These Nashville Hot chicken burgers pair lean ground chicken with a blend of dried peppers and spices to create juicy, flavorful burgers you’d never expect to be healthy. They are super easy to make and can be on the table in about 20 minutes.
Unlike traditional hot chicken that’s breaded and fried, these burgers barely have any carbs, leaving you plenty of room for a real bun and your favorite sides. But we’ll get to that in a minute.
How to Make Nashville Hot Ground Chicken Burgers
If you’ve made my chicken breakfast sausage or biscuits and sausage gravy, these spicy chicken burgers are very similar. All you need to do is mix a blend of spices together, season a pound of ground chicken, form burger patties, and cook a few minutes per side in a tablespoon of olive oil.
This creates a crisp, flavorful outer layer with a juicy and tender center.
Ingredients for Nashville Hot Seasoning
- cayenne pepper
- chili powder
- smoked paprika
- garlic powder
- black pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes
There’s plenty of wiggle room with this blend. These burgers are definitely on the spicy side, but they’re not unbearable like some Nashville hot chicken recipes.
If you are sensitive to spice and want to give these chicken burgers a go, you might cut the amount of cayenne pepper in half and omit the crushed red pepper flakes. And since the acidity from the pickles will help balance the heat, reduce the spices if you plan to omit pickles.
Note: In case you want something a bit more mild, check out my honey chipotle crispy chicken sandwiches.
Other Important Recipe Notes
You’re welcome to use another meat like ground turkey if that’s all you have on hand. The recipe calls for 97% lean ground chicken so if you use a fattier cut of meat, you might be able to reduce the amount of olive oil they’re cooked in. But I’d highly encourage using a small amount to let the magic happen with the spices.
I mention this in the recipe card below, but I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet. You can see in the recipe photos that the chicken burgers took up most of the pan.
If you use a smaller pan, you probably won’t be able to smash them as flat and will have thicker burgers. In that case, be sure to give the chicken burgers a bit more time to cook through.
The only other notes I’d add would be to let the chicken burgers rest after cooking and avoid cutting into them if possible. This will keep the burgers super juicy and prevent any drying out. And as always, don’t overcook them!
What to Serve with Your Spicy Chicken Burgers
Since each chicken burger has just 290 calories, you might have room for some extra fixin’s. My first thought for a great pairing would be the pickle slaw from my hot honey chicken burger bowls.
Need more ideas? Here’s a handful of my favorites:
- Garlic Parmesan Air Fryer Carrot Fries
- Wingstop Fries or Cajun Fries
- Ranch Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Crinkle Cut Fries
- Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Okay, you should be ready to roll. If you have a recipe question I missed, drop a comment at the bottom of this post. Hope you enjoy!
Nashville Hot Chicken Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Chicken, 97/3
- 1 Tablespoon 16g Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper*
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
For the Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons 30g Hot Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons 30g Water
- 1 Tablespoon 12g Dark Brown Sugar**
Buns and Toppings
- 4 Potato Rolls, or your choice of buns
- 12 Dill Pickle Slices
Instructions
- Lightly toast your buns in a skillet and set aside. Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Mix the dry spices together in a small bowl. Season both sides of the ground chicken with the spice blend before dividing into 4 pieces, weighing about 4 oz each. Gently work the spices into the chicken while forming burger patties slightly larger than your buns.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat before adding the olive oil. Cast iron or stainless steel pans are ideal for searing the burgers. (Important: Turn the ventilation on high as the spices will create strong aromas and a bit of smoke as they bloom in the oil. Don't stand directly over the pan.)
- Once the oil is hot, add the chicken burgers to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until nicely browned. Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until both sides are browned.
- Pour the sauce in the skillet around the burgers. As it thickens, flip the burgers, coating them in the sauce. Continue cooking until the burgers reach an internal temperature of 165ºF.
- Serve on the toasted buns with pickles. Optional: Top with a drizzle of your favorite chili oil or chili crisp.
My favorite thing about all of Mason’s recipes is how easy they all are. This meal comes together so fast and is so delicious, it’s great left over and the seasoning is just so good! It pairs perfectly with the garlic carrot fries!
These are incredible!
They taste amazing, are incredibly easy to make, and they fit really well in my macros. They’re definitely going to be a regular in my house.
Thanks, Victoria. Happy to hear you enjoyed the heat!
Stop what you are doing and make these. Absolutely amazing. 12 out of 10.
Thanks, Karen!
I’m not a big burger fan and I get sick of chicken pretty fast. I tried this and it was a huge hit for me & my husband. We make these quite often. Simple and has a big kick of spice. Sometimes I cut out the cayenne pepper for less spice.
This is my wife’s absolute favorite meal. It is extremely simple, quick, and most of all delicious! I have tried a lot of recipes from this site and they have all been above expectations on taste, ease, and health. If you haven’t done this one yet, you owe it to yourself to make it this week. Also check out the Nashville hot air fryer nuggets. They are our number 2 option for a quick healthy dinner during the week.
My husband is a very picky eater and doesn’t approve of most of my “heathy” dinner ESPECIALLY if it’s ground chicken. He loves these burgers and even asks for them!! Simple and delish!
These are an all-time favorite in my house. I first found this recipe I was 9 months pregnant in 2019. My hankering for spicy foods was so strong that I added a little more pepper flakes to the seasoning mix. I failed to read the note about having proper ventilation when frying the burgers… please, people… turn on your overhead ventilation fan. The smoke and aroma from the spices were so intense that my coughing and sneezing gave me actual contractions lol! With some practice (keep the heat at medium and windows open), I’ve perfected my method. Make these with Mason’s Greek yogurt biscuits, you won’t be disappointed!
These are an all-time favorite in my house. I first found this recipe I was 9 months pregnant in 2019. My hankering for spicy foods was so strong that I added a little more pepper flakes to the seasoning mix. I failed to read the note about having proper ventilation when frying the burgers… please, people… turn on your overhead ventilation fan. The smoke and aroma from the spices were so intense that my coughing and sneezing gave me actual contractions lol! With some practice (keep the heat at medium and windows open), I’ve perfected my method. Make these with Mason’s Greek yogurt biscuits, you won’t be disappointed!
This was quite easy to make & was really Nashville hot! I had to make one with much less spice because my son is weak when it comes to spicy foods. Overall very good!
I cooked in the air fryer and they turned out beautifully! Keep some in the freezer for when the craving strikes again. Simple and delicious.