Ground Chicken Burgers: Actually Much More Delicious Than You’d Ever Imagine!
Burger night can be as indulgent as you want—we’re all for indulgence!—but sometimes you want to satisfy your burger craving and still feel like you ate and served up a healthy meal, too. We’ve leaned into our spicier side for this chicken burger recipe, topping them with homemade candied jalapeños—easier to make than you’d think—and spicy Pepper Jack cheese. They’re healthy and unbelievably satisfying. Yes, you’ll still be needing a million napkins on hand when you’re eating these, which is how we know we’ve made a great burger recipe. This is not the mystery-bird chicken sandwich you remember from the school cafeteria—and thank goodness for that. Heat up a skillet (or fire up the grill) and let’s make the best darn chicken burger you’ve ever had.
What Are Chicken Burgers Made Of?
Homemade chicken burgers are healthier than their beefy counterparts, but they can still be super delicious! As with most any chicken breast recipe—and we’re using ground chicken breast here—the best way to end up with a super flavorful chicken burger is to add lots of seasonings. And that’s exactly what we did here! Breadcrumbs help to bind the ground chicken and help it to hold on to all of the delicious things that we’re seasoning it with. Things like:
Breadcrumbs
Basil
Garlic
Parmesan cheese
Paprika
Salt
Black pepper
Mustard powder
How Do You Take a Ground Chicken Burger From Tasty to Transcendent? TOPPINGS!
We went a little crazy with toppings for this chicken burger recipe, but every burger lover knows that the toppings are make-or-break! While you can’t go wrong with good old ketchup-mustard-mayo triumvirate, to make a chicken burger truly memorable you’ll want to step it up a little. Also, it’s good to take things in a slightly different direction—this is not a chicken burger in disguise as a beef burger! It is its own glorious thing, and these toppings really make it come to life! Here’s what we top our super yummy ground chicken burger with:
Candied jalapeños
Smashed avocado
Pepper Jack cheese
Basil mayo
How to Make The Best Chicken Burger Ever
Make the candied jalapeños! This sounds fussy but only takes about 10 minutes, and the payoff is big! Also, you can make them ahead of time to use when you’re ready! They’ll keep in the fridge for three months, so one batch will last you all summer.
Make the smashed avocado! Literally just smash an avocado! The lemon juice is mostly just to keep the avocado from browning. Plus it tastes good.
Mix up those ground chicken burger patties! Just like with our beloved meatballs, making burger patties benefits from a gentle touch—mix with your hands, and stop when things begin to come together.
Make the basil mayo! You’ve already got fresh basil and garlic for the chicken burgers, might as well use some to make a yummy mayo to top them with! Use a microplane grater to grate the garlic—it’ll almost melt when you do—and it’ll mix easily into the mayo.
Cook the chicken burgers! No rare burgers here, please—you want that chicken thoroughly cooked through. Top them with cheese after you flip ‘em, and then when the cheese is melty and the burgers are cooked through, it’ll be time to load them up and dig in!
More Ground Chicken Recipes to Try
Tools You’ll Need
Don’t Be Chicken! Try These Burgers!
You might love these more than beef burgers—no kidding! These chicken burgers are spicy and herby and juicy and messy and cheesy! They’re all the things! Plus, they’re easier on the old ticker than their (delicious) beefy cousins. And that’s always nice. So anyway, give them a spin! Let us know how you like ‘em! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
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