About once a week, I get a craving for a big, juicy burger. Hbu?
Since I didn’t grow up eating a lot of red meat, I don’t tend to love regular beef cheeseburgers. Instead, I opt for a juicy chicken (or turkey!) burger grilled to perfection, often piled high with creamy avocado and tomato slices all on a toasted bun.
But this time…. I was craving something a little different.
Since your girl also happens to love a good sweet and spicy bbq sauce slathered on just about anything, I decided that a recipe for BBQ chicken burgers needed to go on the blog ASAP. Safe to say, they are a new favorite!
Abra and I devoured these chicken burgers one afternoon with a side of grilled sweet potato fries and couldn’t stop telling each other just how good they were. They’re juicy, flavorful, packed with veggies and healthy! What more could you want?
Ingredients in BBQ chicken burgers
These healthy chicken burgers are my favorite to throw on the grill during the summer because not only are they incredibly delicious but also super juicy, packed with flavor and easy to make! The secret ingredient keeping them so moist and juicy is shredded sweet potato; trust me, you won’t regret adding it because it also gives the burger a unique slight sweetness, plus it’s nutritious! YUM.
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need for the chicken burgers:
- lean ground chicken (don’t use extra lean!)
- shredded sweet potato
- your favorite bbq sauce (I personally love stubb’s!)
- diced onion
- garlic
- spices
- sharp cheddar cheese
- hamburger buns of choice (can even do gluten free!)
Use whatever toppings you’d like for your chicken burger but my personal favorites are extra bbq sauce, red onion and butterhead lettuce. Simple, but oh so good!
How to grill chicken burgers
First you’ll divide your chicken burger mixture into four 1/2 inch patties. Grill over medium-high heat or around 400 degrees F for 5-8 minutes per side or until burgers are cooked through and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F.
During the last few minutes of cooking the chicken burgers, add a slice of cheddar cheese on top of each burger patty; cover the grill for about 1 minute while the cheese melts. Then place on buns and pile high with your favorite toppings!
If these photos haven’t convinced you to make these delicious grilled chicken burgers, I’m not sure what will. I hope you get a chance to try them out very soon. Maybe for a 4th of July BBQ?!
What to serve with chicken burgers
If you’re looking for delicious recipes to serve with these juicy chicken burgers, here are a few that always go over well:
Jalapeno Watermelon Margaritas
The Best Guacamole You’ll Ever Eat
If you try these chicken burgers, be sure to leave a comment and rate it below and let me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to snap a photo and tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram so I can see your beautiful creations. xo!
Sweet Potato Cheddar BBQ Chicken Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound 93% lean ground chicken (or sub ground turkey) -- do not use 99%
- 1 cup shredded raw sweet potato (from about 1 small sweet potato)
- 2 tablespoons low sugar bbq sauce of choice
- 1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- For assembly:
- 4 hamburger buns of choice, toasted if desired
- 4 tablespoons low sugar BBQ sauce of choice, for topping
- Butterhead lettuce
- Sliced red onion
Instructions
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Make the chicken burgers by adding the ground chicken turkey, shredded sweet potato, bbq sauce, onion, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into 1/2 inch patties.
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Grill over medium-high heat (around 400 degrees F) for 5-8 minutes per side or until burgers are cooked through and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. During the last few minutes of cooking the chicken burgers, add a slice of cheddar cheese on top of each burger patty; cover the grill for about 1 minute while the cheese melts.
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Place the burgers on buns, top with onion, lettuce and drizzle with extra bbq sauce and top with onions. Serve immediately. Great with sweet potato fries or fresh fruit!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition calculated without bun: Calories: 293 | Total Fat: 15.2g | Sat. Fat: 6.5g | Carbs: 12.4g | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 3.8g | Protein: 27.8g
37 comments
Just made these for dinner and loved them! Thank you! I’ll be keeping this recipe. I substituted turkey and it worked great
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
This was AMAZING!! So juicy and flavorful. I added pickled red onions and avocado slices on top and used lettuce wraps.
Glad you enjoyed! Love those toppings and the idea of lettuce wraps!
These were so good (and husband approved)! I can’t wait to make them again.
These are fantastic – made them with my daughter tonight and we both loved them! had them over some arugula with some marinated onions- will definitely be making these again!
That sounds delicious! Glad you two loved them 🙂
Monique!!!! One word “Excellent” you have yet to disappoint. Family loved it!
So happy to hear that, Lisa! One of my favs from the summer so far 🙂
How can I cook these if I don’t have a grill? Thank you!
Feel free to cook them on the stovetop for about 3-5 minutes on each side!
Okay I’ll be honest – I was skeptical about this combo! But the sweet potato actually made the burger super juicy and they actually didn’t take that long to prep at all. Love!!
It sounds weird but the sweet potato makes them SO juicy! Glad you loved them!
That sounds like the best combo! I’m glad they’re boyfriend-approved, too. One of my favs!
This was a hit with me, my husband and 12 y/o son! So flavorful! My husband though the patties were too moist and swore they would stick to the grill, but alas they did well! I used Stubbs BBQ sauce (original) and it added a great flavor! Thank you! This website is my go-to every weekend!
Amazing! So happy to hear that. I love using Stubbs, too 🙂 Thanks for your comment Deb!
Okay YUM!
My boyfriend made these today for my mom and I. A BIG BIG hit! The only thing we did different then the pic is add some crispy onions on top. Amazing!
Perfect! That sounds delicious!
These were amazing!!! So delicious and juicy!! They were a big hit with the family!!
So happy to hear that, Gina! Perfect for summer 🙂
These are so quick and easy to make and taste amazing. This time I used 99% lean ground turkey and shredded the sweet potato in my food processor so that it was almost riced and they actually turned out the best they ever have.
Perfect! So glad you love them!
This was a phenomenal twist in chicken burgers! Super juicy and even more flavorful! My only wish is that there were left overs! Everyone in the house enjoyed! Thanks for a great recipe!
So happy everyone loved them!
This was really yummy. Sadly I can’t eat regular cheese, but would’ve been happy to put it on for my partner (just didn’t have any). I think that sharp cheddar would give it a great hit of flavour. I mixed dairy-free cheese shreds right into the burgers and it turned out quite good!
Perfect! Love the idea of adding shreds into the burger 🙂
I loved these chicken burgers because they had amazing flavour! The burger mix was way to wet (not sure if it was because I used ground chicken that was frozen and then thawed). We just added bread crumbs until it was sturdy enough to make to patties. They were so delicious that I didn’t need cheese or a bun. I just added tzatziki sauce on top and ate them as is.
Hmmm the thawing might have been the culprit! Glad they turned out well and tzatziki sauce sounds delicious on them!
I absolutely love these chicken burgers! I was just wondering if I can make them in the morning before I grill them for dinner?
Yes absolutely! Just store them covered in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
These were so good! Surprising great taste with a few ingredients!
Absolutely! One of my fav burgers 🙂
I wasn’t sure how my beef eaters would like these… they devoured them! Absolutely delicious. Just a tip.. if you make a thumb indent in the middle of the burger when you first put it on the grill, it cooks more evenly and the burgers don’t shrink.
So happy to hear that! And great tip 🙂
I’ve made these several times on the outdoor grill and stovetop and each time they turn out phenomenal!! 10/10 would recommend!!!
So happy to hear that!