Jalapeño cheddar chicken burgers with guacamole.

Folks, I’m doing you all a hugh favor by introducing you to these incredible burgers.  While I love all the recipes I post on this site, once in a while a recipe stands out from all the others and really needs some extra bragging about.  These burgers deserve all the attention I’m giving them.

First of all they are cooked outside on the grill,  and during the summer we want to make use of the grill as much as possible.  Secondly they’re made of chicken;  lean, low in fat, but moist and very flavorful.  Third,  they are very easy to make, but a few simple additions take them to a whole new level.  A burger is not always just a burger, this one is a burger in fancy clothes!

One of the additions we will be using to “dress” our burgers is Guacamole.  This just about guarantees that they will be awesome, but besides that there’s jalapeño pepper, cheddar cheese, and cilantro.  These could very easily replace the traditional beef burgers on my menus for the remainder of the summer months.  Give them a try and see if you don’t agree.

JALAPEÑO CHEDDAR CHICKEN BURGERS WITH GUACAMOLE

Yield:  serves 4 – 5

Ingredients:

• oil, for oiling the grill grates
• 1  1/2  lb. ground chicken
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 jalapeño, seeded, cored and minced  (adjust amount to your desired level of heat)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

To serve:

• Burger buns**
• Guacamole

Optional toppings:

• Salsa
• Sour Cream
• Minced fresh cilantro
• Sliced tomatoes

1.  Heat a grill to medium-high heat.  Oil the grates to prevent the burgers from sticking.  To make the burgers, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix lightly, just until evenly combined.  Form the mixture into 4-5 patties.

2.  Cook the burgers on the heated grill, about 3 – 4 minutes per side, flipping once.  A few minutes before the burgers are finished cooking, top with sliced or shredded cheddar cheese,  (if desired).  Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 160*F.  Remove the burgers to a plate and let rest a few minutes before serving.  Assemble with burger buns, guacamole, salsa, and minced cilantro as desired.

Fresh off the grill, ready to finish getting “dressed”.

Do we love these burgers? Oh, yeah!

**When you are making fancy pants burgers like these they really deserve to be served on a good quality bun.  It makes such a difference in the total enjoyment of what you have created.

P. S.   If you’re more into turkey burgers than chicken you could easily substitute ground turkey here and still have a fabulous burger!

SOURCE:  What’s Gabby Cooking?