Summer is burger season for most of us, and that usually means beef. But you can make a delicious burger using chicken, for a more healthy meal.
Chicken selection: Today I'm grinding my own chicken, but you can of course purchase it at your grocer or butcher shop. Commercially available ground chicken is typically made from a combination of boneless, skinless chicken breast and thigh meat. While breast is often used for its lean nature, thighs contribute to a richer flavor and keep the burgers moist. I too use a blend of the white and dark meat, and I include any fat that comes with the breasts to help with moisture. Store bought ground chicken is typically a 50/50 blend of white and dark meat. In the recipe below, I use a higher proportion of white meat, and add eggs and oil to insure they remain moist. You can use any combination of light and dark meat if grinding your own. While I include instructions for grinding the meat, you can substitute it for store bought ground chicken. As you will see below, I use my KitchenAid mixer's meat grinder attachment to make the job easy and quick.
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| Grinding with KitchenAid |
Forming the Burgers: As you can see below, I use a burger press to form my burgers. I use this same device for all my burgers; pork, beef, chicken, and pizza burgers. I use a scoop rather than weighing each bunch of meat to speed the process. While burgers can be formed by hand, I find using this tool gives me a more consistent shape while taking less time.
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| Ready to Freeze |
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| Ingredients |
Ingredients (makes 8 6-ounce burgers)
1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons dried chopped basil leaves
2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
If you are grinding the meat yourself, set up the grinder using the medium grind blade. Cut the chicken into strips that will fit into the shute of your grinder and carefully grind all of the chicken. If you are using store bought ground chicken, proceed to the next step.
Combine all of the above ingredients, mixing them well. I do this by hand wearing disposable food-safe gloves, but you can do it with a large sturdy spoon. Form the meat into patties approximately 6-ounces each.
If you plan to freeze some or all of them, place waxed paper on the top and bottom of each patty and lay on a tray and freeze. When frozen, remove from the tray and place in a zippered freezer bag for later use. They can be cooked from frozen. If you cook from frozen, cook as noted below but over medium heat and double the cooking time.
To prepare the fresh chicken burgers, place a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil and let it get hot. Add the chicken burgers and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned, and then turn. After another 3-4 minutes, using an instant read thermometer, check for doneness. They should be 160F degrees in the center. If not, turn them and cook a few minutes longer until the temperature is reached.
I serve mine on a bun with lettuce, tomato and banana pepper mustard, but you can serve yours with the condiments you prefer.
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