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    Home » Sandwiches & Burgers

    The Best Ground Chicken Burgers

    Published: Aug 18, 2020 / Updated: Jul 13, 2022 / 176 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe

    These ground chicken burgers are juicy, moist, and flavorful! No more dry chicken, and you can have these burgers on the table in half an hour.

    grilled ground chicken burger loaded with toppings
    Photos updated 8/2020

    This post was originally published on May 27, 2016. I've updated the post with new photos and more tips. Same great recipe as before!

    Ground chicken doesn't always conjure up mouthwatering images, but this chicken burger is moist! I don't like that word, but when you think of chicken burgers, "moist" doesn't always come to mind. Cardboard sometimes comes to mind.

    As long as you don't overcook this burger, it'll be fantastic.

    You may also like my Easy Ground Turkey Burgers, these Chicken Patties, or this Easy Salmon Burger Recipe.

    easy ground chicken burgers collage (burger patty ingredients in a glass prep bowl on one side and it all mixed together in the glass bowl on the second side)

    How do you make burgers with ground chicken?

    Add the burger ingredients to a mixing bowl and gently use your hands to mix it all together. Form into patties and place them on wax paper. Create a depression in the center of each patty to make sure they cook evenly.

    I added fresh oregano and chives to boost the flavor and impart a freshness. Breadcrumbs, lemon juice, and mayo are the secret ingredients to ensure these chicken burgers don't dry out. There's a clove of garlic in these burgers because this is my recipe, and apparently I can't make stuff without garlic.

    I whipped up a simple but flavorful mayo to complement these ground chicken burgers. Feel free to add it or skip it! As always, you can top these with your preferred toppings.

    collage with ground chicken burger patties (raw) on wax paper and the burger sauce in a blue bowl

    How long to grill chicken burgers?

    It depends on the grill and the thickness of the burger patties, but with our gas BBQ we grilled them for 5 minutes on one side and 4 minutes on the other side (lid down). When an instant read meat thermometer registers 165F in the middle, they're safe to eat. The meat thermometer helps ensure that you don't overcook them! Dry burgers are no fun.

    homemade ground chicken burger toppings on a plate (bun, lettuce, tomato, red onions)

    Tips and tricks to make the best grilled ground chicken burgers:

    • Don't over handle the meat. You don't want the ground chicken patties resembling hockey pucks.
    • Form patties and place them on wax paper.
    • Make a little depression with your thumb in the center of each burger so they cook evenly.
    • Make sure you oil the grill before it's up to temperature so they don't stick.
    • Slide the burgers onto the grill using a metal spatula.
    • Don't have a BBQ? You could also use a grill pan or frying pan to make these.

    What to serve with homemade chicken burgers:

    I top the burgers with the suggested burger sauce, sliced tomato, avocado, red onion, and butter leaf lettuce, but the possibilities are endless. These burgers can be pretty healthy depending on how you top them. They would also be delicious served with a refreshing side salad like my Creamy Cucumber Salad.

    grilled ground chicken burger patties (cooked) on a plate

    Do you ever make burgers with ground chicken? I hope you will give this ground chicken burger recipe a try!

    grilled ground chicken burger loaded with toppings

    The Best Ground Chicken Burgers

    These ground chicken burgers are juicy, moist, and flavorful! No more dry chicken, and you can have these burgers on the table in half an hour.
    4.92 from 56 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Sandwich
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 184 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    Burger sauce:

    • 1 cup mayo
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • Salt & pepper to taste

    Burgers:

    • 1 pound ground chicken breast
    • 1 large clove garlic minced
    • 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
    • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped
    • Juice of 1/2 lemon
    • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used Italian flavored)
    • 2 tablespoons mayo
    • Salt & pepper to taste
    • Serve with: hamburger buns, butter leaf lettuce, tomato, avocado, red onion, etc. optional, to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Make the burger sauce by mixing the sauce ingredients together (mayo, mustard, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and salt & pepper). Taste and adjust as needed.
    • Oil and pre-heat your grill to medium-high heat.
    • Chop the chives and oregano, and prepare your toppings.
    • In a medium to large bowl, add the ground chicken, chives, oregano, minced garlic, lemon juice, breadcrumbs, mayo, and salt & pepper. Using your hands, gently mix everything together, taking care to not over handle the mixture.
    • Form burger patties one by one and place them on a sheet of wax paper. You should be able to make six average-size burger patties or four larger ones. Using your thumb, create a depression in the center of each patty so they cook evenly.
    • Cook the burger patties until internal temperature is at least 165F. Cooking time really depends on your grill and the thickness of the patties. Mine took 5 minutes on the first side and 4 minutes on the second side (gas BBQ).
    • Once the burgers are cooked, you can toast the buns for about 30 seconds on each side if desired.
    • Assemble burgers by spreading the sauce onto each bun and adding the burger patties and toppings.

