Get ready to fire up the grill and tantalize your taste buds with these mouthwatering BBQ Chicken Burgers! Bursting with flavor and perfect for the whole family, these burgers are a surefire way to bring smiles to the dinner table.

BBQ chicken burgers with toppingsPin

Gather your loved ones and get ready for a delicious outdoor feast that will have everyone asking for seconds. It’s grilling season! Every year as we embark on the end of the school year, I start switching gears and wrapping my head around all the exciting foods we get to eat during the summer. Big chunks of watermelon, corn on the cob, fruit crisps, Heirloom Tomato Salad and of course, burgers! I like to switch it up and get away from the usual beef burgers and instead try something different like these BBQ Chicken Burgers. You’ll never miss the beef with these because they’re so darn easy to make, have some extra zip from your favorite BBQ sauce and are so satisfying.

kid friendly BBQ chicken burgerPin

The Ingredients

  • Ground Chicken Breast: You can use light or dark ground chicken for this recipe. The darker meat will give you more fat (and flavor) if you’re looking to sink your teeth into a burger reminiscent of what you would get at a fast food joint.
  • Diced Onion: You’ll end up sautéing these onions and adding them to the ground chicken. It adds tons of flavor while keeping the burgers nice a moist.
  • BBQ sauce: Use your favorite store bought barbecue sauce! Depending on which one you choose you can make these more sweet, or vinegary or even spicy! There’s so many options in the store or you could even make your own with this BBQ Sauce recipe!
  • Seasonings: For this recipe we’re adding onion powder, garlic powder and salt. But feel free to add any of your typical burger seasonings you love!
  • Sliced Cheese: My kids like mozzarella cheese the best, but Monterrey jack, cheddar, pepper jack, or any of your favorite cheeses will work! Leave it off entirely or use a dairy free cheese if you have an aversion to dairy!
  • Buns: Don’t forget the buns! You can make regular sized burgers or sliders with this recipe so use whichever buns make sense for you! Or nix the buns entirely and do a protein style lettuce wrap!

*See recipe card for full ingredients list and exact measurements*

ingredients for recipePin

How to Make BBQ Chicken Burgers

  1. Sauté the onions: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt for 4 minutes or until tender. Set onions aside to cool.
  2. Make burger mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine the cooled sautéed onions, ground chicken, BBQ sauce, onion powder, garlic powder and remainder of salt and mix well. I find using my hands is easiest for this step.
  3. Make the patties: Evenly divide the mixture into 4 pieces for regular sized burgers or 8 pieces for sliders. Shape into patties.
  4. Cook the burgers: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and cook the patties for 4-5 minutes (3-4 minutes for sliders) on each side. Add a slice of cheese to each patty after flipping and allow to melt while the burger continues to cook.
  5. Serve: Place burgers on buns and add toppings and additional BBQ sauce if desired.

Variations and Substitutions

  • Don’t have ground chicken? You can use ground turkey for this recipe without affecting the flavor profile. Or, if you have chicken breasts on hand, use your food processor to make your own ground chicken.
  • What’s the best BBQ sauce for this recipe? Really, any of your favorite store bought BBQ sauce will work great for this recipe. My only advice is to avoid the ones where it lists corn syrup as one of the first two or three ingredients as they will be a bit too syrupy, sticky and sweet.
  • Out of onion? No worries! Use whatever you have on hand such as a shallot or red onion. You could even just add some extra onion powder in a pinch. Keep in mind this ingredient adds moisture too, so if you omit it, you may want to add some extra sauce.
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BBQ Chicken Burgers FAQs

  • How do I keep these burgers from being too dry? The onions and BBQ sauce keep these burgers super moist! Also, don’t over mix or you can make the burgers turn out tough and chewy.
  • Are these burgers good for kids? YES! I love making these into sliders for kids so their little hands can hold them more easily. Plus, adding the BBQ sauce into the mixture gives the burgers all the tanginess of the sauce without it dripping all over their fingers and clothes while they eat!
  • Can I make BBQ chicken burgers on the grill? For sure! A couple tips for grilling these. First, refrigerate the patties for 10-20 minutes so they stick together better. Second, don’t flip too early or too often or the burgers will be more likely to fall apart. Lastly, use a cooking spray to help them not stick to the grates! Cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  • Can I make the chicken burger patties in advance? Yes, you can make the chicken burger patties in advance. Form the patties and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Separate the patties with parchment paper layers, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to cook. Just make sure to cook them within 1-2 days for optimal freshness.
BBQ chicken burger side viewPin

More Burger Recipes

Sides to Serve with BBQ Chicken Burgers

burger on a plate with side of chipsPin

When you’re planning a big get together and want a simple recipe to satisfy your crowd’s cravings give these BBQ Chicken Burgers a whirl. You’ll be glad you did! Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments or tag me on social media if you make these!

Images by Ivan Solis

Pin

BBQ Chicken Burgers

Get ready tantalize your taste buds with these mouthwatering BBQ Chicken Burgers! Bursting with flavor and perfect for the whole family!
No ratings yet
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 2 tablespoons oil divided
  • 1/2 onion finely diced
  • 1 pound ground chicken breast
  • 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce plus additional for serving
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 slices Monterrey jack or mozzarella cheese
  • 4 burger buns

Instructions 

  • Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt for 4 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the cooled sautéed onions, ground chicken, BBQ sauce, onion powder, garlic powder and remainder of salt and mix. Don't over mix to avoid tough, chewy burgers.
  • Evenly divide the mixture into 4 pieces for regular sized burgers, or 8 pieces for mini burgers. Shape into patties.
  • Heat remaining tbsp of oil in a pan and cook the patties for 4-5 minutes (3-4 minutes for sliders) on each side.
  • Place 1 slice of cheese on each patty during the last minute of cooking and allow to melt.
  • Place burgers on buns and top with desired accompaniments.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1131mg | Potassium: 713mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 212IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 219mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. I tried this recipe with a pound of ground beef (85/15) and it came out great! I love how easily weelicious recipes adapt to match what I have on hand. We will definitely make this again 🙂

  2. Nice recipe! We do a similar time saver by putting a whole chicken in our crock pot, pulling the meat apart, and saucing it for sandwiches!

  3. Yes, the onions go into the mixture – This recipe is perfect as is! You will be surprised how good it is 🙂

  4. Hi,

    Do the sautéed onions go in the mixture as well? I find that ground chicken breast can easily become too wet and take on an almost gummy texture. Hate that! But love using it. Any tips on avoiding this? I was thinking of trying to add some rolled oats (maybe quickly pulsed in the food processor).

  5. I made these last night for me & my husband. They were delicious! I was so glad he liked them…he’s very picky. He asked me to make them again….score! Thanks so much.

  6. Hi Catherine,

    I don’t have ground chicken breast handy, so I was wondering if I could sub ground turkey breast instead. Would it change the flavor too much?

    Thanks so much!!

    Joy

  7. Hi Catherine, I have discovered your blog a few days ago and I relly LOOOOVVEEE it! (sorry i’m French so i don’t speak english very well but i hope you’ll understand me). I dont’ have kids for the moment but I have already made several Weelicious’ recipes for my fiance and me and we really loved them even if we are adults! They are fast, easy, fresh…and really gooood!! Your videos are very funny, I hope you’ll share a lot of others videos with us! Thank you

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