Burgers are a staple in our house come spring and summer. To me, burgers say spring is here, and summer is around the corner. They make such an easy weeknight meal because all you have to do is pair them up with a side salad or vegetable, and voila, dinner is served. We love all types of burgers from turkey, chicken, to buffalo and veggie. I’m always on the hunt for a new burger recipe to add to our recipe box. I’m currently in the process of testing some new veggie burgers, so for you vegetarians, stay tuned.
I saw this chicken burger in Gwyneth’s new cookbook and decided to give it a try. I thought if Gwyneth likes this burger, then I’m sure I will as well. I became a fan of turkey burgers last year and figured why not try a chicken burger. I mean there really isn’t that much difference between the two meats, right? Turkey and chicken burgers get a bad rap for being dry, but I find that when you mix the turkey or chicken with some spices, onions or cheeses, then you get a nice flavorful and juicy burger. This chicken burger is a lighter and leaner burger for those nights where you don’t want a heavy cheesy burger. This burger is chock full of flavor from the garlic, red chili and shallots. We of course love it paired with our favorite burger condiment, cilantro lime mayonnaise. This mayonnaise really brings out the flavor of the cilantro in the burger.
So what’s the family verdict, you ask? The kids and I loved this burger. John liked it, but of course prefers our favorite turkey burgers, because they are filled with cheese and all the fixings. The kids and I didn’t miss the cheese at all on this burger and found that it wasn’t too spicy, even with the hefty teaspoon of minced red chili. So basically, this burger is family approved. We served it up on a toasted english muffin topped with a nice juicy tomato and some cilantro lime mayonnaise, and served it alongside my lacinato kale salad. This is truly the perfect dinner for a spring night or summer night.
Thai style chicken burgers:
recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Good
makes 4 patties
Note: These burgers are AMAZING topped with my cilantro lime mayonnaise
- 1 pound ground chicken, preferably dark meat
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely minced – I always use my garlic press to mince garlic
- 2/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 shallots, very finely minced
- 1 teaspoon red chili pepper, (also called red fresno peppers) very finely minced, seeds and ribs removed – If you can’t find a red chili then you can use a jalapeño pepper or a Anaheim pepper. You can also add more chili to suit your taste.
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Below is a photo of some red chili peppers for those of you that aren’t familiar with them.
Ok, lets start by washing and mincing up your red chili pepper. Wash and chop up your cilantro (yes, there is a lot of cilantro to chop up). Mince your 2 shallots and garlic cloves.
In a medium bowl, gently combine (with a fork, spatula or gently with your hands) the chicken, garlic, cilantro, shallots, red chili, fish sauce, salt and pepper.
Note: When you mix your seasonings into the meat, it’s important to remember that the more you handle the meat, and the more you squish it around, the more dense your burger will be. You might also squeeze out some of the juices and end up with a drier burger.
Gently form the mixture into four patties. I will admit that this mixture is a bit sticky and can be a bit flimsy. I was worried that they might not hold together when grilled, but they grilled up great and didn’t fall apart.
Tip: Use your thumb to create a dimple or well in the center of the patty, as this will ensure the burgers cook evenly without plumping up. Start cooking the burgers indentation side up.
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Note: If you’re using a grill pan, then be sure to rub each burger on both sides with a bit of safflower or another neutral oil. If you’re going to be grilling the burgers on a regular old grill, then you don’t need to add any oil to them.
Grill the burgers indentation side up for 8 minutes, then flip the burgers over and cook them for another 5 minutes, or until they are nicely marked and firm to the touch.
Tip: Don’t press down on the patties or you will squeeze out and loose the flavorful juices.
Forget the ketchup, you have to top these burgers with my cilantro lime mayonnaise, as it’s the bomb!
We love to sandwich our burgers between a broiled english muffin. I throw the english muffins under the broiler (or you can just throw them on the grill) for a few minutes topped with a bit of butter to keep them moist. I love these topped with a juicy tomato slice as well as a smashed avocado.
If you’re in the mood for a turkey burger with some great flavor, then you need to try my favorite turkey burger. It’s loaded with gruyere cheese. This is the family’s favorite burger of all time.
Here’s another turkey burger that’s chock full of flavor, but without the cheese and topped with some kale slaw. Can you see a pattern here with the cilantro lime mayonnaise?
In the mood for a veggie burger? Then you will love these chickpea veggie burgers topped with tzatziki yogurt sauce.
Want a healthier meaty burger with some spice? Then you can try my buffalo burger with chipotle mayonnaise. Yes, I will admit that there is quite a bit of cheese on this burger.
