What Makes a Great Chicken Burger?

There are many more simple chicken burgers that are also excellent. I’m also not disparaging all buffalo chicken fillets; they can be done not only right but exceptionally well. Places like Spatched and Chimac have been bar raisers from the start. But this special would hold its own in their company with the ease of an ingenue.

But we are in the golden age of the crunchy, juicy, fried chicken burger because of the recent shift towards buying better quality meat. Typically associated with quality beef, Dash burger has created a chicken burger worth getting the public-transport-of-your-choice into town for. 

They took the same careful creation and dedication to banging flavours that we’ve spoken about before into this new, delicious chicken burger, from enlisting The Happy Chicken Project as their chicken supplier to using Ger’s Hot Honey, which has made quality Irish ingredients the star players here. 

We all know Chicken tastes good, and Irish Chicken tastes better. But happy, Irish Chicken is next level. According to their website, they’re “on a mission to bring better-cared-for Irish chicken to Irish restaurants and takeaways”. So you can legitimately taste the difference. Battery chickens not only have sadly caged lives, but their meat actually tastes duller. At Happy Chicken, Irish chickens “live a healthy life with nutritious feed, plenty of room to grow, and loads of time for exercise”. Meaning the breast you ingest is ten times tastier than average. And that’s before we get into the artistry of Dash Burger’s interpretation. 

Barry has breaded and fried the happiest of chicken breasts with Ger’s Hot Honey, truffle whipped cream cheese and mustard on a buoyantly light bun. 

Ger’s Hot Honey is more than just your average sweetener. It has become a sort of food culture phenomenon; at this point, it’s only one step away from becoming a proper household name. If you’ve never tried it, you should. This little ditty is something that will take your cooking and eating up a gear. As a condiment, it combines the sweetness of honey with the zing of spicy chillies creating an addictive addition to most things. You can bang it on your pesto eggs, top off your instant ramen, or drizzle it over baked halloumi. Whatever your mind can concoct.

The unique flavour profile of Ger’s Hot Honey pairs perfectly with the whipped truffle cream cheese. And that, to me, is the game-altering ingredient. Firstly they don’t go hell for leather on the truffle. It just gives a soft earthiness to the fresh, light cream cheese. 

Crucially this special has mustard. So many chicken burger joints skip or skimp on the mustard. Why? Mustard is a superior condiment that completely outclasses relish and ketchup. The touch of mustard here is like French kissing an actual French person; seriously seductive. 

This chicken burger is deceptive, though. It is a rich, decadent dish, but it feels as light as meringue while you’re eating it. Now that is a culinary skill. Each part is engineered for subtle impact making every bite morish. Each bite is awesome, but the way they come together puts it over the top. 

This is the kind of burger you won’t want to put down; honestly, that’s what makes a great chicken burger. Something so well thought out that every bite tastes like you want more. They can come from anywhere, but this one comes from Dash Burger.