Chicken
$1.65per plate
Prep
10 min
Chicken · Ground Chicken
Ground Chicken Burgers
Ground chicken burgers are the leaner, cheaper answer to burger night, and they feed four for about $1.41 a plate. Chicken is much leaner than beef, so the trick is a little breadcrumb and an egg to bind the patty and keep it juicy instead of dry and crumbly. Season it well, cook it gently in a skillet to 165 F, melt a slice of cheese over the top, and stack it on a toasted bun with whatever fixings you like. It is a real chicken burger recipe, not a technique lesson: mix, shape, cook, and stack, all in about twenty minutes.
$1.41per plate
Estimated recipe total
$5.63 · serves 4
Cook
12 min
Total
22 min
Serves
4
1 How to make it
1
Mix the patty
In a bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, and the garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix with a fork just until it comes together; overworking lean chicken makes a dense, tough burger. The breadcrumb and egg are what let a soft, wet mix hold a patty shape.
2
Shape four patties
With damp hands, divide the mix into four and pat each into a patty a little wider than your buns, since chicken shrinks less but firms up as it cooks. Press a shallow dimple into the center of each so they cook flat instead of puffing into a dome.
3
Cook gently to 165 F
Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium; lean chicken needs a little fat and a moderate pan so it browns without drying out. Cook the patties 5 to 6 minutes per side, without pressing them, until golden and cooked through to 165 F on an instant-read thermometer.
4
Melt the cheese and build
Lay a slice of cheese on each patty in the last minute so it melts, and toast the buns cut-side down in the same pan. Stack the burgers on the buns with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, or whatever you like, and serve right away.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Ground turkey for chicken. Ground turkey is just as lean and makes the same juicy burger, swapping in one for one. Keep the breadcrumb and egg binder so the patty holds together.
- Crushed crackers or panko for breadcrumbs. Any dry crumb binds the patty. Panko keeps it a little lighter; crushed crackers or quick oats work with whatever is in the pantry.
- Add cheese or seasonings into the mix. Mix a handful of shredded cheese, a spoon of grated onion, or a shake of Italian or Cajun seasoning right into the chicken for more flavor in every bite.
- Make sliders or a lettuce-wrap burger. Form six small patties for sliders on dinner rolls, or skip the bun and serve the patty in a lettuce wrap with the same toppings for a lighter, even cheaper plate.
3 Budget tips
- Ground chicken is usually cheaper than ground beef and makes a burger just as satisfying, so this is one of the lowest-cost ways to do burger night for the family.
- A half cup of breadcrumbs and one egg stretch a single pound of chicken into four full patties and keep them juicy, which is cheaper than buying more meat.
- Buy the buns and cheese on sale and freeze extras. The seasoned patties also freeze raw between squares of parchment, ready to cook straight from the freezer.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate cooked patties in an airtight container for up to 4 days, buns and toppings kept separate. They reheat well for a fast lunch on a fresh bun or chopped over a salad.
Freezer
Freeze the raw seasoned patties between squares of parchment for up to 3 months, or freeze cooked ones to reheat. Cook from frozen over slightly lower heat so the middle reaches 165 F.
Reheating
Reheat cooked patties in a covered skillet over medium-low or in the microwave in short bursts until hot through, adding the cheese fresh. Toast the bun so it does not go soggy.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
390
Protein
28g
Fat
15g
Carbs
33g
Estimates per burger with a bun and cheese, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
How do you keep ground chicken burgers from falling apart?
Lean ground chicken is wet and soft, so it needs a binder. The breadcrumb soaks up moisture and the egg holds it together, which lets the patty keep its shape in the pan. Shape the patties with damp hands and flip them only once so they do not break.
How long do you cook chicken burgers and to what temperature?
About 5 to 6 minutes per side in a moderate skillet, until they reach 165 F on an instant-read thermometer. Chicken must hit 165 F to be safe, unlike beef, so use a thermometer rather than guessing, and do not press the patties or you squeeze the juices out.
Why are my chicken burgers dry?
Usually overcooking or skipping the fat. Chicken has little fat of its own, so cook the patties in a lightly oiled pan, pull them the moment they hit 165 F, and keep the breadcrumb and egg binder, which trap moisture inside the patty.
How is the price per plate figured?
About $5.63 for a pound of ground chicken, the breadcrumb and egg binder, seasoning, four buns, and cheese, split across four burgers, which comes to roughly $1.41 each. Ground chicken and store-brand buns are what keep it cheap.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
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- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
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