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These ground chicken burgers take just 7 minutes to cook and can be grilled or pan-fried! Extra juicy and perfectly healthy, there are NO eggs and NO bread crumbs needed!
I love cooking with ground chicken because like chicken breasts, it’s a blank canvas to work from.
It’s why my family loves ground chicken meatballs, chicken crust pizza, and chicken sausage, but where this meat really shines is when I use it to make ground chicken burgers.
Table of Contents
Recipe highlights
- Quick and easy. The entire recipe takes less than 7 minutes to cook, and there is no resting time required!
- They make a healthy and filling dinner. Lean ground chicken is low in saturated fat and packs in over 30 grams of protein per serving.
- Easy to make ahead. The ground chicken patties are freezer-friendly, so make a double batch or triple batch and freeze the leftovers.
- No eggs or breadcrumbs. There is no need for eggs or bread crumbs, which are typically found in most burger recipes. This also makes them gluten-free and low in carbs.
Ingredients needed
Besides the ground chicken and some seasonings, there really isn’t much else needed to make these burgers. Here is what you’ll need:
- Ground chicken breasts– As mentioned earlier, I prefer using lean ground chicken because the addition of oil in the mixture keeps them super juicy and tender. Also, higher fat cuts tend to be more soggy and greasy.
- Garlic– Freshly minced is always best, but use garlic powder if that is all you have.
- Onion– Optional, but unlike a wagyu burger or classic beef burger, adding onions to this chicken one won’t make a huge difference in flavor.
- Olive oil– The secret ingredient to ensure these burgers turn out extra juicy every time. The extra oil helps keep the insides juicy and moist, so you’ll be craving burgers every single time.
- Sweet chili sauce- Adds a lovely, subtle, sweet, and spicy flavor. You can also use standard chili sauce or sriracha or just skip it together.
- Mustard– I prefer American mustard, but Dijon mustard will also work.
- Worcestershire sauce– Adds an extra layer of flavor that takes these burgers to another level.
- Kosher salt and black pepper– To taste.
- Oil to fry/grill– Any cooking oil with a high smoke point, like peanut oil or vegetable oil.
- Burger fix-ins– I like to keep things classic with hamburger buns, salad, mayo, slices of tomato, red onion, and cheddar cheese.
How to make burgers with ground chicken
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the ground chicken mixture. Start by adding all your burger patty ingredients in a large bowl and mixing until combined.
Step 2- Shape. Next, lightly wet your hands and shape the mixture into four thick patties.
Step 3- Grill. Now, add oil to a grill pan or charcoal grill and cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165F.
How to make it in a skillet
If you prefer to pan-fry the burger patties, simply grease a large skillet and place it over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil then add the burger patties in a single layer. Cook each side for 3-4 minutes.
Recipe tips and variations
- Use your hands to mix the patties, as it ensures everything mixes well and doesn’t stick to the mixing spoon or spatula.
- Do not over-mix the burger mixture, as overdoing it risks the burgers becoming slightly chewy and tough (even without overcooking them!).
- Avoid pressing down on the burgers while cooking, as this will release some of their juices and dry them out.
- Add some other spices or herbs to them, like smoked paprika, parsley, or oregano.
- Feel free to switch the ground chicken for ground turkey if that is all you have on hand.
- Serve these burgers with some healthy fries, like air fryer french fries, air fryer sweet potato fries, zucchini fries, jicama fries, or baked curly fries.
How to store leftovers
To store: Leftover chicken burger patties can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days.
To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled burgers in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to six months.
Reheating: Microwave the burgers for 30-40 seconds or reheat on a grill or non-stick pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken burgers and hamburgers are both healthy options, but it depends on what you add to the burgers. Bacon, cheese, and creamy sauces can turn a healthy burger into something quite calorie-dense and high in fat.
You can bake ground chicken burgers, but you will need to use a higher-fat cut of ground chicken to ensure it does not dry out. Bake the chicken burgers for 15-16 minutes at 180C/350F.
More recipes using ground chicken
- Pizza bowls– A miniature version of my crustless pizza (which works with ground chicken too!).
