Smashed Chicken Burgers With Cheddar and Parsley

Smashed Chicken Burgers With Cheddar and Parsley
Julia Gartland for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(2,547)
Notes
Read community notes

These fresh, flavorful chicken burgers have a crunchy exterior, a tender interior and a healthy slathering of limey Dijon mayonnaise. They’re paired with salad that’s prepared using leftover burger ingredients, and a little avocado and lettuce. Serve the burgers between lightly toasted buns, as the recipe suggests, or skip the bread and enjoy them without for a lighter dinner.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ½cup mayonnaise
  • 1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2limes, 1 juiced (about 2 tablespoons), 1 cut into wedges
  • packed cups flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
  • cup grated Cheddar, plus ¼ cup cubed, plus 8 slices for topping
  • 1small shallot, minced (about ¼ cup)
  • 3large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 1pound ground chicken, preferably dark meat
  • 2tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola oil, or ghee
  • 3tablespoons olive oil
  • 1large head butter or Boston lettuce, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1ripe Hass avocado, diced
  • 4brioche or burger buns, lightly toasted
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1006 calories; 77 grams fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 32 grams monounsaturated fat; 19 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 47 grams protein; 987 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small serving bowl, combine the mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon mustard. Season to taste with salt and the juice of 1 lime wedge.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine 1 cup parsley with the grated cheese, shallot, garlic, cumin and red-pepper flakes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the Dijon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken and gently combine. Form into 4 large, round balls.

  3. Step 3

    Heat a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high until very hot, 1½ to 2 minutes. Add the neutral oil or ghee, then add the chicken meatballs, spacing them out in the pan. Use a metal spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to press them until they form ½-inch thick patties. Cook without moving for 3 to 4 minutes, until a deep golden crust has formed on the bottom and they easily release from the pan. Flip the patties using a sturdy spatula and cook until cooked through with a nice crust on both sides, about 3 minutes more. If the patties need more time, you can cover the pan and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to avoid scorching. A minute or two before they’re done, set 2 slices of Cheddar cheese on top of each patty to melt.

  4. Step 4

    While the burgers are cooking, in the bottom of a serving bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons lime juice with the remaining 1 teaspoon mustard; whisk in the olive oil until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Add the torn lettuce leaves, avocado, remaining parsley and cubed Cheddar, and toss to coat with the dressing.

  5. Step 5

    Place the burgers on the buns, slather with Dijon mayonnaise, and top with a little of the greens and avocado from the salad. Serve with the salad, plus the lime wedges and any remaining Dijon mayonnaise on the side.

Ratings

5 out of 5
2,547 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

I’m surprised this doesn’t have more comments and ratings as this is a delicious weeknight meal. We made the burger patties as written, then played a little fast and loose with the toppings (just topped the burgers with avocado slices, butter lettuce, and the Dijon Mayo rather than mixing it all together in a “salad”). We shaped four patties but only cooked the two we ate for dinner, and then froze the other two raw to cook another day.

Very tasty, but could have better instructions. Make sure that you read the entire recipe first... The burgers very good and had a lot of flavor, although I did add a fair amount of the dressing to lettuce and dijon mayo on both sides of the buns. I made a few without the slides of cheddar, and preferred it this way, so you can save a few calories there. I also omitted the cubed cheddar since I just used the dressed lettuce on top of the burger instead of as a side salad.

Made this last night - the salad dressing was great - I'd add tomatoes to the salad next time. The chicken burgers were flavorful but fairly bland. I'd recommend adding your favorite hot sauce, or red pepper flakes if you like more of a kick to your food.

Was a bit dubious, but gave these a go. The burgers themselves were very good, though "smashburger" (as I understand it) is a bit of a misnomer since the patties are rather thick. Might try starting with half-sized balls next time to maximize surface area. All the other stuff wasn't bad, but not necessary, and think it would have been just as good with other accoutrement. Looking forward to riffing with what's handy, like cilantro instead of parsley, or adding herbs/spices. Maybe curry powder?

Also made double the amount and formed the rest into meatballs to cook tomorrow - they were EVEN better the next day after they had time to rest in the marinade.

I agree with the other reviewer who commented that it’s surprising this recipe doesn’t have better reviews. I loved these so much, I was already plotting the next time I could make them after the first few bites! I riffed on the salad, using arugula and a dressing I had but made the burgers exactly as written. Hit the spot for healthier comfort food, especially on a weeknight. Absolutely will make again!!

Please never ever wash your chicken. You are only spreading any bacteria the may reside in the chicken around your kitchen by doing so. The meat gets thoroughly cooked so there is just no need and you are doing more harm than good. Especially with a ground meat. There's no way to get the water out once you've added it to your meat without seriously overcooking it. Please read up on the topic to further assure yourself that this is an extremely dangerous and unnecessary step to feel safe to stop.

Made this with Turkey instead of chicken, added tarragon and extra Chili flakes to the patties. Was a hit!

These were wonderful! I followed the advice of another cook and made them a bit smaller - 5 patties instead of 4 and omitted the shredded cheese inside of the burger mainly because I didn’t have any. Super flavorful, and cooking times were spot on in my cast iron pan. Will be making again!

A refreshing spin on burger night. This dish feels light tasting, but it’s well balanced and robustly flavored. As others have mentioned, I also skipped the melted cheese on top — didn’t miss it, as there is cheese in the patties and in the salad. Would also recommend a 1:3 ratio of lime juice to olive oil for the salad, rather than as written (tasted very acidic until I added more olive oil and salt). Would make again.

Crushed these last night. Very good, this will be a repeat recipe. Just a few notes: the cumin dominates if you let it, so maybe a little less than the 1/2 teaspoon the recipe calls for. Perhaps next time I will use some garlic powder too. I opted to not make the side salad, but the Dijon lime mayo is an excellent compliment to the flavors within the chicken burger. I cooked them in the air fryer (Ninja Foodie) and they came out awesome; 375 for 18min, flipping after 9min.

Made these last night, they were outstanding. So flavorful and juicy, I was pleasantly surprised. Followed the recipe exactly, loved the rich flavors and texture of the burgers. Used Martins potato rolls to serve. The salad side of this dish was boring, would not make that again. This is a winner, excellent burgers and I will make again!

To quote my husband, it was a flavor explosion. So good!!

I’m a big fan of beef burgers but this recipe was revelatory. It was the best burger of any description I’ve eaten in the last year or so. I Loved it! I used dill and cilantro in place of the parsley, less cumin, and like others skipped the topping of cheese. It was as juicy and flavorful as any beef burger. Hooray!

These were excellent. I made the recipe exactly except I added paprika. I had one with a bun and one without a bun and honestly it was better without the bun. I agree with another comment that there’s a little too much lime juice in the salad dressing.

Delicious, no notes! Only sub was using Diestel ground turkey thigh meat. Juicy, flavorful and always a hit with our family. We make extra patties occasionally and heat them up in the morning to have with eggs.

Good. A bit too salty. Spicy.

Good but nothing exciting.

DELICIOUS - always a crowed pleaser. I'm not an avocado fan so I don't include that and its still a top & family fave.

this is one of the best NYT recipes I've made. The burgers are just as good the following day and a super simple recipe overall but packed with flavor. Really have no comments other than I recommend toasting the buns and that 1lb of ground chicken can easily make 5 or 6 burgers vs 4 really large/thick ones.

Herbaceous! Super tangy and flavorful. Easy to make too. Added an extra tablespoon of the Dijon mayo to the chicken for added flavor. Love this recipe, will definitely make again!

This burger was OUTSTANDING. I substituted mayo for the Primal brand of Avocado Mayo, just as good and better for you. The entire family including kids loved this recipe. Cast iron pan made it a little difficult to flip due to cheese sticking. I switched to griddle for the remaining burgers and achieved the crispy crust without burning. Highly recommend!!!

Best chicken burger I've ever had! Didn't do the salad or the additional cheese, just had the burgers in brioche buns with lettuce. Really juicy and flavourful and easy to prepare/cook. I divided into 6, which seemed a better portion size than 4. I was also worried that my chicken mince was not from dark meat, but was still really good.

Don’t let a lack of time or correct ingredients deter you from making these burgers! I’ve done most of the prep using the grater on my food processor - grate the cheese and onion (I have yet to have a shallot on hand the day I make these), then dump into a bowl or Tupperware and combine the rest. If you want to make ahead and don’t have time to form the patties put the mixture in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. The salad is totally optional the burger is the star.

This recipe is excellent. Made exactly as is, and could not recommend enough. One of my husband and I's favorite meals of the summer so far.

Loved these burgers! We thought they were very flavorful- I may have thrown in an extra garlic clove. We did not do the salad on top, just topped with 1 slice of cheese, avocado, some shredded lettuce, and a small bit of dijonaisse. I smashed them a bit more than suggested and they were bigger than the bun, but so crispy on the edges.

Used feta instead of cheddar inside the patties and in the dressing and I can’t imagine ever not doing it this way! Recommend subbing feta, using more cumin, more garlic, more red pepper. I made sjx patties instead of four large ones. I may add some dill next time.

I made these burgers as written, but not the salad or toppings outside of the cheese. My husband liked them (that's saying a lot, he's picky). I think there was too much cumin. I'll half it next time. My daughter thought they were too spicy. Will make it again and adjust.

Would cut salt in half and not include cheddar cheese cubes in the salad, but otherwise, delicious!

I used 1 lemon for the mayo and mustard instead of 1 wedge although it turned out fine

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