Friday, March 4, 2011

BBQ Chicken Burgers


I hate to rub it in to the northerners, but we have been having awesome weather here in Atlanta over the past week.  We've had temperatures in the 60's and sunshine, which to me mean's one thing:  outside!  Not only has Caroline been getting a lot of play time, but so have I.  And playtime to me means grilling. 

When my sister was visiting last weekend, I originally planned a dinner of chicken, potatoes, and vegetables, but my grill was just begging to be used... so while at the grocery store, I decided to make burgers.  I have been loving barbecue lately, so I decided to make a bbq chicken burger.  I seasoned the burgers with spices that I would use in a rub for pulled pork, and then I glazed them with more bbq sauce as they cooked.  But the real key to these burgers is the pork.  Joey and I had eaten out the night before, and we had some leftover pulled pork.  I chopped it up very finely and added it to the mix.  Since ground chicken tends to be pretty lean, adding the pork helped keep the meat from drying out.  It also gives the burgers that smoked bbq flavor.  I topped them with some sharp cheddar and grilled onions slices, and I think grilled pineapple would be a great addition as well.  I loved these burgers so much that I'm pretty sure I said "This is a really good burger" after every single bite! 

We are smoking a pork shoulder this weekend, and I'm going to set some pulled pork aside purely so I can make these burgers again next week!  Happy grilling!

One Year AgoCoconut Cupcakes


Grilled BBQ Chicken Burgers
Pink Parsley original
makes 4 burgers
  • 1 lb ground chicken 
  • 1/2 cup crumbled cornbread or 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1 scallion, minced
  • 1 Tbs minced fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • pinch cayenne
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup chopped pulled pork
  • 5 Tbs bbq sauce, divided
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced into rings
  • 4 slices extra sharp cheddar
  • 4 burger buns
  • olive oil
Prepare grill.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cornbread, scallion, cilantro, paprika, garlic, mustard, salt, cayenne, brown sugar, pork, and 2 tablespoons of the bbq sauce.  Lightly but thoroughly mix with your hands to incorporate all the ingredients.  Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of bbq sauce to a small bowl.

Form the mixture into 4 equal-sized patties.  Brush the grates of the grill with olive oil.  Place the burgers and onions on the grill, and cook the burgers 5-6 minutes, then flip.  Turn the onions as well.  Brush the cooked sides with half the reserved bbq sauce.  After 3-4 minutes, flip the burgers again. glazing the other side with the remaining bbq sauce.  Place a slice of cheese on each pattie, and lay the buns, cut side down, on the grill.  Close the lid and allow the cheese to melt and the buns to toast. 

Remove all the food from the grill, assembling the burgers as desired.  Serve with additional bbq sauce if desired.


7 comments:

Shawnda said...

We've had perfect grilling weather here, too. I love the flavors here. And that there's another way to use leftover pulled pork (not that we ever have too much of a problem!). I can't remember the last time I bought ground chicken - is that usually just ground breast meat?

Atlanta, Food and Love said...

Fantastic Idea! They look so good!

Unknown said...

Our weather has been crazy in San Diego this year. Glad you enjoyed your weather. This recipe looks delightful

Annie said...

I normally don't love things with BBQ sauce, but these sound really good to me! Definitely trying them when our crappy weather improves :P

Eliana said...

These look amazing Josie. Love all the different flavors you have going on here.

Josie said...

Shawnda - I bought ground chicken at the grocery store when I made them, but we are actually having them again this week, and I'm going to just do chicken breasts in the food processor - I'll let you know how it works!

Ari said...

Made these for dinner earlier last week and they were a HUGE success! Used a bbq sauce we made for baby back ribs, so while we didn't add pork, we got a nice flavor in the sauce. Will definitely make these again!

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