Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers
Fancy Chinese-inspired salt and pepper burgers for tea tonight? Our slimming-friendly recipe tastes just as good as a takeaway version and you can rustle them up in your air fryer! We’ve even counted a refreshing, Asian-inspired slaw in the calories too…
Also in these categories:
NutritionPer Serving
- Calories343
- Carbs38g
- Protein31g
- Fat6g
- Saturates1.6g
- Sugars10g
Your dishes
You’re amazing, look at the Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers dishes you’ve made…
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!
Can you believe we’ve actually made one of your favourite dishes to order from the Chinese takeaway into a slimming-friendly burger? If you’re as obsessed with salt and pepper flavours as we are, you need to give this one a whirl at your next Fakeaway night!
We came up with these fiery, crispy-coated chicken burgers one night when we both fancied two different dishes. Why choose between a Chinese-inspired dinner and a burger when you can have both? By using a clever combination of store cupboard ingredients, you can have these ready even faster than you could order a takeaway.
We’ve even rustled up a portion of Asian-inspired slaw too! Don’t worry if you’re not a fan of spice – it’ll still be a flavoursome burger even if you leave the chilli out completely. If you’re a spice lover, make sure to keep the seeds in the fresh chilli for an added kick (oh, and you can even add more chilli flakes!).
We absolutely love cooking with anything and everything Ninja, and this recipe was the perfect excuse to crack out our Ninja Foodi Max Health Grill & Air Fryer. Don’t worry if you don’t have an air fryer at home, you can crisp up your Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers in the oven too!
The great thing about air fryers is there’s one to suit everybody’s budget! If you’re on the lookout, we’ve put together a list of the best air fryers to buy that might help.
What diets are these Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers suitable for?
Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers can be made gluten free, as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten-free versions;
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Light soy sauce
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers?
You’ll need panko breadcrumbs which you should be able to find in the baking section of most supermarkets.
Send us a Hint or Tip
We love hearing from you, submit any tips or tricks you have for this dish and we’ll review them and add some of them here. Just click here.
SEND US a HINT & TIP, Or QUOTE for this recipe
THANKS
we have your picture
The process
- Check
Now we have your Hint & tip
we’ll check them over. - Review We’ll review your Hint & Tip, and see if its suitable to use on the website.
Your details
- Name: %name%
- Recipe: %recipeName%
YOUR HINTS & TIPS
Your “QUOTE”
SWAG!
Due to the large number of submissions we recieve we’re afraid we’ll only inform you if we use it on the Recipe page - then we’ll send you some swag…
(Please remember others may of had the same idea as you!)
‘A favourite Air Fryer recipe’
This post contains affiliate links: what this means
A julienne peeler will make finely slicing your veggies so much easier.
We used our Ninja Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer to get our chicken burgers perfectly crisp!
How many calories are in these Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers?
There are 343 calories per portion in these Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers, which means they fall into our Everyday Light category.
To cut down the amount of calories even more, you can simply halve the portion size and serve with a healthy accompaniment!
These Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers are perfect if you’re following a calorie-controlled diet, and fit well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Prepare the spice mix. Place a frying pan or wok over a medium heat and toast the salt flakes for about 2 minutes. Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Take 1 tsp of the mix and set to one side; this will season the pepper and onion topping later.
Step 2
Prepare the slaw. Mix the Chinese leaf, carrot and spring onions together in a bowl. Mix the soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar and a pinch of sweetener together in a separate small bowl – this is your salad dressing. Keep it separate and only mix with the vegetables when you are ready to serve, otherwise the salad can wilt and go limp. Cover both bowls and keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.
Step 3
Now prepare the burgers. Lay the chicken breasts on a steady, flat surface and cut horizontally through the middle using a sharp knife. Try to keep each piece as even as possible. You now have 4 chicken pieces.
Step 4
Place the breadcrumbs on a plate, then dip each chicken breast into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs. Coat well on each side and place on a plate.
Step 5
Give the top of the chicken burgers a good spritz with low-calorie cooking spray, then sprinkle over half the spice mix. Flip the burgers, give another good spray and sprinkle over the remaining spice mix.
Step 6
Now cook the chicken burgers. Using the Ninja, use the air fry setting and the temperature probe to ensure perfect cooking and juicy burgers. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the chicken; you can refer to your Ninja guide on how to do this. Set the Ninja to ‘Air Fry’ and adjust the temperature to 180°C. Press ‘Manual’ and set the cooked temperature to 75°C. Add the chicken – we could just fit four chicken burgers in, but you may have to cook them in 2 batches as they vary in shape and size.
Step 7
Using the probe will cook your chicken perfectly, so follow the instructions that the Ninja gives. Flip it halfway through cooking (use silicone tongs to do this). When the Ninja tells you, remove the burgers to a plate and leave to rest. Don’t turn off the Ninja as it will countdown the perfect resting time for your burger. Our burgers took 10 and a half minutes to cook, with a couple of minutes of resting time. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken and the temperature it was when you started cooking.
Step 8
While the burgers are cooking, place a frying pan or wok onto a medium to high heat. Spray with low-calorie cooking spray and add the sliced onions, peppers and chilli. Sauté for 6-7 minutes until soft, then add the tsp of reserved spice mix. Stir well and remove from heat.
