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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.
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