Juicy homemade chicken burgers

How to make your own chicken patties for a tasty burger

Some bought burgers are dry but not these juicy homemade chicken burgers.

• SERVES: 4
• PREP TIME: 10 mins
• COOKING TIME:  10 mins
• DIFFICULTY: easy
• IDEAL FOR: crowd-pleaser, barbecue
• BUDGET: £

Juicy homemade chicken burgers

Burgers are great for a nice treat or a summer BBQ.

And a good chicken burger is a nice way to mix it up.

Sometimes I like using chicken breast instead of a patty.

You can keep burgers nice and simple with a classic patty, some salad and mayo.

Or load them up!

And you can put twists on the burger patty with different herbs and spices.

As a Kiwi, I do love the world-famous-in-New-Zealand, Kiwi burger.

In my opinion (and the vast majority of Kiwis), sliced beetroot is fundamental to a good burger.

I’m going to keep it pretty simple with a herby breadcrumb and then you can add your own twists of flavour.

Which is why I’m doing a homemade chicken patty.

Avoiding dry 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, but 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.

I prefer to have a meat thermometer on hand.

Then you aim for it to reach 74C in the middle.

Press down in the middle of each patty with your thumb. This will help the burgers to cook evenly through and avoid shrinking.

Don’t over-mix the burger mixture. If you over-mix, the burgers can become tough.

And don’t flatten the burger once you start cooking. You’ll lose some of its juices… just flip them.

Ideas to make your chicken burgers moist

Chicken is low in fat content, so lean and a nice way to have a slightly guilt-free burger.

However, they can be dry if you don’t follow a few basics (below).

If you want to really ensure a moist, juicy chicken then marinating the chicken first is the way forward.

I actually do this for a chicken Sunday roast by marinating it in buttermilk overnight.

You can also marinate the chicken in full-fat yoghurt or canned coconut milk.

And if you don’t have time to marinate the chicken beforehand, then you can mix a little yoghurt into the mince.

Make your chicken burger a banger

To make sure you get the most out of your 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.

Italian breadcrumbs

Italian bread crumbs are regular bread crumbs with seasonings like oregano, garlic, parsley and salt or other Italian seasonings.

To make 1 cup…

Ingredients

• 450 grams breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix everything together.

Recipe inspired by: SlenderKitchen