These Thai Chicken Burgers, are packed with flavor. All the fresh Thai flavors are packed into one bite. They are a great anytime of the year burger, since you make them on your stove.
Making these burgers on the stove vs. the bbq is key, when making them. The bbq will dry them out completely. On the stove you steam them without steaming them. When trying to figure out the correct balance of texture and flavor when creating this dish, the bbq went all wrong in so many ways. First, it dried them out. Second because they were dried out, they lost all their flavors. Ground chicken can be tricky to work with when making a burger. You need the right balance of moisture and binder to make these stay intact and juicy. By adding peanut butter and shredded zucchini you can achieve both a great binder and moisture to the meat.
The other key to keeping them moist and juicy is steaming them without steaming them. I pan cooked the burgers on one side. Once I started to get a good sear, on the burger, I added a bit of water to give them that extra bit of moisture they needed. Plus it deglazed the pan and added more flavor into the patties. I then flipped them over and repeated with the seat and water. Until cooked through to 165F.
Now I used a Thai seasoning from our local Shaker Heights Spice store Spice For Life https://spice-forlife.com/about-us , if you’re don’t live in Shaker Heights, but have your own Thai spice blend use that. I’m sure it will be wonderful.
I topped the burgers with a slaw that was mixed with a coconut peanut dressing, jalapeños, and some Asian pickled cucumbers. But you can place what ever your hearts desire is with these.
Recipe
Serves 6
Prep Time to serving Time 3hrs
Ingredients
• 2 lbs of ground chicken
• 1 Tbsp heaping of peanut butter (I used creamy)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp grated ginger
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 large zucchini grated and ringed out in a paper towel
• 1 1/2 Tbsp of Thai seasoning. If you can’t find Thai seasoning, 1 Tbsp of red curry paste will do
• 1 1/2 green onions minced
• zest of one lime
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1-2 cups of water
Directions
1) In a bowl combine all the ingredients and blend together with your hands.
2) Once all blended, take a 1/2 cup measuring cup and scoop out the meat. Roll into a ball and then form into a patty. Place on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap or on a plate. Repeat until all the burgers are formed. You should have 6-8. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to 2hrs. You really want the flavors to mold together.
3) In a skillet on medium high heat, add some olive oil. Place no more then 3-4 burgers in the skillet at a time. Cook on one side until it starts to lightly brown. Add 1/4 cup of water around the outside of the skillet around the burgers. Move the skillet around so everything deglazes and the water and flavors deep back into the burger. Now flip the burger and repeat. Wait for it to brown and add another 1/4 cup of water. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove and start the next batch of burgers.
4) Once burgers are made, you can top them with jalapeños, your favorite Asian slaw and Asian cucumbers. ENJOY!
Recipe below for cucumbers.
Asian cucumbers
Ingredients
• 1 large cucumber slices thin in rounds
• 1 Tbsp granulated white sugar
• 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
Directions
1) combine all the ingredients into a bowl. Place in fridge and let sit for 1hr at minimum.
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