These burgers were an early pandemic creation for me before I discovered grocery delivery and was limiting my grocery shops to once a month. I often ran out of ingredients and had to get super creative with what I had on hand. There was a solid two weeks last April that I didn’t have eggs, but I had some ground chicken in my freezer. Knowing that zucchinis add a great amount of moisture to baked goods, I thought to experiment with them as the binder. They turned out so well, and now are in regular rotation! I honestly like them better than chicken burgers made with the traditional egg and breadcrumb binder. I find they stay super moist and remind me of a smash burger texture. The Worcestershire sauce adds so much savouriness to the patties that they almost taste like a beef burger.
The mixture is pretty loose, which is typical of a chicken burger because there’s less fat to keep its shape when they are cold. Update: I’ve tried these on the BBQ and they hold together well! You just need to cook them on a high heat, similar to the pan method, so that a crust forms before flipping. Tips below.
A few tips:
Mix your binder/flavourings before adding in the ground chicken
Similar to my glazed chicken meatballs, I recommend mixing all your flavourings first then adding in your ground chicken so everything gets evenly distributed without over mixing the meat.
Put oil or water on your hands to shape
Since ground chicken can be a bit ‘sticky’, coating your palms with a little oil or wetting them with water will help prevent your hands from getting too sticky.
Cook on a high heat
To give them a good crust and help them keep their shape, I start them at a high heat and then turn it down to finish cooking through. If you have a cast iron, I would recommend using that with a good glug of oil but I have also made these in a non-stick!
For the BBQ, heat grill to high and brush grill with a high smoke point oil like vegetable or canola oil. Grill on high until a crust forms before flipping! This will ensure they don’t stick.
Do not disturb for the first few mins
In order for a good crust to form, you need to sear them hard in the oil and not move them around too much to start. Otherwise, you’ll have some mixture sticking to the pan / left behind!
Freeze for future you!
My friend tested out freezing these raw (wrapped in plastic wrap) and they held up well! Just let them thaw, and then cook as below.
Zuchinni Chicken Burgers
Time: 30 mins
Yields: 4 burgers
Ingredients:
1 cup grated zucchini, drain out excess liquid (either press down in a strainer or squeeze with a clean cloth or cheesecloth)
¼ white onion, grated
1 tsp Sriracha
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp kosher salt
Cracked black pepper
1 package ground chicken (450g)
1 tbsp neutral oil for pan - avocado or sunflower oil preferred for high heat, use lower heat with olive oil (you won’t get the same crust!)
Optional burger sauce:
1/2 cup mayo
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Sriracha
Method:
Mix together your grated zucchini, onion, Sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Once well combined, mix in your ground chicken.
Form into 4 equal patties.
Heat pan with oil over medium-high heat. (Alternatively, heat BBQ grill on high and brush grill with canola or vegetable oil).
Place patties in the pan (or on grill), ensuring space between them so they don’t steam.
Leave them undisturbed for 5-7 mins until a dark crust forms. Flip with confidence! One swift movement under and then flip!
Continue to cook on the other side for another 2 mins then turn down the heat to medium and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 165F (about 4 mins). Top with cheese slice if desired!
Serve on a bun with tomato, lettuce, burger sauce, and whatever else tickles your fancy!