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 (gluten free, paleo, whole30) | www.savorylotus.com

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?

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.

Chili Lime Chicken Burgers (gluten free, paleo, whole30)in grill pan

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.

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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