Chicken Burger with Parmesan

Chicken burgers get a bad rap for being dry and boring, but with the right technique and ingredients, a poultry patty can hold its own against its beefy brethren. After some trial and error, we’ve created a juicy chicken burger that’s packed with flavour, thanks to Parmesan cheese, some fresh parsley and a few smart techniques. A few minutes in a hot skillet makes them golden and crisp on the outside and tender and juicy inside. They’re perfect for kids, great for cookouts and the topping possibilities are endless. Here’s how to do it.

½ oz Parmesan cheese
¼ medium red onion
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
¾ cup panko or fine, dry breadcrumbs
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 lb ground chicken
½ tsp. sea salt, divided
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 slices cheese, such as provolone or cheddar
4 split hamburger buns

To Serve:
lettuce leaves
sliced tomato
mashed or sliced avocado
thinly sliced red onion

Prepare the following, transferring to a large bowl: Grate ½ oz Parmesan cheese on the small holes of a box grater until you have lightly packed ¼ cup. Grate ¼ medium red onion on the large holes of a box grater until you have 2 Tbsp. Finely chop ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves.

Mix the Panade:
Add ¾ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, ½ tsp. garlic powder and ¼ tsp. black pepper, then mix with a silicone spatula until combined.

Mix in the chicken by hand:
Add 1 lb ground chicken and use your fingertips to gently combine. Do not overmix.

Form into Patties:
Divide the mixture into 4 (6 oz) portions. Form each into a patty that’s about ¾” thick and 4” wide. Place on a plate or baking sheet.

Cover the patties with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Season the top of the patties with ¼ tsp. of the sea salt.

Cook the Chicken Patties:
Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the burgers salt side down (cook in 2 batches if needed so as not to crowd the pan). Season with the remaining ¼ tsp. sea salt and cook undisturbed until a golden-brown crust forms on the bottom, about 6 minutes.

Flip the burgers with a thin, flat spatula.

Top each burger with 1 slice of cheese, if desired. Cook until the burgers are cooked through and register an internal temperature of 160°F, 5-6 minutes more.

Assembly:
Assemble the burgers on hamburger buns with desired toppings such as lettuce leaves, sliced tomato, mashed or sliced avocado and thinly sliced red onion.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook’s Notes:

• Make-Ahead: The uncooked burger patties can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.
• Storage: Refrigerate leftover patties, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days.
• Grilling Instructions: Grill over medium-high heat until cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. The burgers should reach an internal temperature of 160°F.

The Key to Perfectly Juicy Chicken Burgers That Don’t Fall Apart:
The trick to serving the juiciest chicken burgers is a seasoned panade. A panade is a mixture of breadcrumbs and a liquid - usually milk, buttermilk, or yogurt. Here, we use mayonnaise as our liquid to add richness and keep the burger juicy. Mix the panade together thoroughly before adding the ground chicken. Use your fingertips to combine the ground chicken and panade to avoid over-working the meat.

To give the panade time to lock the moisture inside the burgers, you’ll shape the patties in advance and chill them for at least an hour. Chilling also firms up the patties, which makes them easier to handle and prevents them from breaking when flipped.

What’s the Best Chicken for Chicken Burgers? You’ll want to choose ground chicken (a mixture of light and dark meats) or ground dark meat chicken (if available) to make a chicken burger you really want to eat. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts may be a staple on your shopping list, but ground chicken breast does not contain enough fat to keep the meat from turning tough and dry. Most grocers carry ground chicken and will gladly grind chicken thighs if you prefer 100% dark meat.

The Best Toppings for Chicken Burgers: The patty is the star of this sandwich, so keep the toppings classic. I like to top each one with either provolone, cheddar, or another mild-flavoured cheese, then serve on soft buns topped with red onion rings, crisp lettuce leaves and ripe tomato. A few slices of avocado add a creamy contrast to the crispy seared burger.