Nashville Hot Chicken Burgers
Spicy ground chicken burgers with a thick, peppery sauce topped with pickles on potato buns.
Ingredients
Chicken Burgers
- 1 lb Ground Chicken I used 96/4 from HEB
- 1 Tbsp (16g) Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Tbsp (24g) Swerve Brown Sugar or light brown sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp Hot Sauce your choice
Buns and Toppings
- 12 Dill Pickle Slices
- 4 Potato Buns I like Martin's Potato Rolls
Instructions
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Mix the dry spices together in a small bowl. Divide the chicken into 4 pieces and generously sprinkle the spices on top of each piece.
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Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat before adding the olive oil. Cast iron or stainless steel is 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.)
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Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces to the skillet spice side down. Season the top side of the chicken, saving about 1/3 of the spices for the sauce.
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Use a spatula to press the chicken burgers flat, smash burger style. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes to develop a good sear with lotsa color before flipping.
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Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until juices run clear and the burgers reach an internal temp of 165F. (I used a 12-inch skillet so if you're using a smaller skillet and have thicker burgers due to lack of pan space, the burgers may take longer to cook through.)
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Transfer the cooked burgers to a plate and add the remaining oil/juices to the remaining spices. Add the hot sauce to the spices and stir until thick. Add the sauce to the top of the burgers.
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Toast your buns in the skillet, top with pickles, and dig in!
Recipe Notes
- Each chicken burger has 5 Smart Points with the bun and pickles.
- Nutrition info for chicken burger patties only: 150 calories, 26g protein, 0g carbs, 7g fat, 1 Smart Point each
- If you're using a stainless steel skillet, you can use a bit of vinegar to deglaze the pan (loosen all the crispy bits on the pan) before adding to the remaining spices to make the sauce. This will add some great flavor to the sauce.
- You can find the cast iron skillet, Swerve Brown, and all my other recommended tools and products I use on my Amazon list.