The Most Juicy Grilled Chicken Burger
Nobody likes a dried out, flavorless chicken burger. Neither do we! So we did a lot of testing and came up with a recipe that uses lean chicken meat but it is still packed with flavor and is juicy and tender on the inside every time! With a few simple tricks (that we also bring to our classic Turkey Burger), you are going to blow your family and friends away at your next cookout.
Looking for More Chicken Burgers?
If you love them as much as we do, you definitely need to try our BBQ Chicken Smash Burgers!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- ground chicken – perfect for making a lighter burger option, but ground turkey could also be used.
- shredded butter and mayo – our secret ingredients for keeping this chicken burger recipe perfectly juicy!
- sliced cheese – option to use any variety of cheese, even a dairy-free alternative, or omit it entirely.
- buns – feel free to grab regular hamburger buns, gluten-free buns, or even a lettuce bun!
How To Make A Juicy Grilled Chicken Burger
Pro Tips
We have a few quick tips for you to make sure you have a perfectly juicy burger:
- Secret Ingredients: Include the shredded onion, shredded butter, and mayo when mixing the burgers. They are our secret ingredients and add so much great flavor and moisture to prevent them from drying out! We keep a stick of butter in the freezer all summer for this very reason!
- Thumb Indent: Be sure to press your thumb into the middle of each burger patty to make a slight indent. This helps to prevent the burger from rising in the middle to create a dome shape.
- Spatula: They are for flipping only! Don’t press down on the burgers during the cooking process. This will release some of the juices that you want to stay in the burgers.
Best Ways To Serve Grilled Chicken Burgers
We typically try to keep the sides simple but you can serve these with just about anything – homemade french fries, easy grilled broccolini, lemon pasta, or grilled sweet potatoes!
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- How to make a chicken burger juicy? First, you have to add the frozen grated butter. Those little bits of butter mixed into the burger ingredients really help to keep them nice and moist! Second, keep an eye on the internal temperature and use a reliable meat thermometer. Once they reach 160 degrees F on the inside you want to take them off the grill. The longer they cook past that point will result in them becoming a bit drier.
- How long should I grill a chicken burger? Begin by preheating the grill so that the grates are nice and hot before adding the chicken patties. Rub the grates with some olive oil and grill the patties for 5-6 minutes on each side or until they reach an internal temp of 160 degrees (use a meat thermometer).
- Make Ahead of Time: Depending on how far ahead you want to do the prep you can either make the patties and store then in an airtight container in the fridge overnight or you can make the patties, place parchment paper in between them, and place them all in a freezer safe bag to store for up to 3 months.
- Best Burger Toppings: We kept this chicken burger fairly simple with some lettuce, tomato, red onion, and burger sauce! If you are looking for some more topping options you could also add avocado, pickle slices, or use quick pickled onions (instead of raw slices).
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Juicy Chicken Burger Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Freeze Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 47 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
A juicy, delicious and easy grilled Chicken Burger recipe that is perfect for summer with all the best, fresh toppings!
Ingredients
Scale
Burger Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/4 cup white onion, shredded with excess water squeezed out
- 2–3 tablespoons frozen butter, grated
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
Other Burger Ingredients:
- hamburger buns of your choice (regular or gluten-free)
- 4 slices American cheese
- lettuce
- burger sauce
- red onion, sliced
- tomato, sliced
- optional: cooked bacon slices
Instructions
- Burger Mixture: In a large bowl combine the ground chicken, grated white onion, grated butter, 2 tablespoons mayo, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon worcestershire, 1 teaspoon dijon, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (if using).
- Make Patties: Prepare a small parchment-lined baking sheet. Divide the burger mixture into 4 equal patties about 1/2-3/4 inches thick on the cookie sheet. Press down in the middle with your thumb to create an indent.
- Quick Cool: Place the whole sheet pan in the freezer for 20 minutes (this ensures it will be easy for you to lift them off the pan and they will hold their shape on the grill). Season the tops generously with salt and pepper.
- Prep: Preheat the grill to a medium-high heat and clean the grill grates.
- Grill: Spray the hot grates with a non-stick spray and place the burgers on the grill over direct heat and close the lid. Let cook 5-6 minutes per side or until they reach 160 degrees F internal temperature (use a meat thermometer). If using cheese, place on top during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking.
- Rest: Remove the burgers and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Build Burgers: place a piece of lettuce on top of the bottom bun. Follow with burger sauce, chicken burger, red onion, tomato and top bun.
- Serve: Enjoy right away!
Notes
- Frozen Butter – if you are looking to really keep these chicken burgers lean, you can omit the butter BUT if you are just looking for a juicy chicken burger, then definitely include this step!
- Make ahead: feel free to make the patties the day before. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze: to make these ahead and freeze, simply make the patties and then place a piece of parchment paper between them as you stack. Place in a freezer-safe bag, label and place in freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight and then grill according to the instructions above.
- No Grill? No problem! Simply cook these chicken burgers in a cast iron skillet on your stovetop.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 3.3 g
- Sodium: 391.8 mg
- Fat: 22.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.4 g
- Fiber: 3.4 g
- Protein: 20.9 g
- Cholesterol: 116.8 mg
Other Recipes You Might Like
Buffalo Chicken Burgers
Burger Bowl
Amazing Garlic Burgers
Caramelized Onion Sliders
Linda Morris says
I’ve made these a couple times and freeze them for future meals. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! This recipe has so much flavor and it makes several to freeze. If you want a great juicy chicken burger this is the ONE! Definitely in my rotation!!
Shari says
I made these tonight and they were DELISH!! I had never made chicken burgers and these were so good we will add to rotation!!
Erin says
Love to hear that, Shari!!