    Notes

    • See more tips & tricks within the blog post.
    • Chicken is safe to eat when it's reached an internal temperature of 165F. Use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness. Overcooked chicken burgers will be dry.
    • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. Nutrition for this recipe is just for the burger patties since the toppings are so subjective.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 184kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 15gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 209mgPotassium: 439mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 69IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword easy chicken burgers, ground chicken burger recipe, ground chicken burgers
    Author Natasha Bull
    chicken burger with condiments on the side
    Original photo from when this post was first published.
    « Creamy Cucumber Salad
    Easy Potato Salad with Bacon »

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    1. K. Skylar says

      January 19, 2023 at 6:57 PM

      5 stars
      Made these tonight in my cast iron skillet. I prepped the patties in the morning, before work. They cooked up quick and easy and we’re so good!
      The burger sauce sounded amazing, but to boost the nutrition value, I opted to top the burgers with some fresh made guacamole instead. It paired very nicely. Thanks a million for the healthy, delicious, easy to make recipe.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        January 19, 2023 at 9:45 PM

        I'm so happy it worked to make them ahead! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jacinta says

      December 30, 2022 at 11:43 AM

      5 stars
      These are really good and the sauce is amazing. In fact next time I will skip the bun and just dip it in the sauce.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        December 30, 2022 at 5:06 PM

        Thank you so much!! 😀 Glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    3. MB says

      September 28, 2022 at 4:54 PM

      5 stars
      Made these as written but in frying pan due to rain and they were excellent! Even picky beef burger-loving hubby was raving! Thank you for this great recipe, I never would have thought of including lemon juice.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 28, 2022 at 10:40 PM

        That's so nice to hear!! 😀

        Reply
    4. Lesley says

      August 22, 2022 at 10:35 AM

      5 stars
      Delicious and juicy! I didn't have a lemon so I left the lemon juice out. I will make sure I have one on hand before I make this again.

      Reply
      • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

        August 22, 2022 at 12:26 PM

        Awesome to hear, Lesley!! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Ceil ROY says

      July 31, 2022 at 3:38 PM

      5 stars
      I was kind of iffy about this recipe because ground chicken is weird looking. But…..these were amazing. Loved them. Thank you for posting.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        July 31, 2022 at 5:36 PM

        You're very welcome!!

        Reply
        • Saikou says

          August 15, 2022 at 8:30 AM

          Wonderful recipe,well appreciate

          Reply
          • Natasha says

            August 15, 2022 at 10:07 AM

            You're very welcome!

            Reply
    6. Jennifer S. says

      July 13, 2022 at 5:30 PM

      Hello, when do u add the burger sauce?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        July 13, 2022 at 5:33 PM

        Step 8. I'll update the recipe to be more clear (I called it "mayo" when I meant the burger sauce).

        Reply
        • Jennifer S. says

          July 13, 2022 at 5:55 PM

          Wow! Thank u so much! I'm making them this weekend!

          Reply
          • Natasha says

            July 13, 2022 at 6:47 PM

            Enjoy!! 🙂

            Reply
    7. Pam says

      June 8, 2022 at 7:00 PM

      5 stars
      Delicious! I’ve tried several recipes for ground turkey, first time using ground chicken.
      Great flavor and moist, nothing like meatloaf texture as one comment said. This will definitely be the recipe I will use from now on.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 8, 2022 at 7:40 PM

        I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Pam! Thanks for your review! 😀

        Reply
    8. Charley says

      June 5, 2022 at 5:58 PM

      5 stars
      These burgers are fantastic. I especially like the way the sauce pairs with the patty seasoning. Excellent!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 5, 2022 at 8:41 PM

