Not Your Ordinary Burger

This burger makes me giddy, it's that good, and guess what, it's CHICKEN. Yep, I never would've thought about making a chicken burger, but I'm so glad I did.  Ground chicken isn't as easy to find as you might think, at least not in my area, but mom got some at Fareway, and I'm sure that bigger places carry it.  If not, I'd just use ground turkey, because I'm pretty sure it would taste about the same.  I don't know, I'm trying this with turkey this week, so I'll let you know.  I can't wait.

Picture courtesy of How Sweet It Is

BBQ Chicken Burgers

makes 4 burgers

1 pound ground chicken breast
1/4 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup BBQ sauce – use homemade or your favorite!  (I used Cookies BBQ sauce, but the possibilites are endless)
4 whole wheat buns (Mom and I skipped the buns)
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
BBQ sauce for topping
gouda cheese for topping (I used pepperjack and it was delightful)

In a large bowl, combine chicken, BBQ sauce, paprika, onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Mix until just combined, then form 4 patties. I stuck these in the refrigerator so they could get firm, because chicken (as with turkey), seems to be much softer than burger. I also sprayed the grill with Pam before I put them on, so they wouldn't stick, but you can skip those steps. The key is not to flip them until one side is cooked til firm.  So anyway, preheat the grill and cook the burgers until fully cooked through. They should be juicy and not dried out, but cooked thoroughly.

While burgers are cooking, heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and saute until caramelized, about 10 minutes.  Onions should be yellowish and brown on the edges. 

When burgers are ready, top with gouda (or more cheddar), onions, BBQ sauce and fresh romaine. You can  also toast the buns...........and then call to thank me for such a wonderful meal.