Smashed Chicken Burgers w/Cheddar & Parsley + Salad

I usually sneer when people say chicken burger or turkey burger. It’s not a burger! On top of not getting what my taste buds expect when they hear the word “burger,” those made with poultry are often dry and boring. So I am as shocked as you are to type that these chicken burgers were bangin. And surprise! This was another NYT recipe success. I followed this recipe pretty directly and found it pretty simple.

In a small serving bowl, combine mayonnaise with dijon mustard. (No need to be specific with measurements – there should be more mayo than mustard.) Stir in some salt and lime and set aside. This will be your one and only burger condiment. In a medium bowl, combine 1 c. chopped parsley with 1/3 c. grated cheddar, 1 minced shallot, 3 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes, and 1 lb ground chicken (+ salt and pepper, of course.) Form the chicken mixture into 4 patties and cook in a cast iron for 3 – 4 minutes/side. While the burgers cook, prep the side salad. In the bottom of a serving bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons lime juice with the remaining 1 teaspoon mustard; whisk in a couple tbsp olive oil until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Add one head of butter lettuce (leaves torn), 1 sliced avocado, some fresh parsley, and 1/4 cubed Cheddar, and toss to coat with the dressing.

Notes:

1. Between the burgers and the salad, you’ll be using cheddar several times and in different forms so you should just buy a block.
2. The recipe has you stirring some of the dijon mayo into the burger mixture but I totally missed this step and they still came out better than ok.
3. The recipe also calls for you to melt some slices of cheddar on the burger patties a minute or two before they’re done. This is another step I missed since I ran out of cheddar, but there’s enough cheese in the burgers that I didn’t miss it.
4. I used pretzel buns and loved how they worked. My second pick would be brioche rolls. Both of those would be much better than your standard burger bun here.

This side salad is light, refreshing, and feels very French. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a bistro style burger sandwich. These burgers had SO much flavor. I was shocked, frankly. Like this could turn me into a chicken burger person. Yes, I admit, I previously considered non-beef burgers “less than.” But three days later I was walking around with Albert and out of the blue he said “you know, those chicken burgers were pretty good.” That says it all right there.