Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Onions
A delicious way to elevate a regular chicken burger. This recipe will forever become your go-to recipe when dealing with ground chicken. I use this same recipe for chicken meatballs!
Ground chicken is easy to over cook resulting in a dry and often flavorless meat. My secret to perfectly moist and insanely well flavored chicken burgers is ricotta cheese. An unconventional ingredient to add! However, it makes such a difference to the texture and moisture of the chicken patty.
The caramelized onions are the most beautiful addition to the chicken burgers as they compliment the dish beautifully. If that’s not good enough, I top these chicken burgers with Gruyere cheese…need I say more?
Let’s get right to it.
How I made these Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Onions:
For the caramelized onions:
In a large frying pan, melt the butter and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
When the butter has melted, add the onions.
Season generously with salt and pepper. Start stirring the onions so they get evenly coated in the butter and oil.
Simmer the onions on high for 7-10 minutes until they have sweated plenty and they start browning.
At this point the onions are softer and starting to turn color, in some parts they might even look as if they will start burning.
Add the white wine and sugar. Combine well.
Lower the heat to medium low and cover with a lid.
Cook the onions for 10 more minutes until the onions are soft, brown and perfectly caramelized. Stir occasionally during these 10 minutes of cooking.
Once the onions are so soft, you can almost use them as a spread, remove them from the heat and set aside.
For the chicken burgers:
Preheat the oven to 375º. In a medium sized bowl, add the breadcrumbs, dried sage, garlic powder, egg, the ricotta cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Add the ground chicken and combine well with the breadcrumb mixture.
Tip! By mixing the bread crumbs, ricotta and spices separately from the chicken, it allows it all to become evenly distributed for when the chicken has to be added.
In a large oven-proof frying pan, add extra virgin olive oil, enough to almost coat the bottom of the pan, like 3-4 tablespoons.
When the oil has heated, scoop out the chicken mixture into patties.
Sear each patty for 2-3 minutes per side.
Once the burgers are seared, bake them in the preheated oven for 7 minutes.
Tip! If you do not have an oven proof frying pan, just place the chicken patties on a baking sheet.
While the burgers are still baking, add the slices of cheese (2 per burger) and bake for 3 more minutes until the cheese is melted and oozing all over the burgers.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven and let the burgers sit for 3-5 minutes before serving.
How to serve these Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Onions:
Prepare the burger buns to your preference, toasted, warm or room temperature.
Spread mayonnaise on the buns if that is something you enjoy.
Place the patty on the bottom bun and scoop a hefty portion of the onions on top of the cheese covered patty, about 2-3 tablespoons of onions.
Add arugula or your choice of greens and ENJOY!
Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Onions
Equipment
- 1 large pan with lid
- 1 large oven proof frying pan
Ingredients
For the caramelized onios:
- 2 large onions sliced very thin Vidalia are the best
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine pinot grigio works well
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
For the burgers:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 extra large egg
- 1/2 tablespoon dry sage
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the onions:
- In a large frying pan, melt the butter and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- When the pan is hot add the onions.
- Season the onions generously with salt and pepper.
- Start stirring the onions so they get evenly coated in the butter and oil. Simmer them on high for 7-10 minutes until they have sweated plenty and they start browning.
- Add the white wine and sugar. Combine well.
- Lower the heat to medium low and cover with a lid.
- Cook the onions for 10 more minutes until the onions are soft, brown and perfectly caramelized.
- Set aside.
For the chicken burgers:
- Preheat the oven to 375º.
- In a medium sized bowl, add the breadcrumbs, dried sage, garlic powder, egg, the ricotta cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Add the ground chicken and combine well with the breadcrumb mixture.
- In a large oven proof frying pan, add extra virgin olive oil, enough to almost coat the bottom of the pan.
- When the oil has heated, scoop out the chicken mixture into patties.
- Sear each patty for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Once the burgers are seared, bake them in the preheated oven for 7 minutes.
- While the burgers are still in the oven, add the slices of cheese (2 per burger) and bake for 3 more minutes until the cheese is melted and oozing all over the burgers.
- Carefully remove the pan from the oven and let the burgers sit for 3-5 minutes before serving.
- Prepare the burger buns to your preference, toasted, warm or room temperature. Spread mayonnaise on the buns if that is something you enjoy. Place the patty on the bottom bun and scoop a hefty portion of the onions on top of the cheese covered patty, about 2-3 tablespoons of onions. Add arugula or your choice of greens and ENJOY!