Easy Ground Chicken Burgers

These tasty Ground Chicken Burgers are anything but boring! This simple 5 ingredient burger recipe is bursting with flavor and will quickly become a staple for easy weeknight meals.

If you’ve been following along with me for a while, you know I love whipping up a good healthy burger. Through much trial and error, I’ve picked up quite a few tricks to make the best juicy burger.

When working with lean meats like chicken breast and turkey, the key is to add moisture to prevent the burgers from becoming dry.

These easy ground chicken burgers are made with simple ingredients: ground chicken, Greek yogurt, Panko breadcrumbs, ranch seasoning, lemon juice, and lemon zest. 

All you have to do is form your patties, grill, or pan-fry the burgers for a few minutes on each side, and you'll have burger perfection. Layer onto a fresh brioche hamburger bun or lettuce wrap and pile on the toppings. We love adding juicy tomatoes, red onions, Dijon mustard, sharp cheddar cheese, and plenty of pickles.

Make some homemade baked potato chips, zucchini fries, potato wedges, or baked onion rings on the side and you have a healthy dinner everyone will love.

Whether you’re serving them up for your next family dinner, game day party, or backyard barbecue, these juicy and flavorful chicken burgers are bound to be a hit!

Burgers lovers shouldn't miss these Fish Burgers, Greek Turkey Burgers, or Black Bean Burgers.

Key Ingredients

To make these easy ground chicken burgers, you’ll need the following key ingredients:

• Ground chicken: If you don’t have ground chicken or want to try something else, feel free to swap it out for ground turkey, ground pork, or ground beef. You can use ground chicken breast or a mix of ground breasts and thighs for juicier burgers.
• Panko breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs are essential for holding the burger mixture together and keeping the burgers light, airy, and juicy. I prefer to use Panko breadcrumbs, but regular breadcrumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs work well too.
• Greek yogurt: This is my secret weapon for achieving extra moist and flavorful burgers. Greek yogurt also adds an extra dose of protein! You could swap in an egg, plain yogurt, or mayo, but the texture will be slightly different.
• Ranch seasoning: You can use a store-bought blend, but I prefer using this homemade ranch seasoning recipe. It tastes just as good and doesn’t contain the unnecessary additives often found in store-bought spice blends. Or swap in your favorite burger seasoing. We love using garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, salt, and a touch of chili powder.
• Extras: There are so many ways to change up the flavor of these burgers. Add diced red onions, green onions, or fresh herbs. Add a squeeze of Dijon mustard. Add some shredded Parmesan cheese, crumbled goat cheese, or shredded cheddar cheese. 

How to Make Ground Chicken Burger Patties

With just five ingredients, these burgers can be assembled in less than 20 minutes, making them the ultimate easy weeknight dinner.

1. Make the chicken patties

Grab a large bowl and combine the ground chicken, Panko bread crumbs, Greek yogurt, ranch seasoning, and lemon zest. Use your hands or a spoon to mix until it is just mixed together. Try not to overmix or the chicken can get tough.

Divide the mixture and form into equal patties, creating a little depression in the top of each burger to help them cook evenly. If you have time, place the burgers in the fridge for 15-30 minutes on wax paper before cooking.

2. Cook: Grill, Pan Fry, or Air Fry

These healthy ground chicken burgers can be cooked outside on the grill, in a hot skillet, or right in the air fryer.

• Grill: Preheat the grill (or a grill pan) over medium high heat. Once hot, cook the patties for 4-5 minutes per side until dark grill marks have formed and the burger patty easily releases from the grill grates.
• Skillet: Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the burger patty and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy. Flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes until fully cooked. Let rest.
• Air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Place the burger patties in a single layer and cook for 8-10 minutes until cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Burger Tips & Tricks

Here are some of my top tips and tricks to help you get juicy and flavorful burgers every time:

• Play around with flavors. Feel free to switch up the seasonings based on what you’re in the mood for. You can go the Mediterranean route by adding some oregano and fresh parsley or dill. You could also keep it simple with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Make things spicy with some taco seasoning or chili powder. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
• Change up your protein. If you don’t have any ground chicken or simply want to switch things up, feel free to swap it out for something else. Ground turkey and ground beef are both great options.
• Chill the patties. If you have the time, I recommend refrigerating the patties for 20-30 minutes before cooking them. This helps give the flavors time to marinate, creating an extra flavorful final dish.
• Add cheese. Try adding some grated cheese to the mixture to get even more flavor in each bite. Parmesan, cheddar, and feta all work great.
• Avoid overcooking the patties. It’s not hard to overcook ground chicken and end up with dry, rubbery patties. To prevent this, cook them at medium-high heat evenly for 4-5 minutes per side for the perfect patty. The juices should run clear to ensure the patty is fully cooked. An instant read thermometer should read 165 degrees. 

Best Burger Topping Ideas

Serving this burger with some lettuce, tomato, and red onions has to be one of my combinations. This classic combo really lets the flavors of the burger shine through. But why stop there? There are plenty of out-of-the-box combinations that you can try out.

Here are some of my favorite burger topping ideas:

• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Jalapeno slices
• Tzatziki
• Fresh avocado
• Sliced cheese
• Mayonnaise or ketchup
• Hot sauce or barbecue sauce
• Pickled red onions
• Fried egg
• Honey mustard
• Sauteed mushrooms
• Caramelized onions
• Thousand Island dressing

How to Store Burgers

Whether you end up with some extra patties or just want to meal prep for the week ahead of time, this recipe is a fantastic choice. All you need to do is cook the burgers, let them cool and then lay them in a single layer in an airtight container.

If you choose to freeze your burgers, I recommend wrapping them individually in saran wrap or separating them with parchment or wax paper first. This allows you to easily pull one at a time out as needed.

When you’re ready, you can store cooked chicken burgers in one of two ways:

• In the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
• In the freezer for up to 3-4 months.