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Studded with cheese, basted in barbecue sauce, and topped with creamy coleslaw, this BBQ Chicken Burger recipe delivers juicy, flavorful chicken burgers that are anything but dry or boring.
Looking for more delicious spins on chicken sandwiches? Check out my recipes for Chicken Torta, Chicken Shawarma Wraps, and Chicken Gyro.
BBQ Chicken Burger at a Glance
- Yield: Makes 4 juicy chicken burgers
- Time Needed: 10-minute prep + 15-minute cook time + 5-minute rest
- Cook Your Way: Grill, pan-fry, or smoke the chicken burgers
- Budget Tip: Make your own ground chicken in the food processor to keep costs down.
- Why It Works: Generously seasoning the chicken, folding in cheddar, and basting with BBQ sauce keeps these chicken burgers flavorful, juicy, and never bland.
Recipe Highlights
Kristen's Keys for Juicy Chicken Burgers
Chicken burgers have a reputation for being dry, bland, and generally disappointing. After multiple tweaks, this recipe fixes that with a few simple tricks.
- Heavily season the chicken. Adding a thick and tangy BBQ sauce to the ground chicken adds flavor and moisture that salt and pepper alone can't replicate.
- Stuff with cheese. Instead of topping the chicken burgers with cheese, add diced or shredded cheddar directly to the raw meat. As the cheese melts, it creates irresistible pockets of melted cheese.
- Mix gently. Overworking ground chicken can make the burgers dense instead of tender. Stir just until the seasonings and cheese are evenly combined.
- Use a thermometer. Cook the burgers to 165℉ in the center for safe yet juicy results.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Ground Chicken: Store-bought ground chicken or turkey works. For the best flavor and moisture, choose a blend that includes a bit of dark meat. You can also make your own ground chicken using the food processor method below.
- Cheese: Cubed sharp cheddar creates pockets of melted cheese throughout the burgers, while shredded cheese melts into the meat. Both work, but I personally love a good pocket of melty cheese.
- BBQ Sauce: I recommend using a thick, sweet, and tangy store-bought or homemade BBQ sauce, rather than BBQ sauce with a mustard or vinegar base.
Money-Saving Tip
How to Make Homemade Ground Chicken
Instead of purchasing a package of ground chicken, you can make homemade ground chicken in minutes for a fraction of the cost using nothing more than a food processor!
- Cube boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, or a combination of the two, into 2-3 inch pieces.
- Place the cubes in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- After chilling, add the chicken to a food processor fitted with an S-blade.
- Pulse 4-6 times in short bursts, or until the chicken is broken down. Avoid over-processing to prevent the meat from turning into a paste.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Burgers
The process of making a pan-fried or grilled chicken burger is very similar to that of making a beef burger. Handle the meat as little as possible, shape the patties larger than the bun, cook to temperature, and rest before serving.
- Season ground chicken. Place the ground chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, BBQ sauce, and cheese. Use your hands to gently combine everything just until mixed. We don't want to overwork the meat, as that can lead to dense results
- Make the patties slightly larger than the buns. Chicken burgers shrink as they cook, so I recommend shaping each portion into patties slightly larger than a hamburger bun. Press a shallow indentation in the middle of each patty to help prevent shrinkage and allow for even cooking.
- Cook burgers. Place the prepared patties on a preheated grill or grill pan and cook for 5 minutes undisturbed. Flip and continue cooking for 5-6 minutes, or until the internal temperature in the center reaches 162-163℉. They will continue to rise a few degrees as they rest. Resist the urge to press down on the meat as it cooks, as that squeezes out the juices that keep the chicken burgers juicy.
- Brush with BBQ Sauce and rest. Remove the burgers from the heat, brush each side with additional BBQ sauce, tent with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉. I like placing the burgers on a rack rather than on a plate to prevent condensation from forming on their bottoms.
- Serve. I love topping chicken burgers with homemade coleslaw for added moisture and texture. If you aren't a fan of coleslaw, a drizzle of homemade buttermilk ranch or mayo is a nice complement as well.
