Description
Delicious and healthy chicken spinach burgers made with lean ground chicken, fresh spinach, mozzarella cheese, and pesto. These flavorful burgers are easy to prepare and cook quickly on the stovetop, perfect for a nutritious lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground chicken (about 90% lean)
- ½ cup chopped fresh spinach
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon pesto
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For Cooking
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
For Serving
- Whole wheat burger buns
- Desired toppings (such as extra mozzarella, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, lettuce for wraps)
Instructions
- Prepare the mixture: Add ground chicken, chopped spinach, mozzarella cheese, pesto, minced garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper to a medium bowl. Using a fork and then your hands, mix everything until just combined.
- Form patties: Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and form burger patties about ½ inch thick each.
- Heat the pan: Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat, then add 1 tablespoon of canola oil to coat the pan.
- Cook burgers: Place the patties in the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on one side over medium-high heat. Flip the burgers and cook for another 5-6 minutes until fully cooked. If using sliced cheese, add it when you flip the patties to allow it to melt.
- Rest and serve: Remove the cooked burgers from the pan and let them rest for a few minutes. Serve on whole wheat buns or lettuce wraps with your desired toppings and enjoy.
Notes
- Use lean ground chicken labeled between 90% and 93% lean for the best flavor; 99% lean tends to be less flavorful.
- You can make your own ground chicken by pulsing raw chicken breasts in a food processor until broken down.
- For extra flavor, melt additional mozzarella on top of the burgers and add a dollop of pesto when serving.
- Enhance the Italian flavor by adding sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil as toppings.
- Though these burgers are pan-cooked, they can also be grilled if you prefer that method.
- Serve in regular whole wheat buns or opt for lettuce wraps to keep it low-carb and gluten-free.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
