Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Burgers
Light and delicious these Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Burgers are perfect any night of the week. Enjoy these juicy burgers alongside my Chopped Fall Pasta Salad or Street Veggie Pasta Salad for an incredible meal.
Option to cook these burgers in a nonstick skillet over the stovetop or place them on the grill. Either way, they’re delicious. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak extra veggies into your family’s diet! If you love these burgers, give my Homemade Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Nuggets a try!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Customizable. Keep things light and enjoy your broccoli cheddar chicken burgers wrapped in lettuce and topped with cheese and tomato.
- Perfect for meal prep. Make a batch of burgers and enjoy them throughout the week.
- Easy to make. Sneak extra veggies into your families diet with these easy to make chicken burgers.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken – You’ll need ground chicken for this recipe.
- Broccoli – This recipe calls for broccoli florets. Cook and chop small.
- Cheese – This recipe calls for both parmesan cheese and finely shredded mild cheddar cheese.
- Oil – You’ll need extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. it helps add fat to the lean ground chicken keeping it moist when cooking.
- Spices / Seasoning – This recipe calls for kosher salt, cracked black pepper, paprika and garlic powder.
Expert Tips
- You’ll need cooked and finely chopped broccoli for this recipe. Make sure you only use the florets, no stems.
- Cook the broccoli according to the package. If you boil the broccoli, make sure it’s well drained before chopping it. Pat it dry with a paper towel to absorb all excess moisture. You do not want to add wet broccoli to your mixture. Chop it very small!
- I highly recommend using mild shredded cheddar cheese in this recipe too. The mild shredded cheddar is easy to mix into the patties and melts easily. I used Kraft mild cheddar shredded cheese and it was delicious. This juicy burger recipe is a must-try.
Topping Ideas
Add whatever toppings you enjoy most. Some ideas include,
- Tomatoes
- Butter Lettuce
- Red Onions
- Sautéed Onions
- Avocado
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Burgers
Prepare the Broccoli
- Cook your broccoli florets according to the package. If you decide to boil the florets, be sure to pat them dry with a paper towel before finely chopping. It is important to remove any excess moisture from the broccoli to prevent the burgers from being soggy.
Combine the Burger Mixture
- Add the ground chicken, finely chopped (and dried) broccoli florets, finely shredded mild cheddar cheese, garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil and grated parmesan cheese. Mix well and form the patties. Makes four burgers. Cover and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
Stovetop Method
- If cooking over the stovetop, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of avocado oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the burgers. Do not overcrowd the pan. Saute for 6-7 minutes per side or until the juice run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Grilling Method
- Preheat the gas grill to 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully brush the grill grates with avocado oil. Be careful because the oil with flare up if it hits the flame. Option to dampen a clean kitchen towel with avocado oil, pinch the dampened towel with metal tongs, then rub the oil soaked towel over the grates. This method works too.
- Add the burger patties to the grill and cook for 6-7 minutes per side or until the juices run clear. Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the burgers reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness. If you decide to add cheese, place the sliced cheese over the burgers two minutes before you remove them from the grill. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy.
How to Store Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Burgers
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat your burgers, add them to a nonstick skillet over medium heat with a touch of water in the pan to help moisten the burgers. Option to microwave them too. Just reheat in the microwave until they are warmed through.
- You can also freeze uncooked burger patties. Make sure they are in an sealable airtight bag separated by parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but if you decide to grill your chicken burger patties, you need to let them set up in the refrigerator first. Cover and refrigerate the burger patties for about 30-40 minutes before grilling. This will allow them to bind or set more, making them more sturdy for grilling.
Yes, Preheat the grill to 400-450 degrees. Carefully brush the grill grates with avocado oil before adding the burgers. Be careful because the grill will flare up. This will help prevent the burgers from sticking to the grates.
If cooking on the stovetop in a nonstick skillet, the burgers will need 6-7 minutes per side. Make sure the heat isn’t too high or they could burn. If grilling the burgers, they will need 6-7 minutes per side. An instant read thermometer is a good tool to have handy! In either case, the internal temperature should reach 165 degrees to ensure doneness.
NO! Even slightly frozen ground chicken holds a lot of moisture which will ruin the burgers.
It’s important to mention, that you should only flip the chicken burgers once and do not press them down. Pressing them down releases all of the moisture and makes the burgers dry. Following these tips will help ensure that you have a juicy, flavorful burger.
Frequently Asked Questions Continued
There is cheese inside of the burgers so they don’t really need cheese! However, if you want to add a slice on top, I’d suggest using American cheese.
The internal temperature should hit 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure they are fully cooked through. This typically takes about 6-7 minutes per side but will also depend on the thickness of your chicken burgers. Thicker burger will need more time.
Yes, you can boil the broccoli until soft, but make sure it is well dried before chopping it. You do not want to add soggy or wet chopped broccoli to the mixture.
What to Serve with These Chicken Burgers
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Burgers
Equipment
- 1 nonstick skillet or gas grill
Ingredients
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Burgers
- 1 lb. ground chicken, Smart Chicken
- ¾ cup broccoli florets, cooked and chopped small, florets only
- ½ – ¾ cup mild cheddar cheese, finely shredded
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
- 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon kosher salt, to season
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, to season
- ¼ teaspoon paprika, to season
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, to season
Instructions
Prepare the Broccoli
- Cook your broccoli florets according to the package. If you decide to boil the florets, be sure to pat them dry with a paper towel before finely chopping. It is important to remove any excess moisture from the broccoli to prevent the burgers from being soggy.
Combine the Burger Mixture
- Combine the ground chicken, finely chopped (and dried) broccoli florets, finely shredded mild cheddar cheese, garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil and grated parmesan cheese. Mix well and form the patties. Makes four burgers. Cover and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
Stovetop Method
- If cooking over the stovetop, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of avocado oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the burgers. Do not overcrowd the pan. Saute for 6-7 minutes per side or until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Grilling Method
- Preheat the gas grill to 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully brush the grill grates with avocado oil. Be careful because the oil with flare up if it hits the flame. Option to dampen a clean kitchen towel with avocado oil, pinch the dampened towel with tongs, then rub the oil soaked towel over the grates. This method works too.Add the burger patties to the grill and cook for 6-7 minutes per side or until the juices run clear. Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the burgers reach in internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you decide to add cheese, place the sliced cheese over the burgers two minutes before you remove them from the grill. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy.
6 Comments on “Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Burgers”
These are really tasty and I used the recommended method of placing tin foil on the grill before cooking, and the burgers stayed really moist. This is the perfect summer recipe and a nice way to switch up burger night!
Made these for my in laws when they came for a visit and it was a huge hit! So tasty and easy to make. Definitely will keep these in the rotation.
These are delicious. I only used 1 lb of ground chicken (because that’s what I had) but didn’t alter the rest of the ingredients. They still turned out juicy and delicious. Even my husband, who doesn’t believe a burger is a real thing unless it’s made with ground meat, confessed he liked them. I had them leftover today for lunch and it was equally good (maybe even a tiny better) on Day 2.
Making these for the second time and doubling the recipe. These are delicious on the grill. Flavorful and loaded with good stuff!
I just made a double batch of these burgers for a weekly family meal prep and you can tell they’ll be good even as you mix all the ingredients together! I baked them in the oven at 400 for 25 minutes and they still turned out juicy and flavorful. I’m saving this recipe for sure.
These burgers are delicious!! My whole family loved them, even my two kids. And that was after they found out the green stuff was broccoli. We will be making these again!