About once a week (especially during the summer months), I get a craving for a big, juicy burger. Hbu?
Since I didn’t grow up eating a lot of red meat, I don’t tend to love regular beef cheeseburgers. Instead, I opt for a juicy chicken (or turkey!) burger grilled to perfection, often piled high with creamy avocado and tomato slices all on a toasted bun.
But a few years back when I first created this recipe, I was craving something a little different…
Looking for more 30-minute meals?
Enter your email below to get my FREE e-book with our best 30-minute dinners straight to your inbox!
Since your girl also happens to love a good sweet and spicy BBQ sauce slathered on just about anything, I decided that a recipe for BBQ chicken burgers was a MUST for the blog. Safe to say, they quickly became a favorite.
When I first made these Abra and I absolutely fell in love and devoured them with a side of grilled sweet potato fries. They’re juicy, flavorful, packed with veggies and healthy! What more could you want? We still talk (and dream) about them all the time.
What you’ll need to make the best BBQ chicken burgers
These healthy BBQ chicken burgers are my favorite to throw on the grill during the summer because not only are they incredibly delicious but also super juicy, packed with flavor, and easy to make! The secret ingredient keeping them so moist and juicy is shredded sweet potato; trust me, you won’t regret adding it because it also gives the burger a unique slight sweetness, plus it’s nutritious! YUM. Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:
- Chicken: we’re using lean ground chicken as the base of these burgers. I recommend no more than 93% lean — any leaner and they’ll likely be too dry.
- Sweet potato: that’s right, you’ll shred a small sweet potato and add it right into the chicken burger mixture.
- BBQ sauce: feel free to use your favorite brand of BBQ sauce (I personally love Stubb’s!) It will keep the burgers juicy and flavorful.
- Extra mix-ins: I also like adding diced onion, garlic, cumin, and plenty of salt & pepper to the chicken patty mixture so that they’re super flavorful.
- Buns: feel free to use any hamburger buns you’d like (even gluten free).
- Toppings: top these BBQ chicken burgers with sharp cheddar cheese, extra BBQ sauce, butterhead lettuce, and sliced red onion if you’d like!
Make this chicken burger recipe your own
- Out of ground chicken? Feel free to use the same amount of ground turkey or beef instead.
- Choose your sauce. I LOVE the sweet and tangy flavor of BBQ sauce in these chicken burgers, but you could also use buffalo sauce!
- Keep them dairy free. Feel free to omit the cheddar cheese, use your fav vegan slice, or even top these BBQ chicken burgers with vegan cheese sauce, green tahini sauce, or good old guacamole.
- Go paleo. Feel free to serve these healthy chicken burgers in a lettuce wrap instead of a bun if you’d like, and then omit the cheese and use one of the sauces above!
- Have fun with toppings. Get creative with any burger toppings you’d like. Fresh avocado and tomato would also be amazing.
How to grill ground chicken burgers
Remember to get all of my tips & tricks for grilling burgers perfectly every time here!
- Mix the burgers. You’ll start by mixing together all of your burger ingredients (minus the toppings and bun, of course). I like to do this with my hands for ease.
- Divide the patties. Divide your chicken burger mixture into four 1/2-inch patties.
- Prep your grill. Preheat your grill to 400 degrees F and scrape off any leftover food bits from the last time you grilled.
- Cook your burgers. Grill the BBQ chicken burgers for 5-8 minutes per side.
- Don’t forget the cheese! During the last few minutes of cooking your chicken burgers add a slice of cheddar cheese on top of each patty. Cover the grill to let the cheese melt.
- Top & serve. Place the burgers on buns and pile high with your favorite toppings!
Can I make them on the stove?
Absolutely! Simply add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to a nonstick skillet and place it over medium heat. Once hot, cook your BBQ chicken burgers for 4-5 minutes per side until they’re no longer pink.
When are chicken burgers done?
These BBQ sweet potato chicken burgers are fully cooked when the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. I recommend using a meat thermometer so that you don’t have to cut into the burgers and risk losing their juiciness.
Freezer-friendly BBQ chicken burgers
These easy BBQ chicken burgers make the BEST freezer-friendly meal in the summer (and all year round!) There are two ways to do it:
- Freeze before cooking: shape your chicken burgers and place them in an airtight, freezer-friendly bag or container. If you’re stacking the burgers I’d recommend putting wax or parchment paper in between the layers so that they don’t stick together. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, you can either let them thaw in the fridge before cooking or cook them directly from frozen – you may just need to cook them a bit longer from frozen.
- Freeze after cooking: let your BBQ chicken burger patties cool completely before placing them in airtight, freezer-friendly containers or bags. As I mentioned above, put wax or parchment paper in between the layers of burgers if you’re stacking them. Freeze them for up to 3 months. To reheat, let them thaw in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop for a couple minutes on each side. You can also reheat these directly from frozen – I recommend doing so on the stovetop.
If these photos haven’t convinced you to make these delicious grilled chicken burgers, I’m not sure what will. I hope you get a chance to try them out very soon. Maybe for a Memorial Day BBQ?!
Tools for grilling perfect burgers
Check out our fav kitchen tools here.
What to serve with chicken burgers
If you’re looking for delicious recipes to serve with these juicy chicken burgers, here are a few that always go over well:
Get all of our amazing grilling recipes here!
Looking for more 30-minute meals?
Enter your email below to get my FREE e-book with our best 30-minute dinners straight to your inbox!
If you try these BBQ chicken burgers, be sure to leave a comment and rate it below and let me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to snap a photo and tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram so I can see your beautiful creations. xo!
The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Sweet Potato Cheddar BBQ Chicken Burgers
Seriously good BBQ chicken burgers with shredded sweet potato to keep them juicy. Top these incredible sweet potato chicken burgers with tangy, sweet BBQ sauce, sharp cheddar cheese, red onion and lettuce for the ultimate healthy grilled chicken burger recipe that’s perfect for summer!
Ingredients
- 1 pound 93% lean ground chicken (or sub ground turkey) — do not use 99%
- 1 cup shredded raw sweet potato (from about 1 small sweet potato)
- 2 tablespoons low sugar bbq sauce of choice
- ¼ cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- For assembly:
- 4 hamburger buns of choice, toasted if desired
- 4 tablespoons low sugar BBQ sauce of choice, for topping
- Butterhead lettuce
- Sliced red onion
Instructions
-
Make the chicken burgers by adding the ground chicken turkey, shredded sweet potato, bbq sauce, onion, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into 1/2 inch patties.
-
Grill over medium-high heat (around 400 degrees F) for 5-8 minutes per side or until burgers are cooked through and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. During the last few minutes of cooking the chicken burgers, add a slice of cheddar cheese on top of each burger patty; cover the grill for about 1 minute while the cheese melts.
-
Place the burgers on buns, top with onion, lettuce and drizzle with extra bbq sauce and top with onions. Serve immediately. Great with sweet potato fries or fresh fruit!
Recipe Notes
See the full post for tips, tricks & ways to customize your burgers! Freezing instructions included.
Nutrition
Serving: 1burger (with bun + toppings)Calories: 463calCarbohydrates: 46.4gProtein: 36.8gFat: 16.7gSaturated Fat: 6.5gFiber: 7.2gSugar: 3.8g
This post was originally published on June 27, 2019, updated and republished on May 19, 2021, republished on May 16th, 2022, and republished on May 20th, 2024.
