Best Chicken Burger Recipe

The best chicken burger recipe comes with juiciness and tons of flavor! It’s easy, adaptable, and will change your mind about chicken burgers. 

Why You’ll Love This Burger

“Damn, that’s a tasty burger!” People aren’t usually talking about chicken burgers when they say that so, let’s address the obvious.

Ground chicken doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to burgers due to their lack of fat and flavor. But it’s totally possible to snub red meat and opt for leaner and healthier choices without sacrificing texture and flavor.

It’s all about using the right savory ingredients and, of course, enough spices!

How Do You Keep Chicken Burgers From Falling Apart

1. Use the right binders. Eggs and breadcrumbs are famous for holding ground meat together and they work beautifully with by turkey burger, turkey meatballs, and ground turkey meatloaf. I use both in this recipe because they also both help with moisture, and because ground chicken is so lean, it benefits from the boost!
2. Chill your patties. Popping your patties into the fridge for 30 minutes after they’re formed helps them set and firm up so they can withstand being handled and flipped.

Why Are Chicken Burgers So Dry?

Ground chicken is naturally lean, whereas beef has a much higher fat-to-protein ratio. Since protein seizes up during the cooking process, you can be left with a bit of a stiff piece of meat if there’s no fat to break it up. On top of that, fat equals moisture, so your low-fat chicken burger is anything but juicy unless you add the right things to the mix.

Ingredient Breakdown & Swaps

*Exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

• Ground chicken.
• Spices. My rule of thumb for seasoning any ground meat is 1 tsp of salt per pound. I eyeball my pepper for the most part.
• Garlic. I prefer to grate my garlic to a paste using a microplane since you can really blend it into the meat. But mincing it is totally fine.
• Onion. Any onion goes! White, yellow, or red. Just chop them as finely as you can.
• Fresh thyme. You could also use dry thyme or homemade Italian seasoning.
• Liquid smoke. If you don’t like a smoky charbroiled flavor, use Worcestershire sauce or low-sodium soy sauce instead. I personally love a smoky essence and find that it adds a ton of flavor, making it reminiscent to a nice beef burger! But the other two options will offer up a nice punch of umami.
• Plain full fat Greek yogurt. This is the ticket to moisture! Your patties and your palate will thank you. If you’re not a fan of Greek yogurt, you could use sour cream or mayo instead.
• Whole grain old style mustard. You could also sub-in Dijon.
• Egg.
• Panko breadcrumbs. Italian breadcrumbs will do if that’s what you’ve got.

Toppings

You can literally go any way you want with toppings with these burgers! Here are some things I like to top them with:

• Cheese
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Shaved onions
• Pickles
• Mayo
• homemade ketchup
• Mustard

A Quick Rundown on How to Make Chicken Burgers

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With your bare hands, mix all of the burger ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well blended.
2. The mixture is a little sticky, so before handling it, lightly oil your hands to keep it from sticking to your hands.
3. Create four patties out of the mixture, placing each one onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each patty to make a divot.
4. Pop the patties into the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes to set.
5. When ready, heat the grill to medium-high heat.
6. Oil the grates up nicely to prevent sticking.
7. Place the patties onto the grill, close the lid, and let the patties cook for 5 minutes.
8. Carefully flip the patties, close the lid, and cook for another 5 minutes or until the patties reach an internal temperature of 165º F with a meat thermometer. About a minute before the patties are ready, you can top them with a slice of cheese to get a nice melty cheeseburger.
9. When the patties are done, transfer them to a serving platter.
10. Pop the patties onto some buns and dress your burgers to your liking.

Have You Made This Recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!

You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme

Frequently Asked Questions

More Yummy Ground Chicken Recipes

• Greek-Style Baked Chicken Meatballs
• Sesame Hoisin Chicken Lettuce Cups
• Ground Chicken Meatballs in Sauce
• Italian Wedding Soup With Chicken Meatballs

SaveSaved Pin Print

4.99 from 76 votes

Best Chicken Burger Recipe

By: Dana Sandonato

The best chicken burger recipe comes with juiciness and tons of flavor! It's easy, adaptable, and will change your mind about chicken burgers. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chill in the fridge: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Want to save this recipe?

Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Save Recipe

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb ground chicken
• ▢ 1 tsp sea salt
• ▢ A few cranks of cracked black pepper
• ▢ 1 clove of garlic, grate to a paste or minced
• ▢ 1 tsp fresh thyme
• ▢ 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
• ▢ 1 TBSP liquid smoke
• ▢ 1 heaping TBSP full fat plain Greek yogurt
• ▢ 1 TBSP Whole grain old style mustard
• ▢ 1 egg, ligtly beaten
• ▢ 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Place parchment paper over a baking sheet.
• Put all of the chicken burger patty ingredients into a large mixing bowl and, with clean hands, mix until well blended.
• Lightly oil your hands with some olive oil to help keep the mixture from sticking to your hands. One at a time, form four patties out of the mixture, and place each one onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Gently press your thumb into the center of each patty to make a divot; this prevents the meat from shrinking over high heat.
• Put the patties in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes so that they can set.
• When you're ready, heat the grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grate dipping a wad of paper towel into some canola oil and then, with tongs, lightly dragging the paper towel over the grate to create a slick surface. This will keep the patties from sticking to the hot grates.
• Place the patties onto the grill, close the lid, and cook for 5 minutes. Carefully flip the patties, close the lid, and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the patties reach an internal temperature of 165º F. About a minute before the patties are ready, you can top them with a slice of cheese to get a nice melty cheeseburger.
• Once the patties are done, transfer them to a clean plate or serving platter.
• Put the patties onto some buns and dress your burgers to your liking!

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 13g

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!