Serving Suggestions
This BBQ Chicken Burger proves that chicken burgers deserve a spot on any Summer Cookout Menu. They are juicy, flavorful, and an unexpected favorite.
- If grilling the chicken burgers, round out the meal with Grilled Corn on the Cob, Grilled Veggie Kabobs, or Grilled Peaches (topped with whipped cream or no-churn vanilla ice cream, of course!)
- For a classic combination, pair the burgers with Oven Baked Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, or Air Fryer French Fries.
- For a potluck, pair them with BLT Pasta Salad, Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing, Creamy Cucumber Salad, and/or Homemade Baked Beans.
Chicken Burger FAQs
Adding moisture and handling the chicken as little as possible when seasoning and shaping, and cooking the burgers to the proper temperature all work together to ensure juicy, flavorful chicken burgers.
Chicken burgers should reach an internal temperature of 165℉ for food safety. Cooking beyond that temperature can quickly dry out the burger. I recommend using an instant-read thermometer and cooking to 162-163℉. The burgers will rise a few degrees as they rest.
The BBQ sauce helps lock in moisture, so there is no need to add an egg or any additional binder to these chicken burgers.
About 6 ounces is ideal because the patties shrink as they cook, leaving you with a burger that fits a standard hamburger bun perfectly.
More BBQ Chicken Recipes
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BBQ Chicken Burger
Video
Ingredients
- 24 ounces ground chicken, or ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup barbecue sauce, + more for brushing
- 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, diced into tiny cubes or shredded
- 1 cup homemade coleslaw, optional
- 4 buns
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium-high heat. Alternatively, heat a nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the grill grates or pan with oil to keep the burgers from sticking.
- Place the ground chicken into a large mixing bowl and add 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ⅓ cup barbecue sauce, and 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (cubed or grated). Use your hands to gently combine the seasonings and cheese into the meat until evenly combined, but use caution not to overmix.
- Score the meat into 4 sections. And then shape each section into a patty that is about ¾ to 1-inch thick and slightly larger than the bottom of your burger bun.
- Using your thumb, gently press an indentation into the center of the patty, about ¼-inch deep.
- Place the patties onto the preheated grill or pan and cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Flip and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 162-165℉ (72-74℃). The temperature will rise a few degrees as the burgers rest.
- Remove the burgers to a plate and brush each side with additional barbecue sauce. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Serve the burgers on buns with coleslaw and additional BBQ sauce or as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yum!! These scream summer & we will be making them a lot! My kids love bbq chicken, so to add it in a burger is even better!
Love hearing your family enjoyed these burgers, Kristyn 🙂
I made these chicken patties for a family meal at the cabin. Everyone enjoyed them, even the grandchildren! My daughter asked for the recipe because it was such a big hit! We will enjoy again and again! The coleslaw was awesome with them as well! I liked that it didn't have mayo in it.
I am so glad your family enjoyed Annette! Thanks for sharing!
This was delicious! Looking to eat healthier and this is a great alternative to beef burgers!
So happy to hear you enjoyed Debbie!
These were so good for dinner. We will definitely make them again.
YAY!!! So glad you enjoyed Ashley!
My family loves burgers but I don't typically use a lot of red meat.These fit the bill!
So glad you could find a recipe to agree upon and enjoy!
Have you ever broiled these or used a cast iron skillet to cook them? Just curious...Thanks!
Hi Amy!
Yes, I have used a cast iron skillet many times and that works great. Just preheat over medium high heat and then cook 5-6 minutes per side or until burgers get to 165 degrees. I have not broiled, but that should work as well, just watch for carefully as the cheese or BBQ sauce can burn quickly
Thanks! Plan to try these soon😊
This burger looks amazing. Love the buns and the cole slaw topping!!
That looks so yummy! Thanks for the great recipe and for linking it up to Tasty Tuesdays at Creative K Kids. I pinned it to the Tasty Tuesdays Pinterest Board.