If you have always thought chicken burgers were dry and boring, let this recipe prove you wrong. This recipe for a Southwest Chicken Burger is loaded with flavor and is anything but boring. I will also give plenty of tips on how to keep that burger moist (sorry).
If you are looking for side dishes that will go with this recipe, let me share a few we love. If you are going with a lean protein, healthy theme, how about this shrimp and cucumber salad? Or even a white bean Mediterranean salad? Or maybe you are looking for a little indulgence? If so, what about this recipe for Boursin mashed potatoes?
Jump to:
What Makes This Recipe Work?
This ground chicken burger recipe was designed with flavor in mind. The blend of spices and herbs is perfect for that plain chicken a little kick!
These burgers are healthy. While traditional ground beef burgers are high in fat and calories, this is a healthier, low-cal option!
I like to use these for meal prep too. This recipe makes 10 burgers, so if you aren't eating them right away, package them and reheat them when needed for meal prep.
🥘 Ingredients
- Chicken Breast- I ground my chicken in the food processor, if you don't have one, just buy ground chicken. You can also use a blend of light and dark meat if you want for the burgers.
- Eggs- these are used as a binder to add moisture.
- Panko- also used as a binder. If you want, you can use ground oats or almond meals as a gluten-free alternative.
- Minced garlic- is a must in any southwest-style dish.
- Chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, ground black pepper and salt- my favorite combination of herbs and spices for the perfect Southwest flavor.
- Olive oil- for frying the burgers with.
🔪 Instructions
If you are grinding the chicken in the food processor, let me teach you how to do it. It really is so simple!
Add the chicken breast to the food processor. I had 3 chicken breasts for mine. Pulse about 10 times to break the chicken up. You don't want to turn it into mush, just break it up. I used my Cuisinart food processor, it is a workhorse that I have had for many years.
At this point, I move it to a bowl. If you keep blending it in the food processor, it will turn to mush.
Add the chicken with the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Mix well. I prefer to do this with my hands to ensure it is mixed well without compacting it too much.
Heat your pan over medium heat. Once it is hot, add the olive oil and let this heat at well. Swirl so it covers the pan, then forms your burgers, this batch made 10 burgers for me. They were about ½ cup each.
I cooked these in 2 batches as they wouldn't all fit in the pan I used. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side. This will keep the burgers from drying out.
Once they are done, remove them and add the next batch. Cook the same way. That is it, they are done!
💭 Top tips
- There are 2 really important things to note about making these burgers. The first is DO NOT OVERCOOK it can be tempting to cook these for as long as you would a beef burger, but don't do it.
- Chicken breast is much leaner meat and it will dry out quickly, so don't overdo it. 3to 4 minutes is good.
- I used a 10-inch non-stick skillet for cooking my burgers. You could also use a cast-iron skillet, griddle, etc. You can also grill or bake these burgers. Just be careful on the grill not to break them apart. Handle with care.
- Mix the burger mix well, but don't mix in a mixer and compact the meat. That is why I like to get my hands in there. This allows you to mix it well without mixing it too much. I do not recommend using a mixer to do this.
- There are several ways to serve these yummy burgers. I kept it simple by topping it with black beans, tomatoes, and avocados. This is a really healthy way to eat the burger.
- You can also make it like a traditional burger, served on a bun with all the toppings you love.
- Or for another low-carb option, you can go a lettuce wrap with it instead of the bun. There are plenty of ways to enjoy this burger!
FAQ
You will need to add something that will bind the burger together. For this recipe, we used eggs and panko. It works perfectly to hold the burger together.
The simplest way to do this in the home kitchen is a food processor as I showed in the recipe. Add your breasts to the food processor bowl. Pulse until it is broken up. It is so simple!
Typically the ground chicken you buy in the store is a blend of white and dark meat. This is one of the reasons I love to grind my own meat, I know exactly what went into it.
Follow me on Instagram!
For more inspiration
More Chicken Recipes
- Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
- Chicken Enchilada Soup Instant Pot
- How to Cook Chicken Sausage
- Chicken Sausage, brown rice, and veggie skillet
Healthy Southwest Chicken Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 ½-2 pounds chicken breast I grind mine in the food processor, if you don't have one, buy ground chicken.
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup panko
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper You can add more if you like it spicier!
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- black beans, tomatoes, and avocados for topping if you are using them
Instructions
- If you are using the whole chicken breast as I did, place it in the food processor. Pulse until they are broken up, but not mush.
- Add the chicken, eggs, panko, and seasoning to a bowl and mix well. I like to do this with my hands, but you can also use a spoon if you like.
- Heat your pan over medium heat. Once it is heated, add the olive oil and heat that as well.
- Form your burgers and add to the pan. I have to do this in 2 groups as my pan was not big enough for them all at once.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and serve as desired.
Notes
- There are 2 really important things to note about making these burgers. The first is DO NOT OVERCOOK it can be tempting to cook these for as long as you would a beef burger, but don't do it.
- Chicken breast is much leaner meat and it will dry out quickly, so don't overdo it. 3-4 minutes is good.
- I used a 10-inch non-stick skillet for cooking my burgers. You could also use a cast-iron skillet, griddle, etc.
- Mix the burger mix well, but don't mix in a mixer and compact the meat. That is why I like to get my hands in there. This allows you to mix it well without mixing it too much. I do not recommend using a mixer to do this.
- There are several ways to serve these yummy burgers. I kept it simple by topping it with black beans, tomatoes, and avocados. This is a really healthy way to eat the burger.
- You can also make it like a traditional burger, served on a bun with all the toppings you love.
- Or for another low-carb option, you can go a lettuce wrap with it instead of the bun. There are plenty of ways to enjoy this burger!