Chili Lime Chicken Burgers

Contributed By Doug Heilman

Chili lime chicken burgers with the tingly zing of 50 Hertz Green Sichuan Pepper.

Ingredients

For the Chicken Burgers

• 4 Scallions
• 2 Jalapeño pepper
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 16 ounces Ground chicken
• 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 1 teaspoon of water
• 2 teaspoons 50Hertz Green Sichuan pepper, toasted and ground 
• 3 tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Lime zest
• 1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground black pepper

For the Lime mayo

• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Lime zest
• 1-2 teaspoons Fresh Lime juice
• Salt and pepper

For the toppings

• Sliced Avocado
• Sliced Tomato
• Leaf lettuce
• Lime mayo
• Hamburger buns
• Butter

Method

1. Remove stems and seeds from the jalapeño, then dice finely. Slice the scallions thinly. In a small sauté pan placed over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the vegetables. Sauté until softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, preheat grill.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, combined the ground chicken, the sautéed jalapeños and scallions, along with the remaining ingredients for the burger mixture. Combine evenly using a fork. Form into four 4 ounce burgers. Tip: wet hands slightly to form the burger patties, and place uncooked burgers onto squares of parchment paper set on a small baking sheet.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the ingredients for the lime mayonnaise. Add enough lime juice to thin the mayo slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Butter hamburger buns for the grill and prepare additional toppings.
6. Place chicken burgers on the grill and cook on both sides until burgers read an internal temperature of 160°F with an instant read thermometer. Removed from grill and set aside. Toast hamburger buns on the grill.
7. Assemble the burgers with the lime mayo and additional toppings. Enjoy!

Notes: 

•Alternately to grilling, cook vegetables then the chicken burgers on the stovetop using a cast iron or stainless steel skillet.

•Use other fresh herbs (such as flat leaf parsley) in the burger mix if desired. 

About our recipe contributor, Doug Heilman

Doug Heilman is a life-long resident of Western Pennsylvania, and self-described foodie. Growing up on his family's farm, food and home cooking always played important roles in Doug’s early life. After high school, Doug attended Penn State University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutritional Sciences. He also holds several professional certifications from a 20+ year career in Learning & Development.

Combining a love of educating and cooking, Doug established a social media presence in 2015, aptly named 'Doug Cooking' where he continues to share recipes and cooking demos. In 2024, he launched The Pittsburgh Dish, a weekly regional food podcast.

Doug competed on Season 3 of The Great American Recipe on PBS and  is a regular kitchen contributor on CBS Pittsburgh’s daily lifestyle show, Pittsburgh Today Live. He also enjoys helping with local PBS cooking productions and hosting live cooking demos. See some of his TV Appearances here. 

Websites:

www.dougcooking.com

www.pittsburghdish.com

Socials:

@dougcooking

@thepittsburghdish