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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Do you ever make burgers with ground chicken? I hope you will give this ground chicken burger recipe a try!
The Best Ground Chicken Burgers
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
K. Skylar says
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.
Natasha says
I'm so happy it worked to make them ahead! 🙂
Jacinta says
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.
Natasha says
Thank you so much!! 😀 Glad you enjoyed them!
MB says
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.
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear!! 😀
Lesley says
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.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Awesome to hear, Lesley!! 🙂
Ceil ROY says
I was kind of iffy about this recipe because ground chicken is weird looking. But…..these were amazing. Loved them. Thank you for posting.
Natasha says
You're very welcome!!
Saikou says
Wonderful recipe,well appreciate
Natasha says
You're very welcome!
Jennifer S. says
Hello, when do u add the burger sauce?
Natasha says
Step 8. I'll update the recipe to be more clear (I called it "mayo" when I meant the burger sauce).
Jennifer S. says
Wow! Thank u so much! I'm making them this weekend!
Natasha says
Enjoy!! 🙂
Pam says
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.
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Pam! Thanks for your review! 😀
Charley says
These burgers are fantastic. I especially like the way the sauce pairs with the patty seasoning. Excellent!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Lori M says
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!!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this and other recipes from here! Thanks for your review. 🙂
Amanda J says
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!!
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear, Amanda!! You're very welcome, and I appreciate you taking the time to write me a review! 🙂
Sarah says
These burgers were delicious! Such good flavor and very moist. Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Sarah! 😀
Emily Ginsburg says
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!
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear, Emily!! So glad they were a hit, and I appreciate your thorough review. 🙂
Vixenvena says
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.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Nadine says
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 😋
Natasha says
That makes me so happy!!! 😀
Maria says
Hi I would like to make these burgers but don’t have fresh herbs can I substitute with dried? Thank you
Natasha says
Hi Maria! You could definitely try, but the flavor will be a bit different.
Nancy Smith says
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!
Natasha says
Yay!! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed these burgers, Nancy. 🙂 Appreciate your review!
Cathy says
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.
Natasha says
Sorry you didn't enjoy them, Cathy! Thanks for your honest review.
Elizabeth says
How else would the texture of ground chicken be? It isn't a chicken breast!
Kristen says
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.
Natasha says
That's great to hear, Kristen!! Thanks for your 5-star review. 😀
Nadine says
Absolutely THE best chicken burgers. Thanks for recipe 😋
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Nadine!! So happy you enjoyed them! 😀
Cathy Staples says
Best chicken burger recipe!!! Kids and husband said it’s our new rotation burger! Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! I'm so happy everyone liked it. 😀
Brandie says
Can these be made ahead of time and frozen to cook later?
Brandie says
Ignore me! Saw that freezing is just fine in the comments below.
Titus says
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.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
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!
Kat says
Made these last night-delish. Quick question. Can I freeze the patties before or after they are cooked?
Thanks for the outstanding recipe
Natasha says
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.
Kara says
Fantastic flavor. A tiny bit dry but not terribly. I would’ve added/made extra sauce! Great recipe.
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed them, Kara!
Urshi says
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 .
Natasha says
Thank you so much!! You're very welcome. 🙂
Linda Nefdt says
Tried these for supper last night and they are absolutely delicious! Best chicken burgers I have ever eaten!
Natasha says
Wonderful!!
Kumar Saharm says
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.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Lol, nothing wrong with butter. 😉
Heather says
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.
Natasha says
That's fantastic!! I love that he enjoyed them too. Thanks, Heather!