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The Best Spicy Chicken Burgers

We’re calling this the best spicy chicken burger recipe for good reason! These juicy and flavorful ground chicken burgers are made up of just the right ingredients.

Chicken Burgers

What Type of Chicken to Use for Ground Chicken

Store bought ground chicken is much easier than ground chicken and is more than suitable for chicken burgers. Most butchers will ground the meat for you if you can’t find pre-ground chicken in the meat section.

DIY Ground Chicken

If you’re willing to put in the extra effort I prefer a mixture of boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs for homemade patties. This way you know what the meat is made of, there are no fillers, and you’ll have more flavor.

Thighs are less dry so the mixture of thighs and breasts creates a juicier patty. Skinless chicken helps to avoid any connective tissue and other tough pieces in the patty.

A food processor, by hand, or a meat grinder can be used to grind the chicken. Be careful not to over blend the chicken with a food processer too much and turn it into paste.

Chicken Burgers with caramelized onions and cheese

How to Cook Chicken Burgers

This recipe calls for using a BBQ grill to cook the patties however there are many ways these burgers can be cooked. Here are a few options:

  • Oven: Preheat oven to 400˚ F, place patties on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Air Fryer: Preheat air fryer to 365°F and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Pan, Skillet, Frying Pan: Preheat to a medium high for about 4 to 6 minutes on each side on a non-stick surface

For all options cook chicken until the internal temperature is 165˚ F.

Grilled Ground Chicken Burger Tips & Tricks

  • Mix ingredients for a better mixture.
  • Don’t flatten the burgers on a the grill. It presses the juices right out of them.
  • This recipe calls for adding bacon to the ground chicken for added flavor and to make sure they stay really moist. For healthy chicken burgers omit the bacon.
  • Oil the grill so patties don’t stick.

Pre-Making and Freezing Chicken Burgers

  • Make the chicken burger mix up to a day ahead and store in the fridge.
  • Let the mixture come to room temperature before you shape and cook the patties.
  • Freeze the chicken burgers for up to 3 months before or after cooking. Stack between wax or parchment paper in a freezer-safe container.

Try these burger recipes next!

Best Ground Chicken Burgers

Spicy Chicken Burger

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

I topped these chicken burgers with caramelized onions, green leaf lettuce, sliced heirloom tomatoes and a Mexican-blend cheese. The meat was so flavorful and juicy that no condiments were necessary.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken breast
  • 1/2 jalapeno (no seeds) or 1/3 bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 slices uncooked bacon, chopped (optional)
  • 1 Tablespoon Lawry's Fire Roasted Chile & Garlic spice mixture or another seasoning of your choice
  • 2 Tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

    1. Chop the cilantro and jalapenos (or bell pepper) and cut the bacon into small pieces.
    2. A the ground chicken, jalapeno, cilantro, uncooked bacon, seasoning and olive oil to a large bowl and mix by hand or food processor.
    3. Pre-heat to medium-high heat and oil the grill.
    4. Form into four large patties. Cook immediately or place in fridge until ready.
    5. Cook to a 165F internal temperature for about 4-5 minutes on each side (turn only once).
    6. Place on toasted buns with desired toppings and serve immediately.

Notes

If grounding the chicken use 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts (3 each) and chop into bite-sized pieces (or use a food processor, don't over process!).

Either add toppings or let guests top as they like.

Replace jalapenos with bell peppers for a mild chicken burger.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 338Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 274mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 28g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

Kristy Bernardo
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