A lean, mean way to enjoy your next burger
Enjoy tasty chicken burgers at your next barbecue.
- SERVES: 4
- PREP TIME: 10 mins
- COOKING TIME: 15 mins
- DIFFICULTY: easy
- IDEAL FOR: crowd-pleaser, barbecue
- BUDGET: £
Chicken burgers
Ok, I need to confess (and don’t judge).
But I do love KFC zinger burgers (nothing else on the menu, just the burger).
I don’t know what it is that the Colonel does with those secret spices.
All I know is I get a craving every 6mths or so for a crispy zinger burger.
And btw, this is also my ultimate hangover cure.
There is no other food that can cure me except the zinger burger.
And I can only have it around 3 pm the day of my impending hangover death.
So, there you have it, my confession.
However, that is not what we are cooking up today.
Today is all about making a healthy chicken burger.
Then decide on what delicious sauces you smother it with!
Tips on making chicken burgers
The trick to cooking a good chicken burger is watching the cooking time.
Don’t overcook as you’ll go from juicy to bone dry.
They should take approx. 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Having said that, it does depend on whether you’re cooking them on a stove or a BBQ.
Or even how cold your burger patty is before it hits the pan or grill.
So, I prefer to have a meat thermometer on hand.
Then you aim for it to reach 74C in the middle.
Make your chicken burger a banger
To make sure you get the most out of your lean chicken burgers, add some spices or seasonings.
Some nice spices and seasonings to use are paprika, chilli, and garlic salt, or go down the Asian flavour route with this amazing Vietnamese recipe.
Then add your toppings with things like crunchy coleslaw, red onions, sweet tomatoes and good cheese that melts.
And don’t forget the buns.
I prefer a buttery brioche bun for a bit of decadence.
6 simple sauces
I’ve included 6 sauces which should take you less than 5mins to whip up.
But I must admit, there is one in there (Maple bacon relish).
Which is best with a beef burger.
But it sounded too good to leave out.
And who makes the rules on which sauce goes with what burger?!
Enjoy.
Classic burger sauce
Stir together:
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 25g finely chopped cornichons
- 1 tbsp American mustard (we used French’s)
Harissa yoghurt
Mix together:
- 1 crushed clove of garlic with 2-3 tsp harissa paste, then fold through 150g yoghurt to create a ripple effect.
Spicy burger sauce
Add all ingredients to a bowl. Add more seasoning or sriracha to taste:
- Mayonnaise
- Pickles: Diced pickled cucumbers
- Salt + pepper
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Sriracha. Adjust the amount to make the sauce as spicy as you want it.
American-style sauce
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoon dill pickle relish or sweet pickle relish
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Chipotle feta
Crumble 100g feta cheese in a bowl then mix in 2 tbsp chipotle paste. Mash with a fork until well combined.
Maple bacon relish
- Fry 100g smoked bacon lardons until very crispy.
- Turn down the heat, then stir in 3 tbsp red onion marmalade and 1 tbsp maple syrup.
- Cook for another minute or until glossy and well combined.
- Leave to cool a little before serving.
Chicken burgers
Ingredients
- 675 g minced chicken
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 3 spring onions, chopped finely
- salt and ground pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 slices of cheddar
- leaves from lettuce (or coleslaw)
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 4 brioche burger buns, split and lightly toasted
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the chicken, paprika, garlic and spring onions and season. Then divide into 4 patties.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add the oil, then the burger patties and cook, flipping once, until golden (approx 10 mins). If you use a meat thermometer then aim for the centre to be 74°C. While the burgers are cooking, I like to add the red onion slices and caramelise them alongside.Just before finishing, add the cheddar slice to the top of the burger and let melt.Remove from heat and transfer patties to a plate.
- Build your burgers: Add the chicken burgers, lettuce (or coleslaw), tomoato slice and red onion. Smother the top bun with your favourite sauce.Enjoy.
Notes
References:
Recipe: Delish
