Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Chicken Queso Burgers

Here is yet another recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Emeril's 20-40-60 Fresh Food Fast.  This is my twelfth recipe from the book and there are still so many recipes I still want to make.  Recipes like:

Shrimp and Chorizo Tapas
Creamy Shrimp and Green Onion Dip
Seared Shrimp Salad
Chickpea Salad with Tabbouleh
Spicy Pork Wraps with Creamy Coleslaw
Shrimp and Feta, Greek-Style
Salmon with Orange Butter Sauce
Seared Salmon with Lentils
Shrimp Etouffee
Melon with Amaretti Cookie Crumbles
Kicked-Up Snickerdoodles
Sausage and Pepper Po-Boy
and lots and lots of Emeril's side dishes which sound great!

 This burger recipe caught my eye immediately as I love having new recipes for ground chicken.  My market almost always has ground chicken on sale (sometimes $1.50 or $1.99/lb) and I always love to stock up on it when I can.  This chicken burger is bursting with the flavor of southwest spices and stays moist from the addition of lots of cheese and chopped green chiles.  The patty is placed between two toasted buns with seasoned griddled onions.  A great break from those beef burgers!
Chicken Queso Burgers
Adapted from Emeril's 20-40-60 Fresh Food Fast
Makes 8 burgers

2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
One 4-ounce can (about 1/3 cup) minced green chiles, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 pounds ground chicken thigh meat
3/4 cup fine unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
1-1/2 cups minced onions
1 cup olive oil
8 hamburger buns
Lettuce, tomato, and mayo for garnishing burgers (optional)
*I garnished with more cheese, more green chiles, and the griddled onions called for in the recipe

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, chiles, oregano, 1-1/2 teaspoons of the chili powder, the cuming, and 2 teaspoons of the salt.  Add the ground chicken and the breadcrumbs, and mix until well blended.  Divide the mixture into 8 portions, and shape each portion into a 1-inch-thick patty.  lay the patties on a tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Combine the onions, 3/4 cup of the olive oil, remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.  Divide the onion mixture evenly among the cut sides of the hamburgers buns, and spread it out with a brush to coat.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  In batches, toast the buns, coasted sides down, in the skillet until the onions cook slightly and stick to the buns and the bread is lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.  Set the buns aside and wipe the skillet clean.

In the same nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil over medium heat.  Add 4 patties and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 165F when inserted into the center of a patty, about 4 minutes per side.  Set the patties aside; keep warm.  Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 4 patties.  Place the patties between the toasted buns and serve immediately, with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise, if desired.

If you're interested in Emeril's book, it is on sale at The Good Cook for $7.99.  And, if you haven't heard of The Good Cook, then you should head over to TheGoodCook.Com right now!  I've been a member for about 4 years now and I love it. 

21 comments:

  1. These burgers look totally amazing! And even the list of recipes is making me drool. I'm going over to the Good Cook to check it out right now!

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  2. Oh this sounds so super good! I love the ingredients that go in, I bet the flavor was really nice.

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  3. Yum! Not only popping with flavor, but the extra cheese, chilies, and red onion on top give an inviting pop of color too.

    Green chilies...I'm there, dude!

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  4. I've never made (or had) a chicken burger, but this really makes me want to!

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  5. I haven't had a good burger in over a week...NO! Two weeks! That's a shame.....I need to live close to you :-)

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  6. The thing I love most about chicken and turkey burgers is all the different ways you can flavor them! These sound like some super delicious burgers!

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  7. I'm really loving chicken burgers! These look and sound delish:)

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  8. I love the southwestern theme with these burgers. The green chilies sound fantastic with the chicken. I'm bookmarking this one for my husband, my burger specialist :o) Can't wait for you to make some of the other recipes either, they all sound fantastic!

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  9. i am so going to head over to that website! i've never heard of it before, it sounds awesome. speaking of awesome, love that burger, i've made turkey burgers, but never chicken burgers, YUM!

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  10. Oh wow! I've been waiting for this recipe. You drive me crazy with your "coming up" as everything always sounds so good, lol. This recipe doesn't disappoint. Chicken burgers are yummy, I've made them a few times before. I'm bookmarking this, as we're huge burger fans. Thanks for another great recipe Kim!

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  11. I love ground chicken burgers, they're so good! This sounds delightful I'll have to give them a try next time I have ground chicken. Thanks for sharing!

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  12. I love this burger; wonder if it would be good with ground turkey, since that's what I generally use?

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  13. Love the chicken burger. I know if its an Emeril recipe, it is going to be delicious. I recently purchased his Potluck cookbook and have not done much more than peruse it, with good intentions. Shame on me!

    Velva

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  14. These chicken burgers look so wonderful. Tasty and healthy a terrific combo.

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  15. I love everything about these Kim! I can't wait to make and eat more burgers - it's almost time to dust off my grill. All of those recipes you ticked off sound really good too.

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  16. I've never cared for Emeril much, but I've got to admit, he knows his food. All his recipes are really good and doable for the home cook.
    This one looks wonderful, Kim. The cumin must give them a lovely Mediterranean flavor.

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  17. Wow, these look really tasty. I wish I had one for lunch!

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  18. oh my goodness, that is one good looking burger.

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  19. A great combination of flavors. I really need to check out that book sometimes--everything you have made from it has looked amazingly good. ;-)

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  20. I'm usually not a big fan of poultry burgers but the way you and Emeril have this one seasoned up, I'd like to try this one on the grill.

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  21. I definitely like the idea of extra green chilies! Burgers and Mexican/Southwestern/Tex Mex food are two things I always want to eat - this looks like an efficient and delicious looking hybrid. Having a poultry option is helpful too, great recipe!

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