Juicy Ground Chicken Burgers with chicken breast just like my Ukrainian grandma used to make. Serve traditionally on a bun or low carb with one of healthy salads.
Also on regular rotation are grilled chicken burgers and turkey burgers with zucchini!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for Chicken Burger Recipe
- How to Make Ground Chicken Burgers
- How to Grill Ground Chicken Burgers
- What to Serve with Homemade Chicken Burgers?
- Can You Make These Ahead of Time?
- Can I Freeze Chicken Burgers?
- How to Store and Reheat
- More FAQs
- More Burger Recipes to Try
- More Chicken Recipes to Try
- Ground Chicken Burgers Recipe
This ground chicken burgers recipe will knock your family’s socks off! Growing up in Ukraine my grandma made the best ground chicken patties.
We used to say they are like Spitz, roasted sunflower seeds, highly addictive! Pureed onion makes otherwise dry ground chicken breast meat juicy and adds a lot of flavor.
No matter what you do, it will be the best chicken burger recipe you have ever tried! Cook chicken burgers on the grill or they can be pan fried year round.
Ingredients for Chicken Burger Recipe
This ground chicken burgers recipe contains literally 5 main ingredients. Remember, grandma was cooking very simple dinner recipes back in the 80’s-90’s.
- Chicken: I am using 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts because I always have them. You can save time (not money) and buy ground chicken. Chicken thighs will work too, not more juicy because grandma used a secret ingredient to keep even chicken breast juicy.
- Bread: I used a slice of sprouted whole grain bread, white bread or gluten free bread works too. Alternately, use about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or quick oats. A slice of bread soaked in water for a few seconds and then squeezed helps to hold the lean ground chicken burger patties together.
- Egg: Egg is a binder. If you add bread and have an egg allergy or are out of egg, your burger should still stay together or you could learn how to make a flax egg.
- Onion: Grated onion is grandma’s secret to juicy chicken burgers, not to mention flavorful.
- Garlic: To also flavor your burgers!
- Salt and pepper: To season and taste.
How to Make Ground Chicken Burgers
Here is quick overview how to make ground chicken burgers. They are super easy to make in your blender or food processor. Then shape into 24 smaller or 12 larger chicken burgers.
Grind chicken: Add cubed chicken breast in a food processor or high speed blender, and process until it resembles ground chicken. Work in batches and then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Process egg, onion, garlic, soaked and squeezed bread, salt and pepper until well combined. Grandma would have loved that we can pulverize onion, garlic, egg and bread in seconds!
Mix everything together: To the bowl with ground chicken add pulverized mixture of egg, bread and veggies and using your hands, mix well. It will smell heavenly!
Toast the buns: Brush a bit of olive oil or butter on each cut side of the burger bun and fry for about 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove onto a plate.
Now we can cook the ground chicken burger patties.
Pan fry patties on large skillet or grill for about 4-5 minutes per side: Form ground chicken mixture the size of a tennis ball and flatten into a patty. It is time to flip chicken burgers when white edges appear and burger is brown on the bottom.
Recipe Tip
Your second and third batches will take less time to cook as the skillet or grill gets hotter.
How to Grill Ground Chicken Burgers
To cook ground chicken burgers on the grill, rub the grill grates with oil soaked paper towel.
Grilling time depends on the grill and thickness of chicken patties. On our gas BBQ, they take about 5 minutes per side while covered on medium grill heat, which is between 300-400 degrees F.
Be sure not to flip them too early and peek underneath, flip carefully with metal spatula once.
Chicken is ready when meat thermometer inserted in the center registers internal temperature of 155 degrees F. Then remove them on a platter, cover tightly with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Residual heat will finish cooking them to 165 F degrees without over drying the meat and resulting in juicy chicken burgers!
What to Serve with Homemade Chicken Burgers?
My absolute favorite way to enjoy these homemade ground chicken burgers is “naked” style with plain spaghetti and ketchup. They also taste great cold!
You can top chicken burgers the same way you would top a regular beef burger! Classic toppings are lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and cheddar cheese. Of course with mustard (we love sweet and spicy mustard), mayo and ketchup. BBQ sauce and sliced avocado are my favorites too!
Serve as part of a BBQ spread with Olivier salad, cucumber and tomato salad and healthy vanilla cupcakes for dessert. Also Instant Pot potato salad and this healthy coleslaw are OMG so good!
For “naked” chicken burgers wrap the patty in lettuce, like I do with healthy chicken lettuce wraps, or slice and serve over simple spring mix salad.
Can You Make These Ahead of Time?
Yes. You can prepare ground chicken burger mixture in a bowl, cover tightly with wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
You can also freeze uncooked chicken patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then transfer into a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen following the recipe plus 5 minutes.
Can I Freeze Chicken Burgers?
Cooked ground chicken burgers freeze amazing-ly!! Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw on a counter in under a few hours or in the fridge overnight. You could reheat them from frozen by using same skillet method above, just will take twice longer.
How to Store and Reheat
To store leftovers: You can refrigerate chicken burgers for up to 5 days.
Cold chicken patties taste amazing! That is when we ate them like Spitz, meaning quickly and many. I honestly think also due to the lack of a microwave.
To reheat, place on a hot skillet, add a splash of water, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. This way burgers heat through and do not dry out like in the oven.
More FAQs
For the skillet method, be sure to preheat your skillet well to medium heat and then add your oil. Be sure to spray or rub grill grates with oil before preheating.
Then cook ground chicken burgers undisturbed for 4-5 minutes before flipping. They should release easily from the pan or grill. This is the most important tip! Slide metal spatula under the grilled chicken burger for easier flipping.
Yes. To bake chicken burgers, preheat oven to 400 degrees F, place burgers on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 20 minutes.
Smoked paprika would give burgers a smoky taste, while red pepper flakes add a bit of spicy heat. Parsley and oregano would also taste nice!
More Burger Recipes to Try
More Chicken Recipes to Try
I hope you will give this ground chicken burgers recipe a try! Be sure to check out more of our grill recipes.
Ground Chicken Burgers
Ingredients
- 2 lbs raw boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs cubed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 small onion cut in chunks
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 slice of bread I use sprouted whole grain
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp oil for frying
- 12 hamburger buns
- Lettuce, tomato, red onion for topping
Instructions
- In a food processor or high speed blender, add chicken and process until ground. Work in batches and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Return blender to its base, add egg, onion and garlic.
- Quickly soak bread in water, squeeze well and add to the blender along with salt and pepper. Process until well combined and add to the bowl with ground chicken meat. Using your hands, mix well.
- Preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet or grill on medium heat and swirl some oil to coat (spray the grill).
- Form into a ball size of a tennis ball for a burger or somewhere between golf and tennis size for “naked” patty, then flatten.
- Pan fry or grill for about 4-5 minutes per side (grills vary). It is time to flip when white edges appear and patty is brown on the bottom. Please note that second and third batches will take less time to cook as the skillet (grill) will be hotter.
- Serve hot assembled in a burger or with a side grain + salad.
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat place burgers in a hot skillet with a splash of water, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Freeze: Cook, cool and freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Reheat with above directions, will take longer.
- Meal prep: Freeze uncooked burgers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then transfer to a large Ziploc bag. Cook from frozen following recipe’s instructions + 5 minutes.
- Chicken: I use 2 lbs of chicken breasts because I always have them. You can save time (not money) and buy ground chicken. Chicken thighs also work.
- Bread: I used a slice of sprouted whole grain bread. White or gluten free bread works too.
- Egg: Egg is a binder. If you add bread and have an egg allergy or are out of egg, you should be good.
- Onion and garlic: Grated onion is grandma’s secret to juicy healthy chicken burgers, not to mention flavorful. I do not recommend to use onion powder instead.
Excellent burgers. Onions…such a brilliant idea… And the prepared mustard made it killer combo
So glad you enjoyed it!
I have some already cooked ground chicken that I froze for my daughter but she did not like it plain so I wonder if I can use it somehow in this recipe. Do you think it would work? She is 10 months and much prefers feeding herself so this would be great.
Yes, of course. Just use 1:1 ratio in terms of weight for raw chicken.
My first attempt at chicken burgers. Hubby has dropped 36lbs, missing hamburgers though. I have been afraid to try because they are usually dy. These did the trick, he loved them, so did I. its saved in his calorie tracker app. Thank you so much!
So happy to hear you found this ‘burger’ recipe!
Really good! I put chopped jalapeños in mine and Swiss cheese on top. (I was out of pepper cheese)
Great additions to grandma’s burger!
You said to soak the bread in water. Do I need to add any liquid if I’m using breadcrumbs?
No.
Best chicken burgers ever! Family and friends agree. Everyone always asks for the recipe.
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I tried this yesterday for dinner. And it was amazing! I only added a bit of dried rosemary, thyme and chilli flakes to the mince for a herby flavor. The prepares mustard is really good. I think this is going to be my go to recipe for chicken burger.
What great feedback! Thanks Akshata!
Can we use 1 pound of chicken with same ingredients?
Hi Adeena, if you are only using half the chicken, I would adjust the other ingredients accordingly.
I’m about to cook these and have question. In the ingredients it says one slice of bread. In the comments you mentioned 2 slices. I have already mixed everything together with using one slice of sprouted bread. Can you confirm? Thank you.
1-2 slices is fine. It is approximate measurement. It will work out. 🙂
These patties are awesome! It is the first of your recipes I made and I love your clarity and simplicity. What made the experience even better is that I made them in a newly seasoned carbon steel pan and they did not stick. As my husband walked through the door he said that the kitchen smelled like his favourite restaurant. I am content.
Ilse! So wonderful to hear this. I hope you continue to enjoy many of my recipes (and your new carbon steel pan 🙂
This came out so well! Juicy and delicious, and very quick and easy.
Awesome to hear!