California Chicken Burger
I love a good burger and especially when it’s unique, it’s even more exciting to me! This California Chicken Burger gave me the vibe of that Burger King “Chicken Burger” I used to get as a teenager. It was like a limited time thing and I loved it! I’ve had similar versions but for the most part, you don’t hear a lot about chicken burgers I feel like. They’re so underrated! The burger patty had this lemony essence, and the chicken was so juicy! The avocado sauce was creamy and vibrant! The fresh veggies piled on there was the perfect balance between hot, cold, crunch, and that warm buttery brioche bun just really took it all over the top. This was so yummy!
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Where did the chicken burger come from?
Chicken sandwiches have been a thing since way back in 1937, but this was like a grilled chicken breast on a bun type of situation. The first true chicken burger appeared in 1946 in a Kansas City restaurant called “In-A-Burger,” and this was a fried chicken patty.
From there KFC, McDonald’s and other fast-food chains started experimenting with this idea, which eventually evolved into making the chicken patty similar to a burger patty using ground chicken and then grilling it! This idea really blew up and interested people because it gave that vibe of a burger, but it was made from chicken! There are lots of different varieties of these chicken burgers, in many different cuisines. We are still loving these all over the world today!
Did you know?
The word “burger” was originally referring to a type of sandwich, not necessarily the meat that was inside! That’s why chicken, salmon, turkey, and beef burgers are all referred to as such, because it’s all about the style of the sandwich.
In the 1980’s chicken burgers were more popular than beef for some time, because they were seen as leaner and lighter than a traditional beef burger! These were originally invented as a way to save on waste, as grinding the chicken up and making it into a patty was a cost effective and interesting way to make something new! This idea just stuck, people loved it. Pretty neat stuff!
What ingredients do I need to make this?
For the avocado sauce:
Avocado
Miracle Whip
Lime
Olive Oil
Salt
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper
For the California chicken burger:
Ground Chicken
Garlic
Egg
Lemon
Olive Oil
Dijon
Panko Breadcrumbs
Salt
Black Pepper
Cayenne
Onion Powder
Oregano
Parsley
For frying:
Olive Oil
For serving:
Brioche Buns
Butter
Onion
Vine Tomatoes
Artisan Lettuce
Parmesan
What equipment do I need?
- Grill Pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Meat Thermometer
- Spatula
- Silicone Brush
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Masher
- Chef Knife
- Cutting Board
- Juicer
- Zester
How do I make it?
To make the avocado sauce:
The first thing we need to do is preheat the oven to 350 F, then make the avocado sauce so we can get that chilling. First, wash the lime, then juice it. Next, peel, pit and add the avocado to a mixing bowl. Mash it up until creamy. I left mine a little bit chunky because I like it like that! Add the rest of the ingredients for the avocado sauce to the bowl, then stir to combine.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Next, let’s make the chicken burger patties.
To make the chicken burger patties:
Wash and dry the lemon, then juice and zest it into a large mixing bowl. Mince the garlic and parsley, then add that to the bowl along with all of the other ingredients for the chicken burgers.
Use your hands to mix and combine, but don’t overmix! Form into 4 patties and use your thumb to push a shallow indent in the middle of them. Set on a plate and refrigerate until ready to fry. This keeps them juicy! Next, let’s prep the rest of the ingredients.
Pro Tip: Pushing the indent into the middle of the patties stops them from puffing up and allows for more even cooking!
To prep the rest of the ingredients and toast the buns:
Wash the veggies for serving then thinly slice the tomatoes and slice the onion into thin rings. Shave some fresh parmesan off of a wedge, get the lettuce prepped, then set aside until ready to use. Butter the buns and toast those for a few minutes. Now, let’s fry up the chicken burgers!
To fry the burgers:
In a grill pan on medium high heat, add some of the olive oil for the chicken burgers, using the silicone brush to brush it all over the pan. Cook for a few minutes, then flip. Turn heat to medium and cook a few minutes more, brushing with more oil as they cook, flipping only once.
Pro Tip: Brushing the burgers with oil stops them from drying out, since chicken will do that pretty easily if you’re not careful!
Once burgers have reached an internal temperature of 165 F, they’re done! Remove to a plate and allow to rest for a few minutes.
To serve the California chicken burger:
Smear the avocado sauce on the top and bottom of the toasted brioche buns, then add the chicken burger patties. Pile on the lettuce, tomato, onion, and shaved parmesan. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over everything, then add the top bun.
Serve California chicken burger with fries, kettle chips, a side salad – whatever you like. Enjoy!
Tips:
- I used my grill pan for this recipe because the weather wasn’t super nice by me, but you can absolutely grill these! Just follow the same directions, adjusting the heat as needed so they don’t burn.
- It’s important to flip these only once, that way they stay juicy and thick!
- Use whatever toppings you like! You could use a pretzel bun too!
- These cooked chicken burgers will keep for 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I would not recommend making the patties ahead of time and refrigerating them though. Raw chicken needs to be cooked pretty quickly, especially when adding all of the fresh ingredients to the patties!
Looking for more light, flavorful sandwiches?
Looking for some side ideas? Check these out!
California Chicken Burger
Equipment
Ingredients
For the avocado sauce:
- 1 Ripe Avocado peeled, pitted, mashed
- Juice from Half Lime
- 2 tbsp Miracle Whip
- ½ tbsp Olive Oil
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- Pinch of Black Pepper
For the California chicken burger:
- 1 lb. Ground Chicken
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- Zest from One Small Lemon and Juice from Half
- 1 Egg
- ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Parsley minced
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Cayenne
For frying:
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
For serving:
- 4 Brioche Buns
- 4 Artisan Lettuce Leaves
- 2 Vine Tomatoes thinly sliced
- ¼ Yellow Onion thinly sliced into rings
- ¼ cup Parmesan freshly shaved
- 2 tbsp Butter softened, for the buns
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉, now let's make the avocado sauce!
To make the avocado sauce:
- Peel, pit, and add the avocado to a large mixing bowl.
- Mash it up until creamy or leave it a little chunky – that's how I like it!
- Add all other ingredients for the avocado sauce to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the chicken burger patties:
- Add all ingredients for the chicken burgers to a large bowl.
- Use your hands to mix and combine, but don't overmix!
- Form into 4 patties and use your thumb to push a shallow indent in the middle of them.
- Refrigerate until ready to fry. This keeps them juicy! Next, let's prep the rest of the ingredients.
To prep the rest of the ingredients and toast the buns:
- Prep the rest of the veggies and shave the parmesan for serving.
- Butter the buns and toast those for 3-4 minutes. Now, let's fry up the chicken burgers!
To fry the burgers:
- In a grill pan on medium high heat, add 1 tbsp of the olive oil for frying, using a silicone brush to brush it all over the grill pan.
- Cook the chicken burgers for 5 minutes, then flip.
- Turn to medium and cook 5-6 minutes more, brushing with another tbsp of oil as they cook, flipping only once.
- Once burgers have reached an internal temperature of 165℉, they're done!
- Remove to a plate and allow to rest for a few minutes.
To serve the California chicken burger:
- Smear the avocado sauce on the top and bottom of the toasted buns.
- Add the chicken burger patties to the bottoms.
- Pile on the lettuce, tomato, onion, and shaved parm.
- Sprinkle some salt and pepper over everything, then add the top bun.
- Serve California chicken burger with fries, kettle chips, a side salad – whatever you like. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
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This sounds like it would taste amazing on a lettuce wrap!
I’m sure it would!