Healthy Greek Chicken Burgers
These Healthy Greek Chicken Burgers are full of flavor even though they’re made with just 5 ingredients and in less than 20 minutes! Plus, they’re food allergy friendly and low FODMAP!
Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Soy Free, Egg Free, Low FODMAP
It’s no secret around here that 2019 is the year of simplifying. Although I’m totally complicating my routine (we’re welcoming Baby G any week now!), I want to make sure that the information and recipes I share are EASY!
I’ve been working since January to make sure every recipe I share is simple and every nutrition tip and trick is approachable. After all, if it’s not, you probably won’t put the information into practice or test out a recipe, and then what’s the point?!
If you haven’t checked out my Thrive in 5 ebook (50 recipes made in 20 minutes or less with 5 ingredients each), this is THE resource you need to make healthy, balanced eating easy.
Just like the book is chock full of simple recipes, I’m committed to sharing easy peasy lemon squeezy recipes here on the blog too.
That’s why I’m so excited to share these Healthy Greek Chicken Burgers…
Not only are these easy to make, take less than 20 minutes, and only 5 ingredients (plus spices), but they’re food allergy-friendly, low FODMAP, paleo, and fit pretty much every other restriction out there.
These burgers only have 5 main ingredients:
1. Ground Chicken
The superstar of these burgers has to be ground chicken. When choosing meat, poultry, and dairy I prefer organic over conventional to minimize the addition of hormones and the use of antibiotics. When choosing poultry, also look for “free-range” on the label.
You can learn more about my preference for organic meat and poultry here.
I used 100% white meat chicken breast for these burgers. It’s juicy, full of flavor, and the leanest pick.
Simple swap: If you can’t find organic white meat ground chicken, you can also use ground turkey, beef, or lamb – they’ll all work great!
2. Shredded Zucchini
Sometimes white meat, or poultry in general, can be a little dry. That’s often why burgers are made with 80% beef (20% fat). To combat this, I love to add shredded zucchini.
Not only are you adding tons of moisture, you’re also adding a serving of veggies (so obviously, I’m a fan!).
The key to adding zucchini and still getting a burger that sticks together beautifully without a binder (like eggs or breadcrumbs) is to squeeze ALL of the excess water out. After shredding the zucchini with a grater (or you can spiralize it and chop it up), place the zucchini in a large paper towel or cheesecloth. Then get squeezin’! Use those muscles and remove as much excess moisture as possible!
3. Olives
To really amp up the flavor, this recipe calls for a half cup chopped olives. To be totally honest, I just started LOVING kalamata olives (or any olives, for that matter) about two years ago. Before that, I would always pick them out of a Greek salad.
Their saltiness adds a poignant flavor punch. Plus, they add some plant-based (monounsaturated aka heart-healthy) fat.
Of course, if you’re adverse to olives, you can skip ’em.
4. Dill
Herbs are one of the most underrated flavor enhancers in our food. Get with it, people, and start jazzing up your food with herbs!
Simple swap: Dill works perfectly in this recipe, but you can sub in another popular Mediterranean/Greek-inspired herb if you’d like (flat leaf parsley would work beautifully!).
5. Scallions (green onions)
The last of the main 5 ingredients is green onions or scallions.
For those who are low FODMAP, using the green part of scallions is considered low fodmap and adds TONS of flavor!
Simple swap: No scallions? Add in chopped white, yellow, or red onion instead!
Now you might notice something missing from this recipe… a binder, like breadcrumbs or an egg. Honestly, these easy burgers don’t need it! The proportions of ingredients works perfectly so the burgers stay together beautifully, especially if cooking in a cast iron pan or griddle (I haven’t tried these on an actual grill yet). Ground chicken tends to be a little “sticky,” which is why I think this recipe works so well.
These Greek Chicken Burgers are…
- Juicy
- Flavorful
- Made in 20 minutes
- With just 5 ingredients (+ spices)
- Food allergy friendly
- Low FODMAP
- Grain free
- DELICIOUS!
[Tweet “Try these Healthy, 20-Minute Greek Chicken Burgers with a sweet potato bun at your next BBQ!”]
PrintHealthy Greek Chicken Burgers
These Healthy Greek Chicken Burgers are full of flavor even though they’re made with just 5 ingredients and in less than 20 minutes! Plus, they’re food allergy friendly and low FODMAP!
Ingