Buffalo Chicken Burgers
Buffalo Chicken Burgers- Juicy chicken patties are seasoned with buffalo sauce, stuffed into a toasted bun, and schmeared with a ranch aioli.
November 11, 2022 by Nicole Collins
Guys…
I have a new obsession!
I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve encountered something that I can’t get enough of.
I actually have TWO obsessions: quesadillas and buffalo sauce.
Now, neither of these things are groundbreaking. But while I was on 21 day fix, I remembered what a good sandwich alternative a quesadilla is. And, I basically stuffed everything I could think of between that folded tortilla and called it a quesadilla.
Including buffalo chicken!
A couple months ago, I saw a video of someone making buffalo chicken dip with garlic buffalo sauce; and I was instantly intrigued. So of course, I’ve done nothing since but use that garlic buffalo sauce wherever I can.
So guess what we’re using in today’s recipe??
Today, we’re making Buffalo Chicken Burgers!
These burgers start with ground chicken and hidden veggies to keep them juicy. Then the burgers are seasoned with garlic buffalo sauce, seared in a skillet, stuffed between a toasted brioche bun, and finished with a creamy homemade ranch aioli.
Go ahead and wipe the drool off of your mouth so I can tell you about this recipe!
Let’s start with the chicken burger. Like turkey burgers, burgers made from ground chicken can have a reputation for being dry. So, we’re going to keep that from happening by adding a few special ingredients. For starters, we’re going to add some shallot, some celery, and some carrots that have been really finely minced. The natural moisture from those veggies are going to help keep the juices flowing inside of our burger. Plus, you can’t have buffalo chicken without celery and carrots, right? So, this addition of hidden veggies helps pay homage to the original appetizer.
The other thing that’s going to help keep our burger juicy is buffalo sauce. But we’re not using any old buffalo sauce. We’re using garlic buffalo sauce. And, it’s a game changer! Here’s the thing about seasoning the burgers with buffalo sauce, it really mellows out when we cook it. The burgers have the essence of buffalo flavor without all the heat. So if spicy stuff isn’t your thing, these burgers are totally for you. Now if you want that extra fire on your tongue, brush a thin layer of buffalo sauce as soon as these come out of the pan when they’re finished cooking.
I’m “team ranch” when it comes to buffalo things, so we’re going to make a ranch aioli to add a little flare to our burger. We need a little mayo, some ranch dip mix, some lemon juice, and some fresh chives. Mix everything together, and that’s that!
We’ll assemble the burger by schmearing a toasted brioche bun with aioli, adding some bibb lettuce for crunch, and loading our burger right into the center of all of it. This burger is bursting from flavor in all directions. You have the mild, tangy zip from the buffalo sauce. You have the creamy cooling effect from the aioli. You have the comforting warm and fuzzies from that toasted brioche roll. Then, the soft bibb lettuce lends some freshness to our bite.
These are so darn good!
Alright, everyone. I’ve been sharing my buffalo sauce journey on TikTok. But, make sure you let me know if you want me to share recipes here too!
I hope you enjoy! And, let’s eat!
Buffalo Chicken Burger
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
For the Ranch Aioli:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp ranch dip mix
1 tbsp minced chives
½ tbsp lemon juice
For the Buffalo Chicken Burger:
1 lb ground chicken
¼ cup finely minced shallot (about 1 small shallot)
2 tbsp finely minced celery (about ¼ stalk)
2 tbsp matchstick carrots, finely minced
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp garlic buffalo sauce
1 tbsp avocado oil
Bibb lettuce, to taste
4 sesame seed buns, toasted
Directions:
Make the Ranch Aioli: To a small mixing bowl, add mayo, ranch dip mix, chives, and lemon juice. Mix well to combine. Set aside in the fridge to chill.
Make the Buffalo Chicken Burgers: To a mixing bowl, add ground chicken, shallot, celery, carrot, salt, and buffalo sauce. Mix gently until just combined. Form into 4 patties about ½ inch thick, and set aside on a parchment lined plate. Use your thumb to make a light indentation in the middle of each patty.
Heat avocado oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Place burgers in the skillet, and cook for 5-6 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Assemble the burger. Layer lettuce and chicken burger over the bottom buns. Schmear the top buns with ranch aioli, to taste. Close the sandwich with the top bun. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*We want our veggies minced really, really fine so they blend in nicely with the burger. If you think they’re minced enough, run your knife through one more time.
*These are not spicy at all, and the buffalo flavor is very subtle. If you like more heat, brush the tops of the burgers with a little more buffalo sauce once they come out of the pan.
*You could certainly use a grill pan or an outdoor grill to cook these burgers, as well.
