Jamaican Jerk Chicken Burgers

Grilling season is just around the corner. Quite literally. Next week we bust out the grills from whence they came until the cold weather forces them back under cover or in the garage.  It’s an occasion to celebrate and these Jamaican Jerk Chicken Burgers with a citrus onion slaw are just the thing to get anyone in the mood.

Like so many eats that you see on these pages, I was inspired by something that I ate.  I either loved it, or knew that I could make it better, and so you get to read all about this. This idea, as it were, was brought to my attention by a food truck that trolls around my office on Wednesdays. Run by a guy that looks like he spent too many years having too much fun on the island, the food is…fine. It could be better, and I’m here making it so. I guess I’ll concede that he does get decent marks for effort.

In any case, I’m taking the marinade that I used to make those jerk chicken drummies and mixing it real good with some ground chicken thigh (we’re grilling here, and I thought that ground chicken breast would dry out in an instant).  From that same recipe. I deconstructed that cilantro slaw into a simple salad with carrots and green onions and lots of citrus goodness.  The whole thing is quite refreshing and I served it on a toasted roll with nothing more than a bit of avocado. To me, it didn’t need any sort of mustard or mayo or other sauce. Not even cheese!  I let the flavors of the burger itself shine and shine, shine it did.

I confess that I made this in the broiler because I’m an inept griller, but broiling is just upside down grilling, as I like to point out. Still, do this on the grill or on a grill pan or in the broiler, too, and you’ll still be quite happy with the results that emerge from your cooking apparatus.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Burgers

May 15, 2019

Servings: 4 burgers

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 20 min

Total: 30 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Ground chicken thigh is seasoned with spicy Caribbean flavors in these Jamaican Jerk Chicken Burgers topped with a citrus onion slaw.

By: Chrissy

Ingredients

• For the marinade:
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 whole scallions, sliced
• 1/2" fresh ginger, chopped
• 1/2 TB fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 TB dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 TB soy sauce, low sodium
• 1/2 lime, juiced and zested (about 1 TB juice)
• 1/4 navel orange, juiced and zested (about 2 TB juice)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken thigh meat
• 1/2 cup pancko breadcrumbs
• For the slaw:
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 TB lime juice
• 2 TB orange juice
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• To serve:
• Sliced avocado
• Four hamburger buns

Directions

• Step 1 Place all the marinade ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. In a small bowl, add the chicken and marinade. Mix well until combined and refrigerate overnight.
• Step 2 To make the slaw, add all the ingredients to a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Step 3 Preheat the grill to medium high.
• Step 4 Remove the chicken from the fridge and add the breadcrumbs, more if necessary so that the burgers bind together. Form into 4 patties.
• Step 5 Place the burgers on the hot grill and cook 10 minutes per side or until fully cooked.
• Step 6 Assemble each burger with fresh avocado, chicken patty and salad. Enjoy!