Cheese Lava Chicken Burger

Ingredients

• 2 burger buns, halved
• 1 pickled cucumber
• ½ red onion
• 1 leaf iceberg lettuce

Crispy Chicken

• 1 small chicken breast, sliced lengthwise and pounded
• 200 g buttermilk
• 5 g salt
• 2 g black pepper
• 3 g sweet paprika
• 3 g garlic powder

Breading Mix

• 100 g all-purpose flour
• 15 g potato starch
• 3 g garlic powder
• 4 g sweet paprika
• 2 g hot paprika

Spicy Burger Sauce

• 80 g mayonnaise
• 15 g sriracha
• 20 g mustard (Dijon or yellow)
• 10 g rice vinegar
• Salt to taste

Cheese Lava Sauce

• 50 g Mimolette, grated
• 50 g Cheddar, grated
• 25 g Gruyère, grated
• 125 ml heavy cream (36%)
• 10 g unsalted butter
• 15 g tomato paste
• Salt to taste
  

Instructions

1. Place chicken in a bowl with buttermilk, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
2. Slice red onion into half rings, cut pickled cucumber into thin rounds, and shred iceberg lettuce into julienne strips. Keep chilled.
3. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the burger sauce. Mix until smooth and set aside in the fridge.
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour, starch, garlic powder, and both paprikas. Dredge each chicken piece thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing it in firmly. Shake off excess.
5. Heat oil to 170°C (338°F).
6. Fry chicken for 6–7 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Drain on a rack or paper towel.
7. Make the cheese lava. Melt butter over low heat Pour in cream, warm it up without boiling. Add tomato paste and stir. Slowly add cheeses, stirring constantly until melted and silky. Season with salt. Keep warm.
8. Toast the cut side only of each bun on a skillet with a bit of butter until golden.
9. Assemble: bottom bun → burger sauce → lettuce → crispy chicken → pickles → red onion → top bun → hot cheese lava.

Tips and additional information

Why make the cheese lava last?
Timing is everything. Cheese sauces thicken as they cool, and this one is meant to flow like real molten lava. If you prep it too early, you'll lose that dramatic pour. Keep it as the final move before assembling and serve it hot off the heat.

Why use three types of cheese?
Balance. Mimolette adds nuttiness and bold color, mature Cheddar brings tangy sharpness, and Gruyère melts like a dream. Together, they create a deeply savory, velvety sauce that feels way beyond “burger level.”

Serving idea for extra drama?
Serve the burger open-faced at the table and pour the cheese lava in front of your guest.