How to Make a Chicken Burger

Co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano

Last Updated: November 29, 2024 References

Burgers are a popular picnic and summer treat, but they can get boring after a while. Why not spice them up with some chicken instead? You can make some delicious, simple chicken burgers using chicken breasts. If you are willing to put in a little time and effort (and want something more burger-like) you can use ground chicken meat instead!

Ingredients

Chicken Breast^{[1]
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2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts,
5 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 red onions, sliced into semi-circles
4 slices Monterey Jack or Peppered Jack cheese
4 hamburger buns
Ketchup and/or mayo (to taste)
Hamburger toppings (tomato, onion, pickle, lettuce, etc.)

Serves 4

Chicken Patty^{[2]
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1 pound (450 grams) ground white meat chicken
2 cups (100 grams) coarse to fine fresh bread crumbs, divided
½ cup (120 milliliters) low-fat milk
3 tablespoons sweet onion, grated or finely minced
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¾ teaspoon coarse grained salt
Cracked black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 to 5 burger buns
Ketchup and/or mayo (to taste)
Hamburger toppings (cheese, tomato, onion, pickle, lettuce, etc.)

Serves 4 to 5

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making Chicken Breast Burgers

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Place your palm on top of a chicken breast, then carefully slice it in half, like a burger bun. Repeat for the other chicken breast. You will end up with four, equal-sized, but thin, chicken breasts.
In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper, garlic, ground cumin, and chili powder. Mixing your dry ingredients together first ensures that they evenly coat the chicken.

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Make sure that both sides of each chicken piece get evenly coated.
You can also let it marinate overnight if you make making this ahead of time.^{[3]
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5
Heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, then add the sliced red onion. You can further season the onion with a pinch of salt and/or pepper. Cook the onion until it turns golden-brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set the onion aside.^{[4]
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- If you cannot stand fried onion, you can skip this step and simply use the onion raw in your burger.
To save time, you can do this as the onion is frying. Make sure that the chicken is completely cooked through; use a meat thermometer or cut the chicken partway to make sure. If the meat is pink inside, the chicken is not done.
Arrange the chicken on a broiling pan or baking sheet, then top each breast with a slice of cheese. Place the chicken into the oven, and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.^{[5]
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This will make them taste better. You can cook them over a grill for about 1 minute on each side. You can also bake them in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for about 5 minutes.^{[6]
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9
Assemble the burgers. Place the chicken onto the bottom half of a hamburger bun. Add the fried onion and your desired toppings, then finish off with some mayo, ketchup, or both. Cover it with the top half of the bun. Here are some tasty ideas for burger toppings:
- Lettuce
- Sliced tomato
- Slicked pickle

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making Chicken Patty Burgers

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1
Get some ground, white meat chicken. You can ask the butcher at your grocery to grind it for you, or you can grind it yourself in a food processor. If you wish to grind it yourself, be sure to trim away any excess fat and cartilage, and to cut the meat into 1-inch (2.54 centimeters) cubes first.^{[7]
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- Use only boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- You can use turkey breasts instead. Make sure that they are boneless and skinless as well.^{[8]
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2
Grind some bread in a food processor to make fresh bread crumbs. Pull the crust away from some French bread, tear it into chunks, and toss it into a food processor. Pulse the food processor until the bread is ground into fine crumbs. Keep doing this until you have enough to fill 2 cups (100 grams).^{[9]
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- If you absolutely cannot make fresh breadcrumbs or don't have the time or energy to do so, you can use store-bought breadcrumbs. Keep in mind that the recipe may not turn out as well, however.
- If you plan on making chicken burgers again in the near future, make a larger batch of fresh breadcrumbs, and freeze the leftovers in a bag.
3
Place the ground chicken into a large mixing bowl, then add the milk, ½ cup (25 grams) of breadcrumbs, onion, cayenne pepper, and salt. Add as much or as little cracked black pepper as you'd like. Save the remaining 1½ cup (75 grams) of breadcrumbs for later. If you'd like, you can experiment with other herbs and spices as well. Here are two more ideas for you:
- Savory Chicken Patties:^{[10]
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  - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
  - 3 chives, chopped
  - 2 garlic cloves, minced
  - ½ teaspoon paprika
  - ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Herbed Chicken Patties:^{[11]
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  - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
  - 1 tablespoon fresh basil or mint, chopped
  - Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  - 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  - Salt, to taste
The mixture will be very wet, which is fine. Be careful not to over-mix your burger meat, or it will be too dry once grilled.^{[12]
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5
Form the chicken mixture into 4 or 5 patties. Divide the mixture into little piles first, then use your hands to form them into large balls. Use the palm of your hands to flatten the balls slightly. If things get too sticky, you can work on top of a sheet of wax paper.^{[13]
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- Make a slight indentation in the center of each patty. This will help them hold their shape better.^{[14]
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- You can also make burger patties with plastic lids! Just take 2 deli lids that are 4 in (10 cm) wide and place the patty meat between them. Press between the lids, gently moving them in a circle as you go. Then, remove the top and bottom lid to reveal your perfect patty.
Place the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish. Then, working one at a time, press the patties (both sides) into the breadcrumbs. Set them aside as you finish them before moving onto the next one.
If you do not have any olive oil handy, you can use another type of cooking oil, such as canola or vegetable. Olive oil will give the chicken burgers more flavor, however.
8
Place the chicken patties in the skillet, and fry them for about 5 minutes on each side. They are ready when they turn golden and are completely cooked through.^{[15]
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- You can grill the chicken burgers in a grill pan. Be sure to lightly coat it with cooking spray first, however.^{[16]
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9
Grill the burger buns as the chicken patties are almost done cooking. Burger buns will taste much better grilled than straight from the bag. You will need to grill them about 1 minute per side.^{[17]
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- You can also bake burger buns in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350°F (177°C).
10
Assemble the burgers. Place a chicken burger onto the bottom half of a hamburger bun. Add your desired toppings, then finish off with some mayo, ketchup, or both. Cover with the top half of the bun. Here are some ideas for popular burger toppings:
- Lettuce
- Sliced tomato
- Sliced onion, separated into rings
- Slicked pickle
- Sliced cheese

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Tips

If you're making multiple burgers, prepare all the cold things first. Cook the chicken breast fillets at the same time in the t get cold!to ensure they don't get cold.

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Monterey Jack goes best with chicken as opposed to the traditional Cheddar.

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Mix up the ingredients to suit your tastes buds. For example, if you like tomatoes then add a slice of tomato to the burger. If you like cheese, then add a slice of cheese to the burger.

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Warnings

Do not undercook the chicken. Unlike steak, chicken must be completely cooked through.

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Always wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.

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