Step 9
Mix together the mayonnaise and sriracha.
Step 10
When the chicken is cooked, slice the buns and mix the soy dressing with the salad.
Step 11
Place the buns on plates and pile some slaw onto the bottom half. Next, add the chicken burger, then top the burgers with the peppers and onions.
Step 12
Divide the remaining slaw between the plates and serve with a dollop of sriracha mayonnaise on the side.
What could I serve with these Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers?
These Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers would go nicely with any of these yummy sides…
How do you know when Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers are cooked?
You should cook these Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers until the chicken breasts are cooked through and no pinkness remains. This took around 10 minutes in our Ninja Foodi, but this may vary depending on the thickness of your chicken and the air fryer you’re using.
If you’re using an air fryer without a temperature probe, preheat your air fryer to 180°C and cook the chicken for 10-15 minutes, making sure there is no pink in the chicken.
Your burgers are also likely to need a couple of minutes of resting time (the Ninja will calculate the right amount of resting time for you).
To keep your family safe, the advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes.
How long can you keep Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers?
Yes, you can! The burgers can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and warm in a moderately heated oven for 10 minutes for best results. They should be piping hot when cooked.
PRE-ORDER Our NEW cookbook Air Fryer NOW
Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers
No need to choose between a Chinese-inspired dinner and burgers tonight! This recipe is so much tastier and healthier than a takeaway.
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
12 MINS
- KCals 343
- Carbs 38G
Instructions
- Prepare the spice mix. Place a frying pan or wok over a medium heat and toast the salt flakes for about 2 minutes. Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Take 1 tsp of the mix and set to one side; this will season the pepper and onion topping later.
- Prepare the slaw. Mix the Chinese leaf, carrot and spring onions together in a bowl. Mix the soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar and a pinch of sweetener together in a separate small bowl – this is your salad dressing. Keep it separate and only mix with the vegetables when you are ready to serve, otherwise the salad can wilt and go limp. Cover both bowls and keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.
- Now prepare the burgers. Lay the chicken breasts on a steady, flat surface and cut horizontally through the middle using a sharp knife. Try to keep each piece as even as possible. You now have 4 chicken pieces.
- Place the breadcrumbs on a plate, then dip each chicken breast into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs. Coat well on each side and place on a plate.
- Give the top of the chicken burgers a good spritz with low-calorie cooking spray, then sprinkle over half the spice mix. Flip the burgers, give another good spray and sprinkle over the remaining spice mix.
- Now cook the chicken burgers. Using the Ninja, use the air fry setting and the temperature probe to ensure perfect cooking and juicy burgers. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the chicken; you can refer to your Ninja guide on how to do this.Set the Ninja to ‘Air Fry’ and adjust the temperature to 180°C. Press ‘Manual’ and set the cooked temperature to 75°C. Add the chicken – we could just fit four chicken burgers in, but you may have to cook them in 2 batches as they vary in shape and size.
- Using the probe will cook your chicken perfectly, so follow the instructions that the Ninja gives. Flip it halfway through cooking (use silicone tongs to do this). When the Ninja tells you, remove the burgers to a plate and leave to rest. Don't turn off the Ninja as it will countdown the perfect resting time for your burger. Our burgers took 10 and a half minutes to cook, with a couple of minutes of resting time. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken and the temperature it was when you started cooking.
- While the burgers are cooking, place a frying pan or wok onto a medium to high heat. Spray with low-calorie cooking spray and add the sliced onions, peppers and chilli. Sauté for 6-7 minutes until soft, then add the tsp of reserved spice mix. Stir well and remove from heat.
- Mix together the mayonnaise and sriracha.
- When the chicken is cooked, slice the buns and mix the soy dressing with the salad.
- Place the buns on plates and pile some slaw onto the bottom half. Next, add the chicken burger, then top the burgers with the peppers and onions.
- Divide the remaining slaw between the plates and serve with a dollop of sriracha mayonnaise on the side.
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
—
We agreed with Slimming World to remove their trademarked terms from our website
Recipe notes
We love seeing your photos of Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers, don’t forget to tag us in your creations!
6 comments
See what others have to say
SueWednesday 27th December 2023
Is there a way to cook this without an air fryer please?
LisaThursday 11th January 2024
Our oven method for this recipe has its own page. You can find it here.
https://pinchofnom.com/recipes/salt-and-pepper-chicken-burgers/
BarrieMonday 11th September 2023
I’m definitely going to try this and have saved the recipe but could you please advise if the times and temperature the same if cooking the chicken in my dual air fryer ?
LisaTuesday 12th September 2023
Hi Barrie, we’ve not tried it in a dual air fryer, but I would think they operate the same as the single ones, so timing and temperature should be about the same. Just check the chicken is thoroughly cooked before you tuck in! Enjoy.
AnneSunday 24th July 2022
This looks so yummy I’m going to have a go! I was just checking I had all the ingredients already in and read through the method but I can’t see where the sliced onions appear in the ingredients list. Thanks for your fab recipes. I’ve got all your books xx
SharonWednesday 27th July 2022
Hi Anne, we’re so pleased you like the look of our Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers! Thank you for noticing the onion was missing from the ingredients list, this has now been corrected. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused and hope you enjoy the recipe!
Join the conversation
Comment or ask our advice