Chicken Tequila Burgers

August is on its way out the door.  (insert complaining about no summer here, lol)  If you live nearby to me, you know what I’m talking about here – your tan lines probably suck too.

When it’s warm and summertimey, I want to share all the burgers I make because I 100% rationally believe that you lovely readers only barbecue when I do.  And I only barbecue when it’s above 10 degrees.  Haha

Imagine my surprise when people tell me they will barbecue when it’s -20C outside.  Those people are crazay!!!

And while we have a little time left before the snow flies and I close up my barbecue for the winter (listen.  It snowed on September 13^th last year.) I wanted to share this chicken burger with you. 

Guys.  I MAJORLY struggle with the idea of ground chicken.  I know I’ve said this before, but ground chicken is DRY and BORING – at least, that’s what I’ve always been told.

So I was really holding my breath when I pulled this burger recipe out of my “recipes to try” troves. 

Let’s get on with it shall we?

I deterred here from the original recipe which called for chicken breasts and then to combine everything in a food processor and grind the chicken yourself.  Meh.  I couldn’t really be bothered to do that.  I felt like it was an unnecessary extra step.

In a large bowl.  Combine the ground chicken,

Jalapeno peppers,

Cilantro,

Garlic,

Lime zest and lime juice,

Salt and pepper,

A dash of soy sauce and panko crumbs.

Mix it until JUST combined and form into patties.  I would absolutely recommend placing the patties on pieces of parchment paper.  It makes them SO easy to then flip onto the grill.  Otherwise they stick and fall apart and are just generally a pain.

Grill for 5 – 7 minutes each side.  (or if you’re a worrier like me, a couple of extra minutes on the grill won’t hurt  lol)

I honestly had no idea what sauces/condiments to pair with these burgers.  Maybe a chipotle mayo?  Maybe just a lime cilantro mayo?  Ketchup just seemed like all kinds of wrong.  I opted for plain mayo and it worked out really well.

I also topped them with Monterey Jack cheese.  Cause I wanted to, that’s why.

And the suggested onions and peppers.

I am absolutely certain that if not seasoned properly, chicken burgers can be so bland and boring it would make a person weep.  These burgers do NOT fit that bill.

They are flavorful and juicy and the tequila flavor wasn’t lost during cooking (which I’ve found often happens).  Dannika was not a huge fan – mostly because of the significant tequila taste – but us grown-ups LOVED these burgers.  The peppers and onion are a perfect accompaniment (though using ONLY grilled onions would be amazing) and the Monterey Jack cheese also made the burger just a little extra.

Maybe the tequila in these burgers will help make summer's exit a little bit easier.



Chicken Tequila Burgers

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed and roughly chopped
1 pound ground chicken
1/4 cup cilantro
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 ounces tequila
Dash of soy sauce
Salt and pepper
1/3 - 1/2 cup panko crumbs

Sauteed peppers and onions

Hamburger buns

1. Combine the garlic, jalapeno, chicken, cilantro, zest, juice, tequila, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and panko crumbs.
2. Form into 4 patties.
3. Grill on hot grill for 5 - 7 minutes per side, or until burgers are cooked through.
4. Serve topped with sautéed peppers and onions and other desired toppings.

Adapted from: Pink Parsley