Cheddar Chicken Burgers
At least once weekly we eat chicken burgers. One of pound (464 grams) of ground chicken goes into a bowl, along with salt, pepper, and a minced garlic clove.
From there the spicing varies, depending on my mood and whatever’s in the fridge. I might add a squeeze of lemon or lime with some minced fresh cilantro. Or maybe some crushed coriander seed, cumin, and a pinch of hot red pepper flakes. I usually toss in handful of panko, too.
The chicken is then molded into palm-sized patties, placed on a foil-lined baking tray, and baked for about ten minutes. The burgers are usually served with a platter of naked greens, a stack of tortillas, and various condiments. These include mustard, catsup, mayonnaise, and hot sauce. I recently discovered shatta, a Middle Eastern hot sauce made from red peppers and vinegar. It’s blastingly hot and marvelously delicious and I’ve singlehandedly demolished half the jar in a very brief timespan.
We never tire of this dinner.
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So it was I began making my usual chicken burger dinner last week. It was raining in California. Perhaps you heard about it.
Taken last Tuesday, the first day we saw sun since December 26th of last year.
Earlier in the day I’d dashed out to the corner store, where I bought the cherry tomatoes pictured below.
Not exactly summer’s bounty. A half-hour in the oven coaxed them into edibility.
Over the holidays a relative gifted us some cheddar cheese. I decided to top the burgers with a few slices. As culinary decisions go, adding cheese to a chicken burger won’t get Yotam Ottolenghi on the line. I realize that. Then again, on a chilly, rainy Wednesday night, it was pretty good.
A few notes…
Sharp cheese is a must here, as it counters the chicken’s inherent blandess. The chicken is best baked, using a silicon mat or foil-covered baking tray. Baking allows the cheese to ooze freely, creating crisp bits without nightmarish cleanup. And ooze is desirable here; don’t fret if some of the cheese slides off the burgers onto the baking tray. This only creates more deliciousness for you, the diner.
Not a lovely photo. Yes, that is a bit of renegade onion on the far right. Good thing this isn’t a classroom photo critque. May I call your attention to the cheese? That’s the important part of this photograph, as it depicts ooze, the star of the show.
The cheese should be added at the beginning of cooking. Chicken cooks rapidly, and if you wait to add the cheese, it may not have enough time to melt.
Pre-ooze.
Most of the time I use ground chicken for my cheddar chicken burgers, but I’ve also made cheddar chicken burgers using boneless, skinless thighs and breasts, ground in the food processor. The chicken may also be chopped with a large knife or cleaver.
Seasoning the chicken is up to you. Fresh cilantro and parsley went into this batch, along with ground pomegranate, chaat masala, and a minced garlic clove.
Other seasoning considerations include fresh or dried thyme, a little rosemary, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Dried spices like coriander and fennel seed also make delicious additions.
Breadcrumbs add texture to the final burger. Make your own or use panko.
Chicken burgers may be formed into whatever size you wish. I usually make them about three inches/eight cm across.
I adore roasted onions, but Mr. IK does not. A few slices were placed at the baking sheet’s edge, where they could not contaminate the chicken burgers. The onion photographs were all lousy, so please enjoy this photograph of blood oranges instead.
Cheddar Chicken Burgers may be served numerous ways. There’s the salady option noted above. You can also serve cheddar chicken burgers with rice, couscous, or beans. Orzo is another option. Lettuce may be used for wraps instead of bread. Whatever you do, once the burgers are done cooking, allow the baking sheet to cool completely, then remove any remaining cheese. Share amongst diners or eat it all yourself.
Cheddar Chicken Burgers
Please read notes, below, before cooking.
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes, depending on the cut of chicken used
Serves: 1 pound/454 grams feeds two modest eaters dinner with enough leftover for one lunch. Easily scaled up or down.
You will need a large bowl, a baking sheet, and either tinfoil or a silicone baking mat to prepare cheddar chicken burgers
1 pound/454 grams ground chicken
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs: I use panko
1 teaspoon Chaat masala
1 teaspoon ground pomegranate seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium garlic clove, peeled and minced
roughly 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped
roughly 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
sharp Cheddar cheese, sliced
A few slices of onion (optional)
I’ve posted a recipe for roasting cherry tomatoes elsewhere, but that was for long term preservation. Here is quick refresher:
I had about 4 ounces/60 grams cherry tomatoes. Any amount is fine. You’ll also need salt and olive oil.
Preheat oven to 325/160F
Wash and halve your tomatoes. Place on a foil-lined baking tray. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes. Salt lightly.
Place tray in oven. Bake for 30-90 minutes. This is a wide range, but baking time depends on your oven and how dried out you want your tomatoes.
Tomatoes may be baked well ahead; they’ll keep in a covered container, refrigerated, for a week.
To make the cheddar chicken burgers:
Preheat the oven to 325F/160C
Cover a large baking sheet with foil or a silicone baking liner.
Place chicken and seasonings in a large bowl and mix lightly. Do not overhandle, or the burgers will be tough.
Form chicken mixture into patties; the size is up to you. I make palm-sized burgers, and usually get 9-10 out this amount.
Lay the patties on the baking sheet. Slice the cheese, and place the slices atop the burgers.
If you are cooking onion with the chicken burgers, add it to the baking tray. If you live with onion haters, as I do, park the onion in a corner.
Place tray in oven and cook burgers for 10-12 minutes. Chicken burgers are done when juices run clean and meat is a dull beige color throughout. I usually designate one burger as a tester and slice it in half. If meat appears pinkish, put it back in the oven.
Move chicken burgers off the tray to individual plates or platter.
Allow baking tray to cool completely before removing any cheese that has melted onto the foil. Once cool, it will be easy to remove. Eat it all yourself, in the kitchen, or be generous and share amongst diners.
Serve cheddar chicken burgers with roasted tomato, lettuce, onion (roasted or not), and pickles. We like burgers with tortillas, but any flatbread would work. So would buns. Mustard, catsup, mayonnaise, and hot sauce are tasty accompaniments to cheddar chicken burgers.
Cheddar chicken burgers keep, refrigerated, up to five days and may be frozen, well-wrapped, up to three months.
Notes:
As noted in the post, the seasoning is up to you. Fresh herbs are always delicious. Sumac, ginger, scallions, and finely minced water chestnuts are all good (though not with cheese). The possibilities are endless.
I did not measure the cheese. Once I’d formed the patties, I cut pieces off the block.
Chicken cheddar burgers may be broiled, pan fried, or baked in a toaster oven.