- 1 pound ground chicken, preferably dark meat
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely minced - I always use my garlic press to mince garlic
- ⅔ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 shallots, very finely minced
- 1 teaspoon red chili pepper, (also called red fresno peppers) very finely minced, seeds and ribs removed - If you can't find a red chili then you can use a jalapeño pepper or a Anaheim pepper. You can also add more chili to suit your taste.
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Ok, lets start by washing and mincing up your red chili pepper.
- Wash and chop up your cilantro (yes, there is a lot of cilantro to chop up).
- Mince your 2 shallots and garlic cloves.
- In a medium bowl, gently combine (with a fork, spatula or gently with your hands) the chicken, garlic, cilantro, shallots, red chili, fish sauce, salt and pepper.
- Note: When you mix your seasonings into the meat, it’s important to remember that the more you handle the meat, and the more you squish it around, the more dense your burger will be. You might also squeeze out some of the juices and end up with a drier burger.
- Gently form the mixture into four patties. I will admit that this mixture is a bit sticky and can be a bit flimsy. I was worried that they might not hold together when grilled, but they grilled up great and didn't fall apart.
- Tip: Use your thumb to create a dimple or well in the center of the patty, as this will ensure the burgers cook evenly without plumping up. Start cooking the burgers indentation side up.
- Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Note: If you're using a grill pan, then be sure to rub each burger on both sides with a bit of safflower or another neutral oil. If you're going to be grilling the burgers on a regular old grill, then you don't need to add any oil to them.
- Grill the burgers indentation side up for 8 minutes, then flip the burgers over and cook them for another 5 minutes, or until they are nicely marked and firm to the touch.
- Tip: Don’t press down on the patties or you will squeeze out and loose the flavorful juices.
- Forget the ketchup, you have to top these burgers with my cilantro lime mayonnaise, as it's the bomb! We love to sandwich our burgers between a broiled english muffin. I throw the english muffins under the broiler (or you can just throw them on the grill) for a few minutes topped with a bit of butter to keep them moist. I love these topped with a juicy tomato slice as well as a smashed avocado.
We made these for dinner tonight, only I made a couple of changes: Chili flakes instead of the chili pepper itself, and coriander instead of cilantro. I accidentally bought the wrong thing. Oops! In any case they still came out wonderfully, including the mayo listed in the recipe.
This is actually the 5th recipe we’ve made from the site in 2 weeks now, and it has yet to disappoint in any capacity. Definitely will be making these again!
Yaay Jen! Great news! I’m so happy to hear that you’ve made 5 successful recipes from the blog! That makes my heart sing 🙂 I’m also happy to hear that you LOVE these chicken burgers. They are a fave in my house as well. So GOOD! Thanks for sharing your substitutions, as it really helps my readers! Have a blissful week!
xoxo, Jacquelyn
I made these for din tonight and holy yum! They came together so fast. Only thing I changed was I used red pepper flakes and worked like a charm. I love the flavor and you were right; very sticky but they were good on the grill. I also made the cilantro-lime mayo and as always yummmmmmm. I usually only use ground turkey for burgers but this recipe is going to be made again and again!
Why not use the Thai Chili ? Also if all you have is the Big Blue Box to shop at will what ever ground chicken they have work or do I need to really look for the dark meat, knowing it would be a lot more flavorful?
Thanks,
Will
Hi Will! You can totally use a Thai Chili, really whatever chili suits your taste. You can also use white meat chicken or even try turkey meat if you can’t find ground chicken. I hope you enjoy the burgers 🙂
Hello,
I made this recipe twice this month; once for my hubby and once for my mother and siser. I got rave reviews both times. I added a tiny bit of very finely chopped lemon grass (the middle tender part only) but that was the only addition. Thank you very much for the lovely recipe 🙂
I’m so glad you love this burger recipe and that it was well received by your family! Lemon grass sounds like a wonderful addition, I may have to give that a try! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know how the burgers turned out for you! xoxo, Jackie
Hi Heather! I think your family will love these. Let me know what you think when you make them 🙂
this recipe sounds terrific! I cannot wait to try it – we are always looking for a great grill recipe
Your photos are stunning and your recipes sound delectable. We would love for you to share them at thefeastingeye.com. The Feasting Eye is still a bit new, but I think you will like what you see :-).
Thank you so much! My husband LOVED these. I subbed the red pepper with the only one I could find–habanero. Probably too hot for kids, but my guy loved them. Thank you for your great recipes and for the photos–they help folks like me who are “kitchen-phobic.” I generally don’t like what I cook nor do I enjoy the process,but with your recipes, I’m three for three so far. Thanks!!!
