Description
Everything you love about a classic Caesar salad—garlicky! savory! parmesan-packed!—meets backyard burger night in this Super-Juicy Grilled Chicken Caesar Burger recipe.
Mix Caesar dressing, grated parmesan, and optional anchovy right into ground chicken for a bold, flavor-forward patty that always stays moist on the grill, then serve on toasty brioche buns with Romaine and an extra swipe of dressing for the ultimate summer dinner!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ⅓ pounds 93% lean ground chicken
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely grated and squeezed of excess moisture (about ¼ cup grated)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Caesar dressing (try my Homemade Classic Caesar Dressing or my Quick Anchovy-Free Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing)
- optional: 2 finely chopped anchovy fillets OR 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (see Recipe Notes)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Prep: To grate the onion, arrange a few paper towels on a cutting board, set a box grater on top, and run the onion along the grater to shred it into fine pieces. Use the paper towel to soak up any excess moisture—if the onion seems very wet, wring out the moisture over the sink. Line a small baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper or foil and set aside.
- Mix the chicken Caesar burgers: Add the ground chicken, grated onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, Caesar dressing, and anchovy paste to a large bowl. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Use your hands to mix until just combined—take care not to overmix as doing so leads to tough burgers. The mixture will be very wet—this is expected and intended!
- Form the chicken Caesar burger patties and chill: Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions, forming each into a 1-inch thick burger patty. There’s no need to fuss over making them look perfect at this point—just aim to form them into the general shape and size. Set on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer and chill for 20 minutes.
- Grill prep: Meanwhile, as the chicken Caesar burger patties chill, prepare the grill for medium-high direct heat grilling, about 450-500 degrees F. Once preheated, clean the grates well with a wire brush.
- Grill the chicken Caesar burgers: Remove the burger patties from the freezer. At this point they should be quite a bit easier to handle; finish forming them into 1-inch thick patties, using your thumb to create an indent in the center of each patty. Just before placing the burgers on the grill, generously spritz a wad of paper towel with nonstick cooking spray. Use grill tongs to run the oiled paper towel over the grill grates, generously oiling the grates to prevent sticking. Transfer to the prepared grill grates and close the lid. Grill 6-7 minutes per side, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the burgers registers 165 degrees F. If you’d like to add cheese, do so when there are 2 minutes left of grilling time.
- Serve: Build your chicken Caesar burgers as desired. Here at the PWWB house, we like to smear toasty brioche buns with extra Caesar dressing, then pile the chicken caesar burgers high with leaf lettuce, shaved onion, and shaved parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Ground chicken: The secret to seriously juicy and tender grilled chicken burgers is using ground poultry with a decent fat content, otherwise the burgers will dry out. Look for at least 93% lean, though if you can find 90-92%, that’s even better! If purchasing from your grocery store’s butcher counter, ask for ground chicken thighs or dark meat. If you cannot find 93% lean ground chicken, ground turkey is a fine substitute for this recipe.
- Anchovy is an essential ingredient for a classic Caesar flavor. If you prefer to make your chicken Caesar burgers without anchovy, feel free to swap it out with a dash of Worcestershire sauce or fish sauce—they taste a little different than anchovies, but they both have similar umami & depth of flavor.
- Grill tips to prevent sticking: Because they don’t have a ton of natural fat, poultry burgers tend to stick on the grill. Over the years, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks to avoid sticking altogether.
- Be sure to chill the burger patties as described in Step 3; doing so helps bind the mixture so they hold their shape and do not fall apart on the grill.
- Just before placing the burger patties on the grill, grease the grill grates. I do so as described in Step 4, spritzing a wad of paper towel with nonstick cooking spray and using grill tongs to run the oiled paper towel over the grill grates.
- Flip carefully! Position your grill spatula such that it runs parallel to the grill grates and, swiftly and firmly, slide it under the burger patties—they should pop right off!
Make-Ahead and Storage:
- Storage and Reheating: Store leftover grilled chicken Caesar burgers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through and enjoy as desired.
- 15-Minute Meal Prep: Chicken Caesar burger patties can be mixed and formed up to 3 days in advance. Follow Steps 2-3 of Recipe Directions above. Rather than chilling in the freezer, transfer the burger patties to an airtight container, separating them with a piece of wax or parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. At dinnertime, simply preheat the grill and get cooking—easy!