Based on Murphy's Famous Chicken & Spinach burger. I altered the amount of each ingredient to make the patties form better. If you want Murphy's original recipe it's in the post. Better than beef.........really.
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 medium sweet onion finely chopped, about 3/4 cup
- 2 strips uncooked bacon finely chopped
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs if using fine bread crumbs then only use 1/2 cup
- 10 ounces fresh spinach or 1/2 pound frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 pinches cayenne pepper
- 4 medium hamburger buns I like potato buns
- 4 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 handful arugula washed and dried
- 1 medium tomato sliced
- 4 slices provolone cheese
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Finely dice the onions.
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Heat oil and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the fresh spinach and cook until spinach wilts, about another 5 minutes. Cool. Wipe pan with paper towel and reuse to cook the burgers.
While onions cook, dice the bacon.
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Mix the uncooked bacon with the ground chicken, use your impeccably clean hands as the best tool for this job. No need to overmix.
Add the cooled onions, cream, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Form into 4 burgers (or make 8 sliders). Sprinkle the tops of burgers with cayenne pepper.
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Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon cheeseburgers until firm to the touch and no longer pink in the middle, about 4-5 minutes. Flip, add cheese and cook another 5 minutes or so.
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Serve on your favorite burger bun with mayo, arugula, tomatoes and provolone cheese.
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Toasting the buns makes this chicken burger recipe even better. Spread buns with mayonnaise. Wipe the chicken burger pan with a paper towel. Add the buns to the pan to brown over medium-high heat. It won’t take long to turn a beautiful golden brown.
Make Ahead Tips:
The chicken burgers can be formed up to 2 days ahead of cooking. Form the patties, place on a wax paper or parchment paper lined tray and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Or better yet freeze the uncooked chicken burgers. I always double the recipe and make dinner for that night and then freeze the other half of the chicken burger recipe for another meal. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
If using frozen spinach, you can thaw and squeeze dry up to 2 days ahead of time. Put squeezed spinach in a resealable baggie or container.
The onion can be chopped up to a week ahead of time and stored in a resealable container or a freezer baggie. If you don’t have freezer bags, then double up a normal one to keep the onion odor contained.
The uncooked bacon can be chopped and stored in a baggie in the refrigerator for up to a week.
See post for ingredient substitutions, topping and side suggestions