Can you believe it’s only two days until Christmas? Well, we would be remiss if we didn’t (loosely) theme our December burger around this beloved holiday. This month’s burger—and the last in our year-long series—features red and green flavor elements and packs a punch in terms of taste and nutrition!
Our featured burger for December is a Sweet Chili Chicken Burger with Broccoli Rabe! Learn more about this recipe below!
https://potatorolls.com/recipes/sweet-chili-chicken-burgers-with-broccoli-rabe
Sweet Chili Chicken Burgers with Broccoli Rabe
Chicken burgers often get a bad rap; they can tend to come out dry or lacking in flavor. But if prepared properly, with help from some extra ingredients, they are quite the tasty—and healthy—alternative to a traditional beef burger.
These Sweet Chili Chicken Burgers also get a flavor boost from a red chile sauce glaze (similar to your favorite Asian sweet-and-sour sauce), garlicky sautéed broccoli rabe, and a bright and tangy lemon mayo. With plenty of flavor and a whole serving of veggies, you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying these delicious burgers!
Check out the step-by-step recipe, then read on to learn more about the various ingredients!
About This Recipe:
{The Burger}
Ground chicken burgers are a much leaner alternative to traditional beef burgers. And if you’re consuming these following some heavy holiday feasting, that may be a welcome change of pace. However, because of the lean source of protein, these burger patties do need a few supplemental ingredients to ensure they’re just as tasty as always.
In order to keep these ground chicken burgers juicy and flavorful, the ground meat is mixed together with some fresh breadcrumbs (made from toasted Martin’s Butter Bread) and an egg. Both of these ingredients help prevent the patties from drying out too much as they cook.
Ground chicken can also tend to be a bit lacking in the flavor department, which is one of the reasons why these patties are seasoned with a blend of fragrant spices including onion and garlic, five-spice, cayenne, and mustard powder, to name a few. Not only do these spices help turn regular old chicken patties from bland to mouthwatering, but they also create a very unique palate of flavors.
{The Glaze}
Sweet chili sauce is a Thai-style condiment made from red chile peppers, vinegar, sugar, and spices. In this recipe, it’s used as a glaze for the chicken burgers after they’re cooked, giving them a sweet, sour, and slightly spicy kick which helps amp up the flavor even more.
{The Topping}
Broccoli rabe (also called rapini) is a green cruciferous vegetable common in Italian cooking. You may see it in everything from pasta dishes to the Italian roast pork sandwiches popular in Philadelphia.
Despite their similarities in name and appearance, broccoli rabe is not in the same plant species as broccoli, broccolini, or Chinese broccoli; it is actually more closely related to the turnip. This unique winter vegetable has a long narrow stem, dark green leaves, and small florets or buds, all of which are typically consumed.
Broccoli rabe has a bitter, nutty flavor that is great for cutting through rich, heavy ingredients. A great way to reduce the bitterness is to quickly blanch the vegetable prior to sautéing or roasting. Rapini is also great paired with garlic and citrus elements for contrast.
Learn more about this ingredient at: www.bonappetit.com or www.thekitchn.com.
{The Sauce}
The delicious Lemon Mayonnaise which completes this burger is a necessary final touch since it adds a rich creaminess and a touch of sour, both of which help to counteract the bitterness of the sautéed broccoli rabe.
{The Buns}
Since these are 1/6-lb. patties, we chose to pair them off with Martin’s 100% Whole Wheat 12-Sliced (Slider) Potato Rolls which were just perfect for these Sweet Chili Chicken Burgers. The whole wheat buns add the perfect amount of bite and hold up well to the various toppings, plus they add an extra nutritional element to these burgers which is always a great bonus!
Whether you make these burgers for Christmas, New Year’s, or for no reason at all, we hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Sadly, our Monthly Burger Series has come to an end. Don’t forget to go back and take a look at our other featured burgers from the past year at the links below. Or better yet—try them all! Then let us know which one is your top pick!
- January: Healthy Turkey Burgers with Lemon-Honey Mustard
- February: Heart-Shaped Valentine’s Burger
- March: Sheet Pan Burgers
- April: Easter Lamb & Egg Burger
- May: Surf and Turf Burgers
- June: Firecracker Burger
- July: America Burger (Sliders) Trio
- August: Campfire Mac & Cheese Burger
- September: Mozzarella-Stuffed Italian Burgers
- October: Plant Based Burger
- November: Thanksgiving Turkey Burger
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