Hey there! Wow, I’m so happy that the burgers got the hubby seal of approval. You can always cut down on the pepper if it’s too much for the kids, maybe just use 1/2 of the pepper next time. I’m so happy to hear that you like the lengthy, photo intense recipe posts 🙂 I sometimes wonder if all the photos and steps are too much, but I keep hearing that people appreciate them, so I will keep doing it. I’m also psyched to hear that your three for three so far with the recipes! I hope that every recipe turns out to be successful for you and that you get less kitchen phobic 🙂 Have a wonderful night and thanks for stopping by and saying hi! xoxo, Jackie
Made these again last night for a big group and they loved them! Last time I used a habanero–SUPER spicy, this time I used an Anaheim, which was considerably more mellow. Thanks again for these fantastic recipes and the great instructions!
Awesome! So glad your friends loved the burgers as well. I’m also glad to hear that you found a pepper that wasn’t too spicy and that you enjoy cooking up these burgers for a crowd, since you told me you don’t enjoy cooking that much. See, isn’t cooking getting easier and more fun, the more you do it? It also helps when people are patting you on the back and telling you how much they like what you have made. That’s when I started to enjoy cooking, when my family would dig in and enjoy their meals and compliment the food. Anyway, thanks for stopping by again 😉 xoxo, Jackie
Your chicken burgers look great! I’ve wanted to make chicken burgers for a while, but I keep forgetting to put it on my to do list… My dad thinks that chicken and turkey burgers are really dry without an egg or two, but I like that your recipe doesn’t use any!
You know, I use to think like your dad. I wasn’t a fan of turkey burgers until a year ago. I know now that they can be just as flavorful as any regular burger, as long as you add the right ingredients! Hope you give one of them a try. Have a great weekend! xoxo, Jackie
Very true. I read on Cooking Light that adding dried fruit to the turkey can help with the moisture, as well as adding a bit of cheese. Very tempting to try sometime (once I buy a grill)!
Hi Jackie,
I like that way of thinking…spring is here and summer is around the corner and yes, that means it’s the perfect weather for burgers. All of yours look so good and love the sound of cilantro lime mayo!
xo
annie
Thanks Annie 🙂
We made these last night and they were a huge hit! We made them with the cilantro mayo, double batch and nothing left for leftovers!
I’m so glad you liked them Wendy, and that you made a double batch of the cilantro lime mayonnaise as well. We always make the double batch, and like you, we barley have anything left. See, the perks you get from being able to preview the recipes before I post them? Love it 🙂 xoxo, Jackie
These burgers sound really yummy. I’m eager to try your recipe.
Thanks Lori! 🙂
What a great line up of burgers – so creative and so much more fun than the regular fare! I’ve got her book too and isn’t it great!!! must give these a try :))
Mary x
Thanks Mary! We’re a burger loving family 🙂
This looks so good! I actually prefer ground turkey and chicken over ground beef anymore. I stopped buying ground beef years ago and substitute and it always turns out good. I can’t wait to try these one of these grilling weekends! All your pictures look scrumptious. Makes me want to have a bite right now!
I just noticed the blogher on your sidebar. Cool, you got it! xoxo, Sharon
Hi Sharon! I’m actually right there with you on the whole turkey burger thing. I use to think they were dry, that is until I started mixing the meat with all the fixings. If we do crave a meat burger, we use buffalo. Yes, I have the video thingy on the side bar. I’ve had it for about a month. Not sure if I’m getting any revenue from it, but we will see. I’m supposed to get some blogher ads put on at the end of the month? Fingers crossed 🙂 xoxo, Jackie
So we made these burgers tonight! I had ground turkey so thought, why not? I used that instead and these were so good!! For some reason it’s harder to find ground chicken around here. I threw in some minced basil too since I had some that was about to go bad. I’m serious, these were really delicious and moist. Loved the flavor. We are definitely going to have them again! I’ve not cooked with buffalo before though I’ve had it in a restaurant. I might have to try that sometime.
Glad to hear about the blogher ads. I got approved sometime in January so I’m still expecting to wait a few more months before hearing. Talk to you soon. Thanks for another great recipe! xoxo, Sharon
OMG! You rock girl! I’m so glad you whipped them up and loved them. I also love your addition of the minced basil. You’re such a little chef! Buffalo is great, but I am really preferring chicken and turkey burgers these days. I will let you know when I’m cited to get the actual ads. Have a great night 😉
I’m pinning that buffalo burger with chipotle mayo too. Everything you make sounds so delish to me! 🙂 Okay, have a great day, off to focus on work for awhile.