These healthy spicy chicken burgers are easy to make, perfectly juicy, and packed with so much flavor! Add your favorite toppings, bun, or protein-style with a lettuce wrap.
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Why You'll Love This Spicy Chicken Burger Recipe
These juicy spicy chicken burgers are baked to perfection, made with sauteed onion, garlic, and jalapeno, and packed with plenty of spice and flavor. Similar to my spinach and feta turkey burgers, these spicy burgers are great for meal prep or an easy dinner throughout the week. Here are some more reasons why you will love this spicy chicken burger recipe:
- Healthy high-protein meal with no panko breadcrumbs. This chicken burger recipe is naturally gluten-free and made with no bread crumbs. It's leaner than a traditional beef burger, and if you want to keep it low-carb, use lettuce wraps instead of buns.
- This easy recipe is great for meal prep. You get four single patties that you can divide for lunches or dinners throughout the week, and you can easily double or triple the recipe for more servings.
- Made with fresh and simple ingredients. These flavorful chicken burgers are made with simple ingredients the whole family will love!
Spicy Chicken Burger Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make these delicious spicy chicken burgers.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Chicken: Here we use one pound of ground chicken, 93% lean.
- Olive Oil: A splash of olive oil helps soften the vegetables when sauteeing, and gives the burgers a softer texture.
- Aromatics: A combination of red onion, jalapeno, and garlic adds flavor and texture to the chicken burgers. The fresh parsley adds an herbaceous clean taste with a pop of color.
- Spices: A mix of smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, ground cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper gives these burgers the perfect amount of spice and flavor.
Find the printable recipe card with full instructions and measurements below.
How To Make Spicy Chicken Burgers
- Step 1: Sauté the vegetables: In a medium-sized skillet on medium-high heat, add the olive oil, diced red onion, and jalapeno. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until softened. Turn off the heat. Transfer the veggies to a large mixing bowl with the ground chicken, minced garlic, fresh parsley, smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, ground cayenne, salt, and black pepper.
- Step 2: Mix everything. Stir the chicken mixture together until combined.
- Step 3: Form burger patties and chill. Divide the mixture evenly and form 4 large patties (around 115-120 grams weighed on a food scale). Round out the patties with your hands and slightly flatten the burgers. Place the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet and into the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes.
- Step 4: Cook the patties. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the patties from the fridge and place the baking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to determine doneness. The internal temperature should read 165°F. Assemble them into chicken burgers with your favorite toppings and condiments!
Serving Ideas
These healthy chicken burgers can be assembled with a toasted bun or made protein-style with a lettuce wrap. Add your favorite condiments to the top of the burger, such as melted pepper jack cheese, sliced tomato, and red onion. We love serving these spicy chicken burgers with the following sides:
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Stone Fruit Salad
- Roasted Delicata Squash
- Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze
- Baked Muraski Sweet Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Arugula Parmesan Salad (Rocket Salad)
Expert Tips
- Use a meat thermometer: To guarantee your chicken burgers are fully cooked, I recommend using a meat thermometer. You want the burgers to be cooked at 165°F.
- Topping ideas: There are so many condiment options for these flavorful burgers including crispy bacon, lettuce, fresh tomato, cheese slices, thinly sliced red onion, sriracha sauce, ketchup, mustard, red hot sauce, BBQ sauce, or spicy mayo.
- Use 93% lean ground chicken: A mix of white and dark meat will help ensure the patties are not dry when cooked.
- Grill the patties: For the grill, cook on medium to high heat, until no longer pink in the center. About 5-6 minutes per side with an internal temperature should be 165ºF.
- Cook the patties in a skillet: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the patties for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should be 165ºF.
Storage Instructions
- Storage: Cooked leftover patties will last for 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Freeze the patties for later: Let the patties cool to room temperature, then freeze the cooked patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Transfer the frozen chicken burgers to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container with parchment paper in between. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: You can reheat these burgers in the microwave or air-fryer until warm.
FAQ
Yes, these chicken burgers can easily be made in a skillet or on the grill. For the grill, cook on medium to high heat, until no longer pink in the center. About 5-6 minutes per side with an internal temperature reading 165ºF. Be sure your grill is oiled to prevent sticking.
To cook in a skillet, bring a large skillet to medium heat with two tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the patties for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should be 165ºF.
Yes, if you can not find ground chicken you can use ground turkey instead.
If you want to pre-make raw chicken burgers, you can do so a day in advance and store them in the fridge. Just add parchment paper between each patty and layer them on top of one another before storing them in an airtight container.
More Recipe's You'll Love
I hope you love this spicy chicken burger recipe as much as I do! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.
Recipe
Spicy Chicken Burger
Ingredients
- 1 pound 93% lean ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup diced red onion, finely diced
- 1 large jalapeno, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the baking sheet. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Sauté the vegetables: In a medium-sized skillet on medium-high heat, add the olive oil, diced red onion, and jalapeno. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until softened. Turn off the heat.
- Mix everything. Transfer the veggies to a large mixing bowl with the ground chicken, minced garlic, fresh parsley, smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, ground cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Stir the chicken mixture together until combined.
- Form chicken burger patties and chill. Divide the mixture evenly and form 4 large patties (around 115-120 grams weighed on a food scale). Round out the patties with your hands and slightly flatten the burgers. Place the patties on the parchment-lined baking sheet and into the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes.
- Cook the patties. Preheat the oven to 350°F while the patties are in the refrigerator. After 20 minutes, remove the patties from the fridge and place the baking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the burgers reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to determine doneness.
- Assemble and serve. Add your favorite toppings and condiments!
Notes
- Grill the patties: For the grill, cook on medium to high heat, until no longer pink in the center. About 5-6 minutes per side with an internal temperature should be 165ºF.
- Cook the patties in a skillet: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the patties for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should be 165ºF.
Kenny says
I love these healthy burgers. Juicy and with just enough spice.