With the 4th of July next week, you are probably knee-deep in menu planning for the festivities. And if you are like me, you may be looking at the typical fare served on our nation’s birthday and cringe, because there are not a lot of healthy options. Sure, there are salads and fruit salads. But unless you’re throwing some chicken on the grill (yawn) you don’t have much to choose from proteins.
Well, here is an option to use chicken, but in a flavorful and unique way that will have you join the other guests enjoying burgers. And don’t worry, these are not dry and tasteless, like most poultry-based burgers. Soy sauce, egg, and sesame oil keep things flavorful, moist, and happy. Get creative with toppings with this Asian infused burger. We had chili garlic sauce and sriracha mayo on hand for ours, but you can use a garlic aioli or avocado.
Have fun this week enjoying America’s birthday, and BE safe. PLEASE.
Now get your sunscreen and get to the GRILL!
Thai Ginger Chicken Burgers
Ingredients:
4 scallions, white parts only, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of chopped, peeled fresh ginger
1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 of plain dried breadcrumbs
1/3 cups of fat-free egg substitute
1/3 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon of grated lime zest
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1/4 teaspoons granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
1/3 cup or so of flour for dredging
Directions:
Using a food processor, with the motor running, add scallions and the ginger through the feed tube and process until finely minced. Stop the food processor, add the chicken, and pulse only until coarsely chopped. Be careful not to over-process this chicken, You don’t want a slurry.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in half a cup of breadcrumbs, the egg substitute, the cilantro, lime zest, salt, pepper, soy sauce, granulated garlic, and the sesame oil. Mix well.
Place flour on a plate and with damp hands form chicken mixture into 4 to 6 1″ thick patties. Dredge them in the flour on the plate, pressing gently to coat. Transfer patties to a plate or a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the patties, cover, and cook turning occasionally until a thermometer inserted registers about 165˚. This takes about 13 to 15 minutes flipping frequently to make sure both sides are browned nicely. I’ve also added a tablespoon or so of water halfway through to make sure the chicken patties don’t burn and things get cooked through. Chicken is low fat, which makes this recipe super healthy, but it doesn’t give you a lot of moisture for cooking evenly. A splash of water helps the process. Alternately, you can grill these babies until the thermometer inserted registers about 165˚.
Serve burgers on pretzel buns with some Sriracha mayo or chili garlic sauce, lettuce, onion, and tomato.
Photo How-To
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Flora is an award-winning creative director in Chicago turned food and lifestyle blogger extraordinaire. She is also author to the popular BEE NATIVE! gardening book series and various children's books that celebrate the wonder and hard work of bees and butterflies. Her blog and social spaces inspire thousands to create, learn, cook, grow, and craft, making their world lovelier one pixel/petal/seed/bite/stitch/brushstroke at a time. Follow her on all the social spaces, YouTube, and Amazon, and get creative!
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