Admit it. Ground chicken is hardly exciting, and it can be a real challenge to keep it both flavorful and juicy. Although it’s a leaner, healthier choice than ground beef or pork, with a lower saturated fat content, this recipe proves you don’t have to compromise taste for a more healthful choice.
When I originally developed this recipe for Fine Cooking Magazine, I had to think out of the box. The chicken burgers were just too delicate and moist for the grill, so I decided to roast them on a rimmed baking sheet with a touch of oil, no flipping required (after all, one of the goals was hands-off cooking). Once the burgers were in the oven, there’d be nothing much to do besides prep the toppings and wait for the timer to go off. The chicken cooks through but doesn’t brown because of all the moist ingredients. Fair enough, I thought, I could live with that compromise. Besides, I liked seeing the bright flecks of colorful, healthy ingredients over the surface of the burger.
But remember what I say about culinary. There’s always something new to learn and room for improvement. I recall teaching a class on easy meal prep for freshman college students. The focus was to teach these kids to whip up easy delicious food rather than resorting to eating out, ordering in, or worse, succumbing to a steady junk food diet that could only lead to the dreaded Freshman Fifteen. This was one of the recipes that fit the bill; no grilling was required!
The day before the class, a powerful storm knocked out the electricity in the kitchen I was teaching in. No power meant no cooking, or so I thought. Thankfully, my instincts kicked in while packing my supplies since I had the sense to bring my BFF, a large nonstick skillet. I was able to improvise by searing the burgers on the gas stovetop with just a drizzle of oil. They cooked beautifully, held together, and got some really nice color on both sides. I accidentally stumbled upon a great cooking alternative. OK, so I had to flip the burgers, but I could live with this compromise for a nicely caramelized burger. Plus, now there were two cooking methods, so if you try this recipe, choose the one most convenient for you, or try them both and let me know what you think.
Download the Recipe PDF
Slideshow of the Process
Watch the Recipe Video
Chef’s Quick Tip:
When shopping for ground chicken: If the package is labeled “ground chicken,” it contains both dark and light meat, possibly with a little skin ground in. If you want a leaner option, look for labels that say, “ground chicken breast.” But no matter which you select, these chicken burgers are packed with so much cravable flavor, that you’ll never think of boring old ground chicken the same way again.
Let me know if you try my Chicken Chili Lime Burger recipe, or make a version of your own. As always, you know I love hearing from you!
—Chef Diana
Giving credit where credit is due:
Recipe Development, Demo & Tips: Chef Diana
Photo-Video-Edits: Russ Murray (@remages)
Chef Diana Andrews 