This is a grilled chicken burger built around a smoky paprika-and-garlic marinade, slow-cooked caramelised onions, and a blender mayo you make from scratch. It takes about an hour start to finish, and the onions and mayo can both be made ahead — which makes this a genuinely useful recipe to have in rotation when you want real food ready fast on a weeknight.
What makes this version work
Two things matter here more than anything else. First, butterflying the chicken breasts and splitting them into halves gives you thinner, more even pieces that cook through quickly on a griddle without drying out — whole breasts take too long and the outside suffers for it. Second, the caramelised onions only turn properly dark and jammy if you let them sweat low and slow before the honey goes in; rush that stage and you get soft onions with a sweet glaze, not the sticky, deeply flavoured result the burger needs. The homemade mayo comes together fast in a blender and keeps well in the fridge, so there is no reason to skip it.
If something goes sideways
- Chicken sticking to the griddle: The marinade has garlic and parsley in it, both of which burn and stick if the pan isn’t hot enough before the chicken goes on. Get the griddle properly hot first, then add the chicken — it should release cleanly once a crust forms.
- Mayo stays thin and won’t thicken: The oil needs to go in slowly, especially at the start. If you dump it in too fast the emulsion breaks. If it’s already broken, pour the thin mixture out, add a fresh egg yolk to the blender, and drizzle the broken mayo back in gradually.
- Onions burning instead of caramelising: This happens when the heat is too high. Keep it low-medium throughout. If they start catching, add a small splash of water and stir — it brings the temperature down without ruining the batch.
- Chicken reads under 165°F at the thickest point: Pull it off the griddle and finish it in a 375°F oven for a few minutes. Do not serve chicken pink — use a meat thermometer every time.
- Buns going soggy before serving: Mayo on both cut sides of a toasted bun acts as a barrier, but if you’re assembling ahead, keep the components separate and build just before eating.
Shopping notes
- Smoked vs. sweet paprika: Smoked paprika is what gives the chicken its depth. Sweet paprika works but produces a noticeably milder result. If you only have sweet, add a small pinch of chipotle powder to compensate.
- Oil for the mayo: Use a neutral vegetable or sunflower oil. Olive oil will make the mayo bitter once blended at speed — skip it here.
- Onion quantity: Four medium onions looks like a lot raw, but they cook down dramatically. If you’re making a double batch of onions to use through the week, they keep well in the fridge for up to five days.
Keeping and reheating
The grilled chicken keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat it in a dry skillet over medium heat for two to three minutes per side — the microwave works in a pinch but softens the exterior. The caramelised onions keep refrigerated for five days and actually improve after a day; reheat them gently in a small saucepan with a splash of water. The mayo keeps refrigerated for up to five days — do not freeze it, the emulsion breaks. For longer storage, the cooked chicken freezes well for up to two months; freeze it flat in a single layer, then transfer to a bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Smokey Chicken Burgers With Caramelised Onions and Homemade Mayo
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken Ingredients
- 2 medium chicken breasts butterflied and split into halves
- 2 tablespoons paprika smoked or sweet
- 2 teaspoons chilli powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic crushed
- 4 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil
Caramelised Onions Ingredients
- 4 medium onions finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Homemade Mayonnaise Ingredients
- 1 medium egg
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teapsoon salt pepper and sugar to taste
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Burger Ingredients
- 4 medium buns
- 1 bunch lettuce
- 4 slices cheese
Instructions
Grilled Chicken Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients for half an hour.
- Grill on a griddle until cooked and set aside to rest while you assemble the rest of the burger.
Caramelised Onion Instructions
- Put the butter in a saucepan and heat it until just warm.
- Add the sliced onions and saute well until the onions sweat.
- Put in the salt and pepper and continue to saute until the onions become golden.
- At this point, add in the honey and stir until dark and jammy.
- Take the egg, salt, pepper, sugar, and blitz in a mixer.
- Now add oil in a stream and continue to blitz until the mayonnaise reaches a thick consistency.
- It may be possible that you do not need so much oil (it all depends on the density of the oil and the egg).
- Add the lemon juice, stir well and place in the fridge until you need to use it.
Assembly Instructions
- Slice the burger buns horizontally.
- Toast them and apply mayonnaise on both sides.
- On the bottom bun, place the lettuce.
- Put the mayonnaise on that, topped with the chicken and then the onions.
- Place another lettuce piece (if you like) on top of that and cover with the top portion of the bun.
- Serve with potato wedges and ketchup.
- I like this burger the way it is. But feel free to add tomatoes, mustard, cucumber, and other toppings and condiments you would like.
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Yes, and boneless skinless thighs are actually more forgiving on a griddle because they have more fat and are harder to dry out. Butterfly them the same way to even out the thickness, and still cook to 165°F internal temperature.
How far ahead can I make the caramelised onions?
You can make them up to five days ahead and keep them in a sealed container in the fridge. This is the single best prep move for this recipe — the onions reheat in two minutes and the rest of the burger comes together fast.
Is the homemade mayo safe to eat?
It contains a raw egg, so use the freshest egg you can find and keep the mayo refrigerated at all times. Consume it within five days and do not leave it sitting out during assembly.
Can I marinate the chicken overnight?
Yes, up to 24 hours in the fridge works well and deepens the flavour. Beyond that, the acid and salt in the marinade start to break down the texture of the meat, so don’t push it further.
More burger recipes to try
- Smoky Mountain BBQ Chicken Sandwich
- Honey BBQ Chicken Burger
- Wendy’s Grilled Chicken Remake
- Crispy SmokeShack Chicken Burger