- Air fryer chicken patties– Juicy, fast, and perfectly wholesome.
- Chicken lettuce wraps– A fun Asian twist that tastes like something from a Chinese restaurant.
Ground chicken burgers (Extra juicy)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 small onion grated or diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine all your burger patty ingredients and mix until combined.
- Lightly wet your hands and shape the mixture into four thick patties.
- Add oil to a non-stick grill pan or charcoal grill and cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes per side.
- Remove the burgers from the pan and assemble as desired.
We love food
Absolutely delicious!!! I am making again for tonight. I used my George Forman grill. My husband loved them!! TY
Thanks, Amy!!
Fantastic chicken burger recipe! I doubled the recipe as written and made 6 x 1/3lb burgers. Love that all the ingredients are staples in my house, no specialty ingredients needed to make these. The ground chicken I get from the supermarket is very loose so I did have to add breadcrumbs to make the patty mixture easier to handle and shape. Used a burger press to shape the patties and froze overnight before grilling on a charcoal grill directly from frozen. Served with a rosemary aioli (as per another commenter suggested) and some melted cheddar on top and it was a hit! Will be putting these into regular dinner rotation!
You need it now~ 🙂
These are so tasty and I’ve never had them turn out dry! I add finely chopped fresh jalapeños to the mixture for a little extra spice. They are a little tricky to cook on my outdoor propane grill but I’ve found as long as you let the first side get cooked thoroughly before trying to flip, it stays together much better.
Just made these burgers and they came out delish!!! Thank you 😊
Made this for supper tonight and doubled the amounts so we would have extra. Grilled them up and they were delicious. I made dill pickle Cole slaw as a side and the flavors were incredible. We will make these burgers a lot this summer. Great recipe. Thank you!
So welcome!
Where’s the video??? I want to see the toppings you put on the burger in the picture here
In the recipe card. Where it says video.
I tried to paste a screenshot here, but it doesn’t appear it will let me. In the recipe card it says to see video below, and just below “Rate this Recipe” the word VIDEO is shown but there is no link, nothing in the card other than Pinterest links.
So good! First time ground chicken vs ground beef. I was wonderfully surprised, a bit grilled on the outside, juicy (but done) on the inside. Thank you!
Thanks, Robin!
Loved this recipe, 🙏
What’s the green stuff in the burger. Nothing green in ingredients.
Sorry, I’ll fix it- optional chopped parsley 🙂
Can’t wait. Sounds great and healthyna
These were delicious and flavorful!!!
This recipe was worthy of a review. So simple and SO good! Added some shredded cheddar cheese to the mixture and used Sriracha since I didn’t have the chili sauce. Served wrapped in lettuce with garlic-rosemary-mayo… delicious!
This is one of the best burghers patties I have ever cooked. It was so juicy. My husband loved it. Thanks for this easy and amazed recipe.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner! This came together SO fast and everyone loved it. Even my kids said it was good and ate their whole burger!! I plan on making more patties for snacks as it is a great source of protein.
I wonder if cooking them in air fryer and then freezing or throwing them on the grill?
You can air fry them- see my air fryer turkey burger for the process https://thebigmansworld.com/air-fryer-turkey-burgers/
thank you!
This is the BEST chicken burger recipe EVER! And I’ve tried a ton. Yes, the patties are a little wet when forming but once you put those bad boys in the pan….chicken burger perfection! The flavors are amazing and they are the juiciest burgers I’ve ever had! The addition of the sweet thai chili sauce and NO breadcrumbs…just amazing. I’m so glad I found this recipe! I will NEVER use another recipe again! THANK YOU!
aw thanks Jennifer!
Hi, I’m looking to put these chicken burgers in between English muffins with cheese and spinach to freeze and then my kids can stick in the air fryer for breakfast.
could I add spinach to the actual chicken patty rather than placing between the patty and cheese or would this change the patty too much and it wouldn’t stick together?
If you want to add spinach, blend it into the chicken 🙂
Really enjoyed these , best chicken mince recipe I’ve found! Really tasty, only made 3 burgers and cooked them longer ,we were all happy teatime today, had requests for them again
Will these hold together on an outdoor grill? I prefer the flavor of a charcoal grill.
Can you prepare and then freeze (without cooking)?
Yes, just be sure to ensure to wrap them in plastic wrap very well, with no air pockets.
What’s the green stuff in the burger. Nothing green in ingredients.
Sorry, I’ll fix it- optional chopped parsley 🙂
These are by far the easiest,tastiest burgers ever…..a big hit for all my family.thankyou for the recipe
You know how much I like sweet meets heat, so this sauce looks awesome. I bet it would be fantastic smothered across some grilled veggies.
Also fun fact: I’m pretty decent at grilling meat. It’s been a few years since I’ve done it, but back then grilling was always my job. Ha!
I’ll have to try it out for myself my dear.
I can envision a sweet chilli sauce spiked ratatouille!
Yum yum yum, sweet chili sauce 😀 My grill is FINALLY getting some use after being buried in snow for far too long…will have to add these to the summer grill list!
I am coming for a grill party, uninvited 😉
Too bad you’re now totally invited 😉
I’m so glad you dislike watching cricket too because I fell asleep every time I attempt to watch it. Share a couple of these burgers with your new neighbors and they’ll love you. SAFE TRAVELS, friend!
LOL! I’m so glad you picked that up my faux English chicka! Seriously, yawn x 100.
Thanks heaps buddy 🙂
chicken burgers sound like such a great idea! I bet it tasted soooo good with that ssweet chili sauce! thanks for sharing!
Thanks Celyn- Promise they are delicious!
You know this is my jam. I can’t get enough chicken burgers lately. Nothing wrong with getting some minus the preservatives. I’d get the pre-ground chicken because I’m a wimp. You’re a badass for getting thighs.
I know, right? So badasssssssss. Chicken boobs are overrated!
You are such a fantastic storyteller…super entertaining as always! These look absolutely perfect!
Haha you’re a gem Sonali! Looking forward to doing my weekend reading aka stalking your blog!!
I just love the thighs of chicks…… Mmm Mmm GOOD! What I am really waiting for is that dang OCTOPUS RECIPE!!! You’re holding out on me!
And um, when are you doing 1 week in the world of GIGI’s DIET?! LOL
Hahaha hopefully in a few months time- Got a few things on the cards already coming up! Thighs > boobs.
I fail at life when it comes to grilling things. In fact, I’m not even sure I know how to turn one on 😆 And I’d try to learn, but I’m not even that crazy about grilled food. Can you roast marshmallows over one?
LOL. Let’s try that one out at Meg’s this year!
Hahaha I suck at grilling/BBQing too. Luckily we don’t have a BBQ (or a balcony for that matter) at our apartment so I don’t have to deal with it.
Argh! I need an update on your new life as an independent woman who (Sometimes) needs a man
These look really good!
And I very much enjoyed the story about you learning to grill!!!
Thanks Kim! Never let me near your grill!
Hahah love the grilling story. I usually let Kyle tend to it when we’re making BBQ because I have absolutely no patience for standing by the meat and usually end up forgetting about it and wandering off. No bueno! What is bueno (my Spanish is obviously on par today) is this recipe and these photos! YUMMMM
Thanks buddy! Hahaha don’t get me started on leaving things and forgetting…
Lol to that story – I have never even touched a grill for that reason exactly. Why do some people make it look so damn easy!? Anyways, these look amazing. I love turkey/chicken burgers and everything sweet and spicy. I will definitely make these over the stove in my kitchen to prevent turning them into chicken burger chips.
Please do, Hayley! Although not going to lie, burger chips sounds pretty amazing!
Arman, I was never one for grilling…believe it or not, my daughter is the grill master in the family. She takes over and grills like she means business. Good for her, but like you, I stick to my little griddle pan. I love the sound of these chicken burgers and they look so darn good! Have a wonderful day, Catherine
Oh wow- That is awesome!
Thanks so much, Catherine- Hope everything is well with you and the family!
Haha you are the grill MASTER! I let Riley do most of our grilling. These chicken burgers do look pretty fantastic!
LOL. The grill master TWAT.
LOL – my husband is in charge of the grill. I can prep it, watch it, whatever, but I don’t turn it on. These look great! We’ll be making them as soon as we start actually firing up the grill.
Thanks heaps, Michelle! I may purposely invite myself over to that shindig!
Will these hold together on an outdoor grill? I prefer the charcoal grill flavor over a pan.
Yes absolutely!
LOL, this story cracked me up Arman! BTW I have made some huge messes in my life with the BBQ, including almost burning my parents’ house to the ground. So yeah, you’re not alone in this one.
Loving these burgers btw, seriously legit!
Glad to hear I’m not the only one losing my masculinity!
Cheers, mate!
Ah sweet chilli on ALL THE THINGS..can’t get enough of that stuff! I’m too scared of the flames to attempt to (wo)man a bbq- I leave that work to the big boys! For the sake of my health (and everyone else around me), I will stick to pan frying!
Let’s embrace the…pan!
These look so good! I am always on the hunt for delicious GF/Paleo recipes so thanks. I’ll be giving these a whirl – I always have chicken thighs in the freezer and I am quite sure I have all those other staples.
Please do, Emma! 🙂
Mmm, I love this! This would taste so good with some sliced pineapples!
Yes that sounds delicious!
These look so good! Totally trying them 🙂 Adam doesn’t know how to cook but somehow he is always the one standing at the grill while I direct his every step. I think this year I will finally just take over and we accept the gender-role bender.
Please do, Michele! Hahaha love it. You’re a Jack(ie) of all trades!
Hahaha. Best story ever. I remember a time when I was making bacon-wrapped shrimp on the grill. But here’s the thing, shrimp cook quickly. Very quickly. Let’s just say our shrimp was on the well-done side. As in it was pretty much like your skewers in the park. Come upstate this summer and we’ll do some grilling! By grilling I mean we can call our local pizza place. Actually, I wonder if you can get fondue delivered…
YESSS. Oh the shrimp learning curve. I once made a shrimp curry in the slow cooker. Yeah, it was like chewing gum.
Imagine if fondue could be delivered….
Grilling on the stove is my fav because I’m not legit enough to own a real grill. I’m not even legit enough to own a yard to put my grill…. womp womp.
LOL. Join the club- I would need to grill on the side walk!
not great with the barbecue or grill…. reason #352353 why you need to move in my kitchen
YES. It will happen. then you will kick me out.
These look amazing! I want to jump in the screen and eat one right now.
Thanks Megan! Maybe try not to do that- You don’t need any bumps to your head!
Looks delicious! I love the Costco chicken burgers with caramelized onion and cheddar (I think Amylu brand) but never thought to make my own!
Make your own- They are so delicious! I’m totally bringing my blender to NY just to make them…okay maybe not.
Ok this might sound stupid…but I never thought to buy boneless meat and ground myself in food processor…duhh!!! I’ve just been buying pre ground meat (more $$$) but after reading this and having a total food processor revelation I may be saving some $$$ and grinding myself! This looks yummy and will have to go on our summer BBQ list!
Seriously, do it- It makes it so much easier to mesh the flavours together! 🙂
I will try this recipe. With the cost of meat, I buy chicken breasts when they are on sale and I bought an inexpensive meat grinder from Amazon and grind my own chicken, pork, etc. So easy and totally worth it! You can buy an italian sausage powder from Amazon and make your own italian sausage for Lasagna and Pizza. Can use chicken or pork.
I LOVE SWEET CHLI SAUCE. LOVE… I haven’t a clue how to work the barbecue. And I don’t plan on learning lol.
Hahaha I will bring you some of this- It’s really delicious and not chock full of sugar like most sauces!
Oh no! What a sad story.
These look delicious, I never think to make chicken burgers but you have inspired me.
Thanks Nicole! So much better than the junk they claim are burgers in Woolies!