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(2,628)
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

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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.

Ratings

5 out of 5

2,628 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'.....

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.

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!

Jane1 week ago

As everyone said, very flavorful burgers. But don't be like me and add ALL OF THE MAYO to the burger mixture before you cook it because you're in a hurry and you didn't read the directions closely enough. The burgers still turned out tasty, but um, the texture was not quite right.

Sybil Axner3 weeks ago

Read recipe carefully. I didn't, added all the mayo/soy/lime mixture to the chicken and it turned into a gloppy mess! I'm sure it's good if followed correctly. : 0

Name Grace1 month ago

These burgers were terrific. My granddaughter and I pretty much followed the recipe. We omitted the cilantro and the peppers. I shaped the burgers and dipped them into a small amount of flour. They held together well. We will be making them again and will try the pepper flake next time.

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