You won’t even miss the bun with these super easy, healthy, and full of flavor chili lime chicken burgers.
Usually I’m a beef burger kind of girl, but there’s one human in our family who doesn’t eat beef, so sometimes I have to compromise on burger night.
But you won’t hear me complaining when these juicy and zesty chicken burgers show up on my dinner plate, especially if there’s a side of crispy sweet potatoes happening as well.
I used to shy away from ground turkey and chicken burgers because, honestly, I don’t like dry meat. But over time, I’ve learned a few things about keeping burgers moist and tender. Now chicken burgers are on regular rotation, and I LOVE how easily they take up whatever flavor profile I’m throwing at them.
Now doesn’t this look tasty?
Here’s the recipe deets:
ground chicken… healthy and light, ground chicken is the perfect summer time burger meat. I recommend using ground chicken thigh meat versus breast meat as it makes for a much juicer burger. (see my tips for keeping things juicy below.)
spices… a mix of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper give these little burgers a nice southwestern flare.
lime… because who doesn’t like a little zest in their burger.
cilantro… you either love it or hate it. I LOVE LOVE the “lemony” fresh flavor of cilantro. If it’s not your jam, you can use parsley instead.
red onion… crunch and flavor
avocado… because y’all know that I like to put avo on everything.
crispy lettuce… is the best part of eating a burger. I like to use butter leaf lettuce as it makes an awesome lettuce wrap.
grill or pan… grill them outside or in a pan in the kitchen. I compromise by cooking them in my grill pan that I got for $8 at a local thrift store. SCORE!
sweet potato fries… basically are life. And I highly recommend making them anytime you make burgers. Grab the recipe HERE.
How to keep your chicken burgers juicy:
Tip #1 Like I said, use ground chicken thigh instead of ground breast.
Tip #2 Skip the egg and bread crumbs. Both will leave you with a dense and dry burger.
Tip #3 Add a bit of extra fat. I like to add a tablespoon of melted ghee (or butter) when I cook leaner ground meats like turkey or chicken.
Tip #4 Gentle handling. Form your patties gently without too much pressure. They will be fragile at first but will firm up as they cook.
Tip #5 Don’t overcook. Cook your burgers until cooked all the way though but don’t go overboard. Ideally, chicken needs to be at 165’F to be fully cooked but still tender and juicy. I don’t use a meat thermometer, but feel free if you have one. I find that cooking 4-5 minutes per side is perfect.
This recipe makes 4 burger patties. They can be easily meal prepped and frozen for later use. Simply reheat gently in toaster oven or oven when ready to eat.
Happy eating!
xo,
Katja
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Chili Lime Chicken Burgers (gluten free, paleo, and whole30)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 burgers 1x
Description
Super easy, healthy, and full of flavor chili lime chicken burgers. Gluten free. Paleo. Whole30.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp chili powder (like this)
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder (like this)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (like this)
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- juice from 1/2 lime
- 1 tbsp ghee or butter, melted
- ghee, butter, or avocado oil for cooking
- crispy lettuce, pickled red onions, sprouts, mashed avocado , and crispy sweet potato fries for serving**
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, gently combine ground chicken, salt, onion, cilantro, lime, melted fat, and about 3/4 of the chili spice mixture until well incorporated. Form into 4 even-sized patties. Sprinkle remaining chili spice mixture over the top of each burger.
- Cook patties on a skillet, grill pan, or outdoor BBQ for 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked all the way through. Be sure to liberally oil the skillet, pan, or BBQ to prevent sticking.
- Serve over crispy butter leaf lettuce with pickled red onions, sprouts, and avocado. Enjoy.
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Have you made your own ground chicken from thighs? I’ve never done that.. seems like I’d have to cook the thighs before pureeing them.. ??
I haven’t ground my own chicken but I have heard of people doing it. You do it with raw chicken. I’ve heard that it’s good to cut chicken into small pieces and freeze them slightly – about 20 minutes- so the food processor cuts it cleanly. Would love to hear if you try it.
Katja, these look amazing! I’m all in on burger recipes this grilling season – excited to dive in to meals like this over the summer!
Yes! I’m so excited for summer and for simple easy meals so I can play more. 😉
Hi,
I tried this recipe at home yesterday, and it turned out to be really delicious..
Thank you so much for such a yummy recipe.
Gonna save this and will share with others.
Keep sharing 🙂
Yay! Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback. So happy you enjoyed the burgers. 🙂