Name: Chili Lime Chicken Burgers (gluten free, paleo, and whole30)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 burgers
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**

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Chili Lime Chicken Burgers on a bed of lettuce

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?

Chili Lime Chicken Burgers on white plate with sweet potato fries

Chili Lime Chicken Burgers with lettuce, onions, and fries

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.

close up of Chili Lime Chicken Burger with avocado on top

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.

Chili Lime Chicken Burgers and sweet potato fries on white plate

close up of chicken burger with avocado on top

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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