Smashed Avocado-Chicken Burgers

Name: Smashed Avocado-Chicken Burgers
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/3 cup Kewpie or other mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 1 lime, cut into wedges; Kosher salt; 1 packed cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped, plus more for serving; 1/4 cup mashed, ripe Hass avocado (from about ½ avocado; slice the other half for serving) (see Tip); 2 scallions, light green and white parts only, thinly sliced; 3 large garlic cloves, grated or minced; 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, grated or minced (about 2 teaspoons); 1/4 to ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, according to taste; 1 pound ground chicken, preferably dark meat; 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola oil, or ghee; 4 brioche or burger buns, lightly toasted; Butter lettuce or other tender lettuce, for serving; 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced, for serving (optional)

By Yasmin Fahr

Updated April 21, 2022

Smashed Avocado-Chicken Burgers — Dane Tashima for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Total Time: 25 minutes
Rating: 5(2,704)
Comments: Read comments

These zippy chicken burgers are loaded with ginger, garlic, cilantro and scallions for fresh flavor and some textural crunch. The secret ingredient is a little mashed avocado that’s added to the ground chicken before cooking, which keeps the burgers tender and light. A citrusy soy mayonnaise is used both inside the patties and slathered on top. (Fish sauce could be used in place of the soy. Decrease the amount and adjust to taste.) Kewpie is a Japanese mayonnaise made with rice wine vinegar and egg yolks rather than distilled vinegar and whole eggs, but you can just as easily use your preferred mayonnaise. Fresh jalapeños offer a satisfying crunch when biting into the burger, though pickled ones could be used for extra acidity.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

⅓cup Kewpie or other mayonnaise
1teaspoon soy sauce
1lime, cut into wedges
Kosher salt
1packed cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped, plus more for serving
¼cup mashed, ripe Hass avocado (from about ½ avocado; slice the other half for serving) (see Tip)
2scallions, light green and white parts only, thinly sliced
3large garlic cloves, grated or minced
1(2-inch) piece ginger, grated or minced (about 2 teaspoons)
¼to ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, according to taste
1pound ground chicken, preferably dark meat
2tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola oil, or ghee
4brioche or burger buns, lightly toasted
Butter lettuce or other tender lettuce, for serving
1jalapeño, thinly sliced, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a small serving bowl, combine the mayonnaise and soy sauce. Season with the juice of 1 lime wedge and salt as needed.
Step 2
In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to mash and thoroughly combine the chopped cilantro, mashed avocado, scallions, garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of the soy-lime mayonnaise. Add the chicken and gently combine. Form into 4 large balls.
Step 3
Heat a large (12-inch) cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium heat 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 to press them until they form ½-inch-thick patties. Cook without moving for 3½ to 4 minutes, until a deep golden crust has formed and they easily release from the pan. Flip the patties using the spatula and cook until done with a nice crust on the other side, about 3 minutes more. If the patties need more time, cover the pan and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to avoid scorching.
Step 4
Squeeze a lime wedge over the patties and serve sandwiched between the buns topped with lettuce, a healthy slathering of the lime-mayonnaise, avocado slices, jalapeño slices if using, and cilantro sprigs, if desired. Serve with the remaining lime wedges and mayonnaise on the side.

Tip

Resist the urge to add more than ¼ cup mashed avocado to the ground chicken, as the burgers will get too soft and fall apart during cooking.

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Ratings

5 out of 5

2,704 user ratings

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Comments

Squirrel Butler3 years ago

Hmmmm....so it's NOT an Avocado-Chicken Burger, it's a Turkey-No Avocado Burger.... Maybe, that's a different burger? Jes' sayin'.....

Megan S3 years ago

So many delicious flavors in this burger. I am going to downsize them into meatballs next time and serve as an appetizer with the soy mayo as dipping sauce!

Peter F3 years ago

Great! Finally a tasty chicken burger! Well, we used ground turkey as that's all we had and didn't even have avo and it was still so good. Don't skimp on the ginger. Tastes a lot like dumpling fillings. This one's moving right to the front of our weekly rotation.

Annabella1 week ago

@Honerlagen I added 3 T of breadcrumbs, just as you would when you make meatballs. I could see immediately that the mixture was loose, so I refrigerated the patties for 3 hours before cooking them. Your pan should be super hot, and resist the urge to flip or turn them too soon. Once they've developed a crust on inside, you're ready to flip. Hope this helps!

RL2 weeks ago

Love this recipe. Misread the directions and mixed the mayo and soy sauce with the avocado mash. Mixed some of that in with the chicken burgers and saved some as a topping. Added some flour to the chicken patties to solidify. Turned out to be a delicious mistake!

Mowen2 weeks ago

This was absolutely delicious and a hit with my 3 year old! I omitted the red pepper flakes and added salt for the kid's sake and it was amazing. Definitely will be making again.

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