

Serves 4

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 35 minutes

Looking for more fakeaway favourites? Try my Chicken Schnitzel Burgers or my Big Mac Wraps with Special Sauce.

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Helpful Tips

Storage

Store cooked patties in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep them separate from the buns, lettuce and sauce.
The burger sauce keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Uncooked crumbed patties can be frozen for up to 2 months. Air fry them from frozen at 200°C for 16–18 minutes, until cooked through.
To reheat cooked patties, air fry at 180°C for 5–6 minutes or bake at 200°C for 8–10 minutes to bring back the crunch. Avoid the microwave because it softens the crumb.
Chips are best eaten fresh. Leftovers crisp up again in the air fryer at 200°C for 4–5 minutes.

Substitutions

Swap regular buns for high-protein buns to add roughly 4–6g of protein per serve.
Use chicken thigh mince for a juicier patty. Protein drops to around 40g per serve.
Replace the panko with crushed cornflakes for an extra-crunchy, McChicken-style coating.
Use regular mayonnaise instead of light for a richer sauce.
Swap the white potatoes for sweet potatoes. Reduce the baking time slightly and keep an eye on the edges.
Use gluten-free panko and gluten-free buns to make the recipe gluten-free.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with the oven chips and extra burger sauce for dipping. For a lighter plate, swap the chips for a simple slaw or a green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil.

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Ingredients Directions

Serving Scaler

Serves 4 1x 2x 3x

Ingredients

For the Burger sauce:

60g (¼ cup) light mayonnaise
60g (¼ cup) Greek yoghurt
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste

For the Chicken patties:

600g chicken breast mince
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

For the seasoned breadcrumbs:

60g (1 cup) breadcrumbs
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
Olive oil spray

For the potato chips

450g potatoes
1/2 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

To serve

4 burger buns
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

Directions

For the potato chips:

Preheat the oven to 220°C fan-forced and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Cut the potatoes into batons and place them in a bowl of iced water. Leave them to soak for 10 minutes to draw out the excess starch.
Drain the potatoes and dry them thoroughly with paper towel. The drier they are, the crispier they’ll get.
Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them across the tray in a single layer, making sure they don’t overlap.
Bake the chips for 30–35 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp at the edges.

For the Burger sauce:

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt, Dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper until smooth.
Cover and refrigerate until needed so the flavours can develop.

For the Chicken Patties:

While the chips are baking, add the chicken mince, yellow mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper for the patties to a large bowl. Mix with your hands until evenly combined.
Divide the mixture into four portions. Shape each into a thin, wide patty about 1cm thick and slightly larger than your buns, since they shrink as they cook. Lightly wet your hands if the mince sticks.
Spread the breadcrumbs on a plate and mix through the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt. Press both sides of each patty firmly into the seasoned crumbs until well coated.
Place the crumbed patties on a lined tray and freeze for 15 minutes to firm up. This helps the crumb stay put in the air fryer.
Preheat the air fryer to 200°C. Spray both sides of the patties with olive oil spray and place them in the basket in a single layer, working in batches if needed.
Air fry for 12–14 minutes, flipping halfway, until the crumb is deep golden and the chicken is just cooked through. Check at 12 minutes, because breast mince dries out quickly if it’s overcooked. If you have a meat thermometer, the centre should read 75°C.

To serve:

Toast the burger buns.
To build each burger, spread burger sauce on the bottom bun, then top with shredded lettuce and a chicken patty. Spread more sauce on the top bun and close.
Serve immediately with the chips.

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Nutritional Information

( per serving, based on 4 )

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	615 kcal
Protein	46 g
Carbohydrates	64 g
Fat	17 g
Fibre	5 g

Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a general reference only. Actual values may vary. This is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.