Excuse us while we say our goodbyes to beef burgers forever (JK, we’ll always love a classic burger). But can we talk about how good a chicken burger can be when it’s done right? Holy smokes, Batman. Far from dry or bland, this chicken burger is juicy, flavorful, and oh-so satisfying when that burger craving hits. We use ingredients like caramelized onions, mayonnaise, and the perfect combination of seasonings to create a chicken burger that definitely won’t disappoint. Topped with a tangy homemade burger sauce, fresh toppings, and sandwiched between two toasted buttery brioche buns, we’re thinking we might just convert you to team-chicken when it comes to your burger preference.
Yields: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
mayonnaise
ketchup
finely chopped sweet gherkins, plus 1 tbsp. juice from jar
yellow mustard
Worcestershire sauce
kosher salt
smoked paprika
freshly ground black pepper
garlic powder
unsalted butter, divided
medium yellow onion, finely chopped
Pinch of granulated sugar
Kosher salt
(93% lean) ground chicken
panko
mayonnaise
Worcestershire sauce
garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
slices cheddar cheese
brioche burger buns, split, lightly toasted
Butterhead lettuce leaves, sliced tomato, and thinly sliced red onion, for serving
The sauce for this burger is oh-so-good and couldn’t be easier to make. Simply combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, gherkins and gherkin juice, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder in a medium bowl, mixing until all the ingredients are combined into one uniform sauce. When mixed, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until we are ready to use it.
Feel free to make this sauce up to 1 week ahead and keep it stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
To start the patties, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has come up to heat, add in the yellow onions, sugar, and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Cook the onion mixture, stirring occasionally—if you notice the onions browning too quickly, add in a splash of water to slow them down—until they are softened and golden brown. This process should take about 10 minutes. When done, transfer the onions into a large bowl and allow them to cool slightly. Make sure not to clean your skillet, all of the cooked in bits and pieces in the butter are going to maintain a lot of the flavor of the onion mixture. Why waste it!
Once the onions have cooled to the touch, add in the chicken, panko, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder to the bowl and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, a wooden spoon, or other utensil, gently mix the ingredients together to combine. Be careful here not to overwork the mixture, this can result in tougher, drier meat.
When mixed, shape the chicken mixture into 6 patties of about ½” thickness. Using your thumb, press the center of the patty in slightly to create an indentation. This is an easy trick to use anytime you are making a burger to ensure that the patties won’t shrink too much during cooking.
In the same skillet that we cooked the onions, heat oil and 1 tbsp. of butter over medium-high heat until very hot. This should take about 2 minutes. When the butter starts bubbling, add in 3 patties to cook, turning halfway through, for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the patties are seared and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 165°. Even though it may be tempting to flip or prod the patties as they cook to check their doneness, the less you touch them, the juicier and better seared they will be.
When properly cooked through, add a slice of cheddar cheese on top of each of the patties and cover the pan with a lid, continuing to cook the patties until the cheese is melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer the finished patties onto a plate and tent the plate with foil to keep them warm while we repeat the cooking process by adding the remaining 1 tbsp. of butter and allowing it to come to temperature before adding in the remaining 3 patties.
When all 6 patties are finished cooking, remove the sauce from the fridge and spread it across the button of the top buns. To the bottom buns, add lettuce, chicken patties, tomato, and red onion, before closing with the sauced top buns.
Whether you make these now or later, be sure to dish these game-changing chicken burgers up at your next summertime gathering alongside French fries, a colorful summer green salad, or potato salad, all while sipping on a summer cocktail.
Feel free to make the patties 6 to 8 hours in advance—keep them covered in the fridge between sheets of parchment paper. If you really want to get ahead of the game or you’re feeding a smaller crowd, the uncooked patties can be frozen for up to 3 months. The burger sauce can be made and kept covered tightly in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Let us know what you think down below!
2024-06-27T20:31:22Z dg43tfdfdgfd