Tex-Mex Chicken Burger Recipe

This post has been sponsored by Maple Leaf Prime.

As much as I love beef burgers, every once in a while it's nice to change things up. Chicken burgers are a great lower-fat alternative and they can be just as tasty as beef burgers. In this recipe I've added spices and chopped jalapeños to give this burger some Tex-Mex flavour. I've also added a small onion to help keep the patties moist.

These burgers aren't very spicy, so if you want more kick to your burger you can either increase the amount of jalapeños or leave the membrane intact (that's where the heat is).

Maple Leaf Prime's Naturally Extra Lean Ground Chicken is great for burgers because it's flavourful, but doesn't have a ton of fat. Of course, you can use any kind of ground chicken in this recipe, I just happen to like the Maple Leaf Prime brand.

This Tex-Mex Chicken Burger recipe is very straightforward, and you can adapt it to suit your preferences. Feel free to play around with the level of heat, or add your own Tex-Mex spice blend.

Oh, and I want you to know that I cooked these burgers indoors on a George Foreman grill. This is important to note because this grill cooks the burger patties from the top and bottom at the same time. I like using my George Foreman grill when it's super hot outside, because it doesn't give off as much heat as my BBQ pit.

If you want to grill these burgers on your BBQ, be sure to increase the cooking time (see the note in the recipe). You need to cook these burger patties until they are well done, because you never want to consume undercooked chicken!

I've included some handy BBQ safety tips from Health Canada below the recipe, so be sure to check those out.

Tex-Mex Chicken Burgers

Chicken burgers are a healthy alternative to traditional beef burgers.

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Created By: Shareba

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PREPARATION TIME 30 mins

COOK TIME 15 mins

TOTAL TIME 45 mins

SERVINGS 6

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Maple Leaf Prime Naturally® Extra Lean Ground Chicken
• ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 1 small onion, grated
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds & membrane removed
• ¾ teaspoon roasted cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoon grapeseed oil

Instructions 

• Preheat grill to medium-high heat
• Place meat in a large mixing bowl
• Add breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, jalapeno, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, lime juice, oil
• Mix ingredients together with hands to combine
• Divide mixture into 6 balls, flatten into patties
• Spray grill with cooking spray or grease with oil on a cloth
• Place 2 patties on grill. Cook 3-4 minutes* or until well done then set aside. Repeat with the remaining burger patties.
• Allow burgers to rest 3-5 minutes before topping with desired garnish

Notes

*Note: I cooked these burgers on a George Foreman Grill, which has heat on the top and bottom. You may need to increase cooking time to 5-6 minutes if using a traditional BBQ grill, making sure to flip the burgers halfway through the cooking time.

Please read the blog post for detailed tips and explanations.

Nutrition Disclaimer: please note that the nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate, and has been calculated using a plugin.

Have you made this recipe?Please leave a review in the comments below!

Food safety tips for barbecue season from Health Canada

As you head out to the grill, remember that eating undercooked meat or foods that have come into contact with raw meat can result in food poisoning (a.k.a. foodborne illness) caused by bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter. 

It is estimated that approximately 1 in 8 people will get sick from foodborne illness every year in Canada. Many of these cases could be prevented by following proper food handling and preparation techniques. 

What you should do 

You can help lower your risk of foodborne illness by handling and cooking raw meat carefully. Here are some important safety tips to follow: 

Storing 

• Raw meat should always be stored in a refrigerator or cooler at 4ºC (40ºF) or below.
• If you are storing raw meat in a cooler, make sure that it is packed with ice and that it stays out of direct sunlight. Avoid opening the cooler too often.
• Ensure that packaged meats are well sealed and are placed at the bottom of your refrigerator or cooler, so their juices don’t come in contact with other food products, thus avoiding cross-contamination. 

Cleaning 

• Remember to wash your hands, cutting boards, countertops, knives and other utensils carefully with soap and warm water before and after handling raw meat or other raw foods. This helps avoid cross-contamination and prevents the spread of foodborne illness. 

Grilling 

• Colour alone is not a reliable indicator that meat is safe to eat. Meat may turn brown before dangerous bacteria that may be present, are killed. Use a digital food thermometer to be sure your meat has reached a safe internal temperature.
• To check the temperature of meat that you are cooking on the barbecue, take it off the grill and insert a digital food thermometer through the thickest part of the meat. 
• If you are cooking a beef hamburger, take the patty from the grill and insert a digital food thermometer through its side, all the way to the middle. 
• If you are cooking more than one patty, or several pieces of meat, be sure to check the temperature of each piece. 
• Use clean utensils and plates when removing cooked meats from the grill. 
• Remember to wash the thermometer in hot, soapy water between every temperature reading (including between every piece of meat or patty checked). 
• Always remember to keep hot food hot until it is ready to serve. 

Follow this guide to make sure that the food you are cooking has reached a safe internal temperature.   

For more food safety tips for barbecuing, click here.

To learn more about Maple Leaf Prime products, visit MapleLeafPrime.ca

Disclosure:
This post has been sponsored by Maple Leaf Prime.
All opinions are my own.