Ground Chicken Burgers

My easy Ground Chicken Burgers are a great way to satisfy those summer cravings while also keeping things a bit leaner and healthier. The key is to season the chicken well before making the patties. That way, they’re just as tasty and juicy as even the best beef burger.

It’s hard to beat a good burger. Even my Indian wife won’t argue with me there. But, being food bloggers always eating all of these heavy stews and such, sometimes we want to eat a bit lighter. That’s where these chicken burgers come in.

I’ve tried them a number of ways, with different seasonings and add-ins, but after all that experimenting this is the recipe I’ve honed in on. Unlike beef, which is great with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and sometimes a squirt or Worcestershire sauce, ground chicken needs a bit more to give it some flavor.

Ingredients Needed

• Ground chicken – Please make sure to get regular ground chicken, not ground chicken breast (a mistake I’ve unfortunately made). Ground breast is much too lean and results in squeaky burgers.
• Bread crumbs – These act as a binder, since the chicken is leaner than beef and doesn’t have the fat to hold it together. I use plain regular breadcrumbs, though panko also works.
• Mayonnaise – While it also acts as a binder, this is also essential to ass some moisture to the burgers.
• Seasonings – Garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper.
• Cheese – Because of the mild nature of chicken, my top pick here is cheddar. But feel free to use any of your favorite varieties. I’ve also used American, swiss, blue and even brie, and all go good here.
• Buns – Of course.
• Burger sauce – Now this is completely optional. Use any of your preferred condiments, but we’ve played around with some mixes and really like this one. It’s a mix of mayo, ketchup, mustard and pickle juice. You can find exact measurements in the recipe card.
• Topping – Again, whatever you want here. I like lettuce, tomato and sliced avocado (which I would never put on a beef burger, but goes great on chicken burgers). Alpana also adds red onion, which of course I wouldn’t go within a mile of.

Easy Ground Chicken Burger Recipe

First I just mix up all of the burger ingredients. I start by mixing the breadcrumbs, mayo and seasonings, then gently mix in the ground chicken until everything is well combined. I make sure not to go too crazy and overmix it, otherwise the burgers can turn out tough and chewy.

Next I form the patties. I make three patties out of this recipe, though if you have a smaller appetite you can make four. I always make sure to make the patties extra wide and form a bit of an indention in the center, such that the perimeter of the patty is fatter than the center. This is because they have a tendency to shrink, while growing thicker in the center, when they cook.

As far as cooking, these chicken burgers are great either on the grill or in a cast iron skillet. Personally, I just let the weather decide. Either way, I heat the grill or skillet up over medium-high heat (adding a little oil in the case of skillet), then cook the patties for about 4 minutes. Then I flip them over and cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the reach an internal temperature of 165°F as measure with my instant read thermometer (you do have one of those, right?).

Once they’re done, I put them on a plate, add the cheese, cover them with foil and let them rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestions

They’re burgers, so we don’t need to get too fancy here, right? Here are some top picks for chicken burger side dishes:

• KFC Coleslaw
• Hawaiian Mac Salad
• Three Bean Salad
• Sweet Potato Fries
• Cowboy Caviar
• Maque Choux
• Elote Salad

So, whether you’re looking to eat a little leaner, or just have a delicious dinner, these ground chicken burgers are the way to go. They’re super easy, super delish, and a bit healthier than the traditional options.

If you try them, please leave a star rating and comment, we love to hear from you. And be sure to stay in the loop by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Pinterest.

Ground Chicken Burgers, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

More Great Sandwich Recipes:
Salmon Burgers
BBQ Chicken Sandwich
Shrimp Po’ Boy
Reuben Sandwich

Ground Chicken Burgers

Yield: 3 burgers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

My easy Ground Chicken Burgers are a great way to satisfy those summer cravings while also keeping things a bit leaner and healthier.

Print

Ingredients

Chicken Burgers

• 1 pound ground chicken (see note 1)
• ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 3 slices cheese (we like cheddar here, but pick your favorite)

Burger Sauce

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp pickle juice

To serve

• 3 hamburger buns
• lettuce
• sliced tomato
• sliced red onion
• sliced avocado

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients for chicken burgers. Mix by hand until they are well combined, but do not over mix, as this can make the burgers tough.
2. Divide the mixture into three equally sized balls, then form the balls into patties. Make then a bit wide and form a little indentation in the center of each patty, as they will contract and get fatter as they cook.
3. Heat a grill or skillet over medium-high heat. If using a skillet, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to it.
4. Add chicken burgers and cook for 4 minutes. Flip them over and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165° when measured at the thickest point with an instant read thermometer.
5. Remove the ground chicken burgers from heat, add one cheese slice atop each burger, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
6. Serve the chicken burgers on buns along with burger sauce and your preferred toppings.

Notes

1. Be careful to buy regular ground chicken, not ground chicken breast. The latter is much too lean for this recipe, and results in dry, squeaky burgers.

Nutrition Information

Yield 3 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 536Total Fat 38gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 28gCholesterol 173mgSodium 1649mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 37g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.