Chicken Burgers

Sorry beef burgers—chicken burgers have stolen my heart this summer. They don't receive the same attention that classic burgers get, but that's just because they often aren't done right. When executed correctly? Holy smokes, Batman. Far from dry or bland, this chicken burger is juicy, flavorful, and oh-so satisfying when that burger craving hits. I 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, I might just convert you to team-chicken when it comes to your burger preference.

How To Make Chicken Burgers

INGREDIENTS

• Mayonnaise: This is going to be important not only to add flavor to my sauce, but also texture. Mayo is creamy, tangy, and fatty and helps to add a silkiness to the sauce. I am also using mayo in the chicken patty itself, where it helps to add some flavor and moisture while also acting as a binder.
• Ketchup: Ketchup is important in adding sweetness to the sauce. With ingredients like mustard and Worcestershire sauce, my sauce could feel unbalanced without the addition of a sweeter ingredient. Ketchup is high in both sugar and acid, which both cut through the sauce in bright pops.
• Sweet Gherkins: What is a gherkin? It’s a baby pickle! Gherkins are made from young cucumbers and have many of the same flavors and textures as other pickles. Here, I am using sweet gherkins to help add extra sweetness to the sauce.
• Yellow Mustard: Yellow mustard is not as bold as, say, Dijon or spicy brown mustard, but it still has a unique and identifiable flavor. I chose it here, as its more subtle notes mean it doesn’t overpower the sauce.
• Worcestershire Sauce: This smoky umami bomb is often used in sauces and pairs especially well in meat-centered dishes. It adds depth to sauce mixes and highlights naturally appearing flavors in the meat.
• Seasonings: I’m going with a fairly standard seasoning mixture of salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder here. This is a classic combination for a reason and works really well in this recipe.
• Yellow Onion: When you see a recipe that calls for onion, but doesn’t specify which type, it’s a safe bet to assume you are using yellow onion. It isn't as aggressive as red or white onion, and has a subtle sweetness that isn’t as prevalent as sweet onions. For these reasons, it's the most commonly called upon onion in my recipes.
• Granulated Sugar: All I need here is a pinch of sugar. It isn’t going to make the dish super sweet, but it adds a little extra sweetness to the onions that almost mimics caramelization without taking nearly as long to achieve.
• Ground Chicken: In a chicken burger, obviously chicken is going to be the star. Ground chicken is easy to shape into patties and retains its moisture and flavor very well. It's a great vessel for the many flavors that I am putting into this dish, and is lighter than a traditional beef burger. I know some people are wary of chicken, thinking that it is bland or dry, but I promise this dish is anything but!
• Panko: I'm choosing panko here over other breadcrumbs as it's lighter and airier, which works well with the lighter protein of chicken. Along with the mayo, the panko here is going to act as a binder to hold the patties together.
• Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar cheese is a classic. It's sharp and flavorful, and melts beautifully. If you aren’t a cheddar fan, feel free to substitute with any of your favorite cheeses.
• Brioche: I love brioche. It’s light, subtly sweet, and when toasted has a great texture of a crisp crust and pillowy bun. If you can’t find brioche, any other classic burger bun will work, but I highly suggest using brioche if possible. It really is that good.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

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.

Mix 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 need 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're 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 about 1/2" thick. 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 some oil and 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 more 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. Top bottom buns with lettuce, chicken patties, tomato, and red onion before closing with the sauced top buns.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• The best skillet to use. For the ultimate crust on your chicken, skip the nonstick skillet. Anything else works great, but I love a cast iron skillet.

What To Serve With Chicken Burgers

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.

Storage

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.