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    9. Lori M says

      May 30, 2022 at 1:57 PM

      5 stars
      I made this for a bbq & all my hard core foodies were impressed & asked for the recipe! I omitted the water since mix looked quite moist. Any Salt & Lavender recipe I've tried has been amazing - easy and delicious!!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 30, 2022 at 3:26 PM

        That's awesome!! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this and other recipes from here! Thanks for your review. 🙂

        Reply
    10. Amanda J says

      May 12, 2022 at 10:46 AM

      5 stars
      Not joking, I have made these burgers once a week for about 2 years and they come out delicious EVERY TIME! I rotate between ground chicken and ground turkey, both are great. Also easy to sub in any onion if you don’t have chives. They are moist, flavorful, and come out so good on the grill every single time I make them. Thank you for this awesome recipe!!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 12, 2022 at 12:44 PM

        That's so nice to hear, Amanda!! You're very welcome, and I appreciate you taking the time to write me a review! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Sarah says

      May 10, 2022 at 4:44 PM

      5 stars
      These burgers were delicious! Such good flavor and very moist. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 10, 2022 at 7:08 PM

        You're very welcome, Sarah! 😀

        Reply
    12. Emily Ginsburg says

      April 27, 2022 at 12:10 PM

      5 stars
      This was just insanely delicious, possibly one of the better burgers I have ever had with any protein. I didn't make the sauce, instead just made a basic russian dressing (ketchup and mayo). Cooked them on the grill which was smoking hot and well oiled and they were well-seared, moist, just so good. Added a slice of cheddar cheese to each. Will definitely make again!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 27, 2022 at 10:39 PM

        That's so nice to hear, Emily!! So glad they were a hit, and I appreciate your thorough review. 🙂

        Reply
    13. Vixenvena says

      April 5, 2022 at 11:26 PM

      5 stars
      This was so great. I didn't know you could put things in ground chicken and turn it into a burger. I added pineapple and coconut. It didn't look like a hockey puck but I tried.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 6, 2022 at 10:08 AM

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂

        Reply
    14. Nadine says

      April 5, 2022 at 3:19 PM

      5 stars
      LOVE THESE!! I don't eat red meat but am often craving a good burger. These are by far the best I've tried. We had a really snowy winter and couldn't get to our BBQ so I just baked in oven at 350 for 30 mins (broiled for last couple mins just to get a bit if a crisp to the top).
      Amazing on a brioche bun. I make these once a week 😋

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 5, 2022 at 4:45 PM

        That makes me so happy!!! 😀

        Reply
    15. Maria says

      April 4, 2022 at 8:59 AM

      Hi I would like to make these burgers but don’t have fresh herbs can I substitute with dried? Thank you

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 4, 2022 at 10:25 AM

        Hi Maria! You could definitely try, but the flavor will be a bit different.

        Reply
    16. Nancy Smith says

      March 25, 2022 at 5:32 AM

      5 stars
      Excellent! I am not a big chicken eater, but had bariatric surgery and was wanting a juicy beef hamburger but knew that was not a good idea. So, I thought what could I eat that would be a good substitute. I found your recipe and I will probably never eat another beef hamburger. It is so tasty!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        March 25, 2022 at 9:59 AM

        Yay!! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed these burgers, Nancy. 🙂 Appreciate your review!

        Reply
    17. Cathy says

      March 14, 2022 at 3:49 PM

      3 stars
      Sadly , I cannot give a better rating than 3 stars. The flavors overall were good, but had I realized the texture of the chicken patty was going to be like meatloaf, I would not have made this. (I love meatloaf, however, this was too mushy for me). I even made extra patties to put in the freezer for another day, but I had to toss them out after eating the burger. I was excited to try this after reading many reviews, but next time, I will just grill a chicken breast instead. I think the sauce would still be tasty on the sandwich, and even the rest of the ingredients sans the bread crumbs could make a tasty marinade to spread on the chicken before grilling. (mayo will keep it moist).

      I like the idea and flavors of this recipe, but the texture of the burger wasn't for me. I will continue to use your recipes, as so many are delicious.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        March 15, 2022 at 10:31 AM

        Sorry you didn't enjoy them, Cathy! Thanks for your honest review.

        Reply
      • Elizabeth says

        March 21, 2022 at 5:44 AM

        How else would the texture of ground chicken be? It isn't a chicken breast!

        Reply
    18. Kristen says

      March 8, 2022 at 10:45 AM

      5 stars
      This is by far my favorite burger recipe! My store was out of ground chicken, so I subbed for ground turkey and it was delicious! Instead of the sauce, I mixed mayo with siracha and it took this burger to the next level!!! Can't wait to make it again.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        March 8, 2022 at 11:19 AM

        That's great to hear, Kristen!! Thanks for your 5-star review. 😀

        Reply
    19. Nadine says

      March 1, 2022 at 3:27 PM

      5 stars
      Absolutely THE best chicken burgers. Thanks for recipe 😋

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        March 1, 2022 at 4:29 PM

        You're very welcome, Nadine!! So happy you enjoyed them! 😀

        Reply
    20. Cathy Staples says

      February 1, 2022 at 3:44 PM

      5 stars
      Best chicken burger recipe!!! Kids and husband said it’s our new rotation burger! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 1, 2022 at 3:54 PM

        You're very welcome!! I'm so happy everyone liked it. 😀

        Reply
    21. Brandie says

      January 30, 2022 at 12:28 PM

      Can these be made ahead of time and frozen to cook later?

      Reply
      • Brandie says

        January 30, 2022 at 12:29 PM

        Ignore me! Saw that freezing is just fine in the comments below.

        Reply
    22. Titus says

      January 29, 2022 at 8:22 AM

      I really do wish that recipes emanating from the US would bear in mind that nearly no one in the rest of the world understands cup measurements, especially since a cup does not seem to be a standard unit (for instance a cup of flour is 120g but a cup of butter is 240g, allegedly). Totally baffling.

      Reply
      • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

        January 29, 2022 at 12:37 PM

        Hi Titus! We understand your frustration with measuring systems not being uniform internationally. Right now we’re limited in terms of converting measurements by the technology our developer produces for our audience, which is primarily US-based. But thank you for the feedback, and we hope to accommodate more of our global readers in the future!

        Reply
    23. Kat says

      October 2, 2021 at 12:02 PM

      5 stars
      Made these last night-delish. Quick question. Can I freeze the patties before or after they are cooked?

      Thanks for the outstanding recipe

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        October 2, 2021 at 12:39 PM

        Hi Kat! So glad you enjoyed them. I haven't tested this, but I would freeze them before they're cooked. You could store them in stacks with parchment paper in between.

        Reply
    24. Kara says

      August 29, 2021 at 6:02 PM

      5 stars
      Fantastic flavor. A tiny bit dry but not terribly. I would’ve added/made extra sauce! Great recipe.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 29, 2021 at 6:12 PM

        So glad you enjoyed them, Kara!

        Reply
    25. Urshi says

      August 20, 2021 at 5:01 AM

      5 stars
      Best chicken burgers ever!!! Seriously!!!We love love them
      !!! Juicy, full of fresh flavours & the mayo is wow!!! Thank you, a keeper recipe for sure. From us in Adelaide, Australia .

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 20, 2021 at 7:43 AM

        Thank you so much!! You're very welcome. 🙂

        Reply
      • Linda Nefdt says

        September 3, 2021 at 10:47 PM

        5 stars
        Tried these for supper last night and they are absolutely delicious! Best chicken burgers I have ever eaten!

        Reply
        • Natasha says

          September 4, 2021 at 9:25 AM

          Wonderful!!

          Reply
    26. Kumar Saharm says

      July 1, 2021 at 3:02 PM

      5 stars
      Love these burgers. I did cheat and add a pat of butter on top just before taking them off the heat. I also used a frying pan to cook them as I prefer my burgers cooked on hot plate rather than a grill.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        July 1, 2021 at 6:03 PM

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Lol, nothing wrong with butter. 😉

        Reply
    27. Heather says

      June 14, 2021 at 8:17 AM

      5 stars
      I made these yesterday and they were delicious, including the topping sauce. My husband whose is a hardcore beef burger fan enjoyed them as well and even had a second one (without a bun).
      Will definitely make them again. Thanks for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 14, 2021 at 10:22 AM

        That's fantastic!! I love that he enjoyed them too. Thanks, Heather!

        Reply
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