Out of Italy with Giada's Chicken Burgers

Burgers, burgers, burgers.....I seem to be craving them lately. Mini burgers, turkey burgers, and now the chicken burger. I've tried chicken burgers in the past and haven't cared for them at all, until now. Giada's Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise are actually really good.

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Basil Mayonnaise
Adapted from Giada at Home
Makes 4 burgers
Garlic-Basil Mayo:
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced (I always add more garlic and used at least 3, maybe 4)
Burgers:
Vegetable or canola oil, for the grill
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sandwich rolls or burger buns
1/4 cup olive oil (I didn't use this)
1 cup arugula

For the mayo: Mix together the mayo, basil, and garlic.

For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grilling rack or grill pan with vegetable oil.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, salt, pepper, and half of the mayo mixture. Using clean hands, gently mix the ingredients and form into 4 patties, each about 1 inch thick. Grill for about 7 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil (I skipped this step) and 1 teaspoon of the mayo mixture. Grill for 1 - 2 minutes, until slightly golden.

Spread a dollop of the mayo mixture onto the bun tops and bottoms. Top each bottom with a burger, 1/4 cup of arugula, and the top half of the bun.

Notes/Results: Giada's original recipe calls for rosemary flavored mayo. I didn't have rosemary, but I did have lots of basil. I didn't find it necessary to use 1/4 cup olive oil to grill the burger buns, so I skipped that part. I also added quite a bit more garlic to the mayo mixture. We found these burgers to be juicy, flavorful, and satisfying.
**It seems that my market frequently puts ground chicken on sale, sometimes as low as $1.99/lb. I'm not sure if this is the case in all markets, but I suspect that it might be. I'm thinking that a lot of people just don't know how to use it? In the end, it works out well for me because my husband is a big meat eater and I'm always looking for ways to cut down on the meat portion of our grocery bill. If you're like me, then this recipe, as well as Giada's Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs, are both great recipes that use ground chicken. (I've made the Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs three times in the past three weeks).

Now cooking the recipes of Giada De Laurentiis.

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