Grilled Chicken Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup prepared creamy Italian salad dressing

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine ground chicken, egg, onion, bread crumbs, drained and rinsed black beans, and creamy Italian dressing.
2. Prepare grill pan over medium-high heat (or prepare grill).
3. Shape mixture by hand into 6 patties, 3/4 inch thick.
4. Grill each patty on both sides until fully cooked.  (Approximately 4-5 minutes each side on our grill pan.)
5. Check for safe meat temperature with a meat thermometer (170 degrees F)
6. Serve with favorite burger toppings, if desired.

Hints:  Mixing with your hands insures the best texture!  The chicken and vegetable mixture makes a hearty patty that has good form and can be adapted easily by swapping in your favorite veggies.  Try spinach and feta instead of onion and black beans, for example.  These patties could also be prepared in advance and frozen for later use. Enjoy!!

**This recipe is being shared at Mom Trends Friday Food post - go check out the other great recipes being shared!**

Thai Spiced Chicken Patties

Last week we made Thai Spiced Chicken Pitas for dinner. The chicken patties used in that recipe can easily be made ahead and frozen to be used as needed. With grilling season quickly approaching, this is a recipe I will be referring to so that I can stock our family's freezer.

Assemble ingredients for chicken patties:

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lb ground chicken

1 TBS fresh ground ginger root

1 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp Thai seasoning (I used Spice Islands Thai Seasoning blend)

1/2 tsp salt

* Combine in a medium bowl, shape into patties and place between sheets of wax paper before freezing. Place patties in wax paper in a freezer safe container, or freezer bag. (I like the freezer bags.)

* Pull out frozen chicken patties to use as desired, and grill on low heat until fully cooked. (Internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F)

Thai Spiced Chicken Pitas

Assemble ingredients for chicken patties:

1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lb ground chicken
1 TBS fresh ground ginger root
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp Thai seasoning (I used Spice Islands Thai Seasoning blend)
1/2 tsp salt

* Combine in a medium bowl, shape into patties and grill fully cooked. (Internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F)


Next, prepare the sauce and vegetables to fill the Pita with the grilled chicken patties:

For sauce -

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt

* Combine sauce ingredients well in a small dish

Veggies -

1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into small thin sticks
1/2 small red onion, sliced


Fill 1/2 split Pita round (we used Whole Wheat) with a chicken patty, sauce, and vegetables.
This is a quick and delicious twist on the pitas we normally eat. The Thai seasoning really adds an interesting flavor!