Chicken Burgers | Derrick Riches

These mouthwatering Chicken Burgers are packed with delicious ingredients like red pepper and avocado! Serve these mouthwatering patties on a fresh toasted bun or wrapped in lettuce for a healthy, low-carb alternative.

This chicken burger recipe is super easy to make, and the results are out of this world! One of the best things about these burgers is their versatility. You can add extra spice by swapping out the roasted red pepper for roasted jalapeno or serrano peppers. You can also convert this recipe into tasty meatballs for the perfect appetizer or use them to make sub sandwiches.

Chicken Burger Basics

• Meat: Use a combination of ground chicken thighs and breasts to create a perfectly balanced patty that is firm yet juicy. 
• Combining breast and thigh meat: We’ve tested this recipe using one or the other and found that the ground thighs resulted in a delicious flavor, but the texture was a bit too soft when mixed with the mashed avocado. On the other hand, using only ground chicken breast made the patties somewhat stiff. However, the combination of the two cuts of meat produced the best result. 
• Substitutions: Use a combination of light and dark ground turkey or ground pork instead. 

Ingredients

• Ground chicken thighs
• Ground chicken breast
• Plain bread crumbs
• Avocado (ripe, see below for details)
• Roasted red pepper (sold in a jar)
• Parsley (sub with chopped cilantro)
• Green onions (scallions)
• Garlic 
• Fresh lime juice 
• Salt and black pepper
• Olive oil
• Hamburger buns or lettuce leaves
• Toppings of choice: Arugula or lettuce, tomatoes, sliced red onions, and your favorite condiments.

How do you know when an avocado is ripe?

One of the key ingredients in these chicken burgers is a ripe avocado. It adds a nice creaminess to the overall dish and complements the red pepper, garlic, and lime. Here are some tips on choosing the a perfectly ripe avocado:

• The skin: Ripe avocado skin is typically a deep green or black, while an unripe avocado has bright green skin, depending on its variety.
• Firmness: Gently squeeze the avocado in the palm of your hand. A ripe avocado should be soft but firm. If it feels mushy, it might be overripe or rotten. A hard avocado is an unripe avocado.
• The stem cap: To check if an avocado is ripe, remove the stem at the top. If it comes off easily and is green underneath, it’s ripe. If it is brown or black, the avocado is likely overripe or rotten.

How to Make Chicken Burgers

• Preheat your grill to 375 degrees F, medium-high heat. Have a reliable instant-read thermometer close by. You’ll need it!
• Oil the grates: Once the grill comes up to temperature, oil the grill grates well using a large pair of tongs and a folded paper towel dipped in olive oil. Make at least 4 passes to create a non-stick surface.
• Combine ingredients: Combine the ground chicken with bread crumbs, smashed avocado, chopped roasted peppers, parsley, green onion, minced garlic, fresh lime juice, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl.
• Make the patties: Form into 6 equal-sized patties and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush both sides of the patties with oil.
• Grill them: Place the patties oiled-side down on the grill grates. Brush the other side with oil. Cook patties for 5-6 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature 165 degrees F.
• Assemble the chicken burgers: Place the cooked patties on the burger buns. Top with your favorite condiments, and enjoy!
• Storing leftovers: Place leftover chicken burger patties in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. Reheat in a skillet for best results.

Stovetop Method

Cook the chicken burgers in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning once during cooking. Reduce heat to medium if needed. Cooking should take 10-12 minutes total, or 5-6 minutes per side until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

More Burger Recipes!

• 1 pound chicken thighs ground
• 1 pound chicken breast ground
• 6-8 hamburger buns or large lettuce leaves
• 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1 small avocado pitted, scooped and mashed
• 3 strips roasted red pepper (jarred variety) finely chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped (sub with cilantro)
• 2 medium green onions finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon lime juice fresh preferred
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• olive oil
• toppings and condiments of choice (arugula, lettuce, sliced onion and tomatoes, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, etc.)

• Preheat your grill to 375 degrees F, medium-high heat. I recommend having a reliable instant-read thermometer close by. You’ll need it!

• Once the grill comes up to temperature, oil the grill grates well using a large pair of tongs and a folded paper towel dipped in olive oil. Make at least 4 passes to create a non-stick surface.

• Combine the ground chicken with bread crumbs, smashed avocado, chopped roasted peppers, parsley, green onion, minced garlic, fresh lime juice, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.

• Form mixture into 6-8 equal-sized patties and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush both sides of the patties with oil.

• Place the patties oiled-side down on the grill grates. Brush the other side with oil. Cook patties for 5-6 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

• Place the cooked patties on the burger buns. Top with your favorite condiments, and enjoy!

• Store leftover chicken burger patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freeze for up to 6 weeks. Reheat in a skillet for best results.

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 673mg | Potassium: 518mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2mg