I’m on a burger bender. I even hauled the grill back outside. I should never have put it away—winter can’t stop me.
And these burgers have all the flavors I love about chicken Parmesan, with only a fraction of the fat and calories. I season lean ground chicken breast with basil, oregano, and boost the juiciness and size of the patties with the addition of sautéed onion, sweet red pepper, and garlic.
Once grilled, I smother a charred patty in tomato sauce, melt some mozzarella cheese on top, and tuck it between two slices of toasted Italian bread to give it the full effect of chicken Parm. I swear this might be the best way to sneak leaner poultry, like ground turkey or ground chicken, into the diet of picky eaters who only want beef. They won’t miss a single thing and neither will you!
Double the recipe for the chicken patties and freeze half so you can save yourself some prep time later! Even if you choose not to top the patties with marinara and cheese, these are so packed with flavor and moisture that they’ll become a staple no matter what you’re toppings are!
So…winter barbecue, anyone?
Chicken Parmesan Burgers
Ingredients
For the burgers:
- 1 pound 93% lean ground chicken breast or ground turkey breast
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 scallions finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil or 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
Toppings:
- 4 ounces 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Cook the veggies until they begin to soften. Add garlic, turn off the heat, and stir for 30 seconds. Remove to a small bowl and let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine remaining burger ingredients (do not add the mozzarella cheese or marinara sauce). Add the cooled onion/pepper mixture and use your hands to mix well. Form 4 evenly sized patties.
- Preheat your oven’s broiler. Place the patties on a lightly greased baking pan and broil for 4-5 minutes per side, until the burgers are no longer pink in their centers.
- Remove the patties from the oven and cover each with a thin layer of marinara sauce, reserving the remaining sauce to spread on buns/rolls for serving. Next, divide the mozzarella cheese evenly among the patties. Return the pan under the broiler for about 1 minute—just long enough for the cheese to melt. Serve immediately on your choice of bread or sandwich buns with remaining marinara sauce if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
OK Andie, you are officially as nutty as I am. A winter burger!? LOL. I like your style! I guess you guys must be suffering in that cold while we West coast people enjoy the lovely weather. I never want to see snow again, having lived in Toronto for many years. Hey does Mozzarella work better with a chicken burger? Because I am a sharp cheddar cheese (despite all the lactose intolerance) and burger fan. The Oregano is course a touch of genius with the chicken.
I love anything covered in cheese and this looks especially good. I can’t wait to try making some of your burgers, but mine will have to be cooked on my George Foreman grill!
What’s the best method for checking to see when the burgers are no longer pink in the center? I don’t want to keep poking at them because I have a slight fear of eating raw chicken. Thanks!
“Burger Bender”! LOL. (I live in the Northeast so I get it…I purchased a grill pan 2 weeks ago because I NEEDED something grilled and I’m too much of a whimp to go outside. Have had lean burgers FOUR times since then.) Chicken parm burgers is GENIUS and I can’t wait to try them! I think they’d work well on the grill pan with just finishing the mozzarella under the broiler. Just added the ingredients to my shopping list… Thank you for your creativity and for sharing! Have tried several of your recipes and loved them all.
Looks very yummy! I’m not comfortable using a gas or charcoal grill. Do you think these would work on something like a George Foreman grill?
Hey Becky,
Yes, definitely! In fact, these burgers are perfectly fine when broiled. The recipe above calls for broiling, which is the way I’d cook them if I hadn’t pulled the grill out :)
Andie
Wonderful! Thanks so much for the speedy reply Andie. :)
Holy mother of delicious burgers, these look FANTASTIC!!! I’m a huuuuge burger and chicken parmesan fan, so this is basically calling my name. Hip, hip, hooray for winter BBQ!
We grill all winter long, even though we live in frigid Wisconsin. Just last week, we made chicken fajitas on the grill when it was 15 degrees! My mouth is watering at the thought of these burgers. The ingredients are going on my grocery list for next week. Yum!
Hi Kristal, I grew up in frigid WI and visit it often. Yes, it is frigid especially today! I live in NE Iowa currently and even here our windchill is -29 degrees right now. Brrr! I applaud you for being a true Wisconsinite and grilling year round! :) ~Becky
Thank you for including the nutritional info!
Yummers! Lucky for me, southern California at the beach means perfect BBQ weather in January. :)
These will also be perfect as sliders for our Super Bowl party!
Wow- That looks Aaamazing!
OMG. I’m waiting for some chicken on the grill and I so wish it was one of those burgers instead. I need to make those pronto. I usually choose beef, too, if I’m making a burger, because turkey/chicken burgers can be flavorless, but those look amazing! (Drool.)
Oh my God your blog makes me want to eat everything you make.
I think I love your blog…everything looks so good! LOL I’m pinning like crazy!
Made these last week and they were delicious! Nice change from a regular burger. Thanks for posting!
This recipe was an absolute hit at my house! These burgers were so flavorful, not to mention easy to make! Thank you so much for posting this. I know this will be a go-to in our household when we’re craving burgers but looking to stay somewhat healthy!
These recipes sound delicious.
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Part of the first step of the instructions is missing.
It’s 2022 and I’m still regularly making this recipe. :) I just quadrupled the batch to meal prep it for my senior high swimmer. Thank you!