For me, summer, aka “grilling season,” wouldn’t be complete without barbecue chicken or burgers. In an attempt to eat healthier, yet still enjoy the best of both worlds, I tried out a new-to-me chicken burger recipe this past week.
If you’re a skeptic like me, you probably predicted failure.
Chicken and turkey burgers have a tendency to lack flavor and dry out completely. I’m happy to report that this recipe (a real winner, in my opinion) is both extremely delicious and moist!
I know I say this a lot, but you have to try these to see what I’m talking about.
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until evenly incorporated (though the less you mix your meat — any meat — the better).
Form the mixture into 4 equal-sized patties, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to grill. I let ours hang out for about 1-2 hours, but you could grill them immediately.
Heat a large grill pan (or an outdoor grill, if you’re one of the lucky ones) over high heat. Spray (or brush) with olive oil, then place buns on grill. Cook until heated through and slightly crispy.
Remove buns, spray or brush on more olive oil, then add sliced red onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. After 3-5 minutes (depending on heat), flip the onions and cook on the other side.
I seriously love grilled onions… especially red onions.
When the onions are cooked to your liking, remove, respray the grill with olive oil, then add your chicken burgers. After 5-6 minutes, flip the burgers. Brush with extra barbecue sauce, then top with a slice of cheddar cheese. The burgers will probably take another 5-6 minutes to cook through completely. If you’re not sure whether they’re done, push down on the burger lightly with your index finger. It shouldn’t give too much — just slightly. (*You may have to cook the burgers longer depending on the temperature you use. Def don’t want to eat a raw chicken burger, so make sure they’re cooked all the way through!)
Now just plate ‘em up!
Can’t have burgers without fries, right? We served ours with some fantastic zucchini fries (recipe to be posted later). It was exactly what they needed.
I had serious doubts as to whether these chicken burgers (or any chicken burgers, really) would be moist and flavorful.
I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
These are the perfect chicken burgers. I felt zero guilt in eating these, and I imagine we’ll be making them again. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to a beef patty, make these asap. Trust me, okay?
BBQ Chicken Burgers
*Recipe adapted from Pink Parsley.
Yields: 4 servings
Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
For the burgers:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ½ cup crumbled cornbread
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Pinch cayenne
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce (we used leftover homemade sauce from our baby back ribs)
Additional ingredients/condiments:
- 4 hamburger buns (we love ‘em with sesame seeds)
- 1 large red onion, sliced into ½-inch rounds
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices extra sharp cheddar
- BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until evenly incorporated (though the less you mix your meat — any meat — the better).
- Form the mixture into 4 equal-sized patties, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to grill.( I let ours hang out for about 1-2 hours, but you could grill them immediately.)
- Heat a large grill pan over high heat. Spray (or brush) with olive oil, then place buns on grill. Cook until heated through and slightly crispy.
- Remove buns, spray or brush on more olive oil, then add sliced red onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. After 3-5 minutes (depending on heat), flip the onions and cook on the other side.
- When the onions are cooked, remove, respray the grill with olive oil, then add your chicken burgers. After 5-6 minutes, flip the burgers. Brush with extra barbecue sauce, then top with a slice of cheddar cheese.
- The burgers will take another 5-6 minutes to cook through completely. If you’re not sure whether they’re done, push down on the burger lightly with your index finger. It shouldn’t give too much — just slightly.
[...] BBQ Chicken Burgers [...]