You only need a few simple ingredients for these versatile ground chicken burgers. Cook them on the outdoor grill for a summery family meal or on your stovetop on any busy weeknight. These juicy burgers are equally delicious either way! Serve them on brioche buns loaded with your favorite toppings, envelope them in a lettuce wrap, or crumble them into grain bowls for a satisfying dish.
To ensure your chicken burgers stay juicy, choose ground chicken that’s all or mixed with dark meat. Dark meat has more fat than white meat, which adds moisture to the burgers. The chicken patties are simply seasoned with a delicious mix of herbs, garlic, and onion, but you can mix it up with your favorite barbecue rub or seasoning mix! Have fun with the flavors and toppings to really make this recipe a family favorite. For more burger recipes, try my black bean burgers, veggie burgers, or turkey burgers.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Ground chicken — you need 1 pound of ground chicken. I recommend using ground dark meat (made with chicken thighs) or a mix. Ground white meat (made with ground chicken breasts) has less fat and can result in dry burgers. You could use ground turkey if you have it on hand. Keep in mind there is a slight difference in flavor between the two.
Onion — mince the onion as finely as you can so you don’t have chunks of onion in the chicken patties.
Italian breadcrumbs — if you don’t have Italian breadcrumbs, simply mix 1 cup regular breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and about ½ teaspoon salt. If your Italian seasoning mixture already contains salt, you may not need to add more. You only need ¼ cup of breadcrumbs for this recipe, so you can store the rest in a jar with a tight lid to use another time.
Egg — acts as a binder to hold the chicken burger patties together.
Garlic — use minced fresh garlic instead of the pre-minced kind. Fresh garlic is so much more flavorful! In a pinch, substitute it with garlic powder.
How to Make a Chicken Burger
1. Mix together the ground chicken, minced onion, breadcrumbs, egg, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl.
2. Divide the mixture into four equal parts. I like using my kitchen scale for this step to get them exactly equal in weight, but you could just eyeball it to save time. Shape each of them into patties.
3. Press a divot into the center of each patty with your thumb. This helps prevent them from puffing up as they cook.
4. Preheat a grill to medium heat (350F) or a large skillet over medium-high heat. Oil the grill grates with olive oil or add the olive oil to the skillet and tilt the pan to coat it evenly. Cook the chicken patties until browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 160-165°F. (The temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees as they sit for a few minutes.)To top with cheese, place a slice on the patty during the last minute of cooking. Serve the juicy chicken burger patty on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Beat the egg before you add it to the chicken. That way, when you add it to the chicken, you can just incorporate the ingredients instead of also making sure the egg is whipped. Over-mixing the burger ingredients will yield a tough chicken patty.
- Don’t over-mix! Over-mixing is often the culprit when it comes to a tough chicken burger. To keep them tender, gently mix together the ingredients without smashing or pressing the mixture together too much. Stop once everything is just incorporated.
- To prevent the burger patties from puffing up while they cook, simply press a divot into the center of each patty with your thumb or a teaspoon.
- Topping ideas: Sliced or smashed avocado, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, thinly sliced red onion, ketchup, mustard (Dijon mustard is a favorite in my house!), or mayonnaise are all excellent options for delicious chicken burgers! Mix it up with various types of cheeses like sharp cheddar, swiss, crumbled blue cheese, or a slathering of pimento cheese. Or, add a spicy kick with a sweet-and-spicy jalapeño jelly!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken patties can be shaped up to 1 day in advance and stored, covered, on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet in the refrigerator.
My favorite way to serve this grilled chicken burger recipe is on a hamburger bun piled high with my favorite toppings. To make them even more delicious serve them on my homemade brioche buns. Make a toppings spread, and allow everyone to assemble their own burger, making it fun (and easier on the cook!). I’ll often make a side of air fryer French fries and a potato salad to go along with them! For a lighter option, skip the bun in favor of a lettuce wrap. Or, make a grain bowl and use the chicken patties, crumbled into smaller pieces, as the protein!
To keep my chicken burgers juicy and prevent them from becoming dry and hard, I cook them for 3 to 4 minutes per side. I check for doneness using a meat thermometer. The USDA recommends that chicken be cooked to 165°F. Once the thermometer reads 160°F, I take them off the heat. The temperature will continue to rise while you cook the other patties.
Leftover chicken burgers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Yes, chicken burgers are freezer-friendly! If you are a fan of meal prepping, you can make a double batch of the patties and freeze half of them. Once you form the patties, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until solid. Then, transfer to a freezer bag. They will keep well in the freezer for about 3 months. Defrost the patties in the refrigerator overnight. You can also freeze the patties for up to 3 months after they’re cooked by following the very same steps!
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this chicken burger recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Chicken Burger
Equipment
- Grill pan or large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken (454g)
- ½ cup minced onion (70g)
- ¼ cup Italian breadcrumbs (40g)
- 1 large egg
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 hamburger buns to serve
Toppings:
- Lettuce
- Cheese
- Tomato
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground chicken, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, salt, and pepper. Shape the chicken mixture into 4 even patties. Using your thumb, press a divot into the center of each patty to help prevent it from puffing up during cooking.
- Preheat a grill or large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the grill grates with the oil or add the oil to the skillet and tilt the skillet to evenly coat the bottom. Cook the chicken patties, in batches if needed, until browned and cooked through (reaching an internal temperature of 160°F), 3 to 4 minutes on each side. If topping burgers with cheese, place 1 slice of cheese on each patty during the last minute of cooking.
- Serve patties on hamburger buns with desired toppings.
Notes
- Beat the egg before you add it to the chicken. That way, when you add it to the chicken, you can just incorporate the ingredients instead of also making sure the egg is whipped. Over-mixing the burger ingredients will yield a tough chicken patty.
- Don’t over-mix! Over-mixing is often the culprit when it comes to a tough chicken burger. To keep them tender, gently mix together the ingredients without smashing or pressing the mixture together too much. Stop once everything is just incorporated.
- To prevent the burger patties from puffing up while they cook, simply press a divot into the center of each patty with your thumb or a teaspoon.
- Topping ideas: Sliced or smashed avocado, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, thinly sliced red onion, ketchup, mustard (Dijon mustard is a favorite in my house!), or mayonnaise are all excellent options for delicious chicken burgers! Mix it up with various types of cheeses like sharp cheddar, swiss, crumbled blue cheese, or a slathering of pimento cheese. Or, add a spicy kick with a sweet-and-spicy jalapeño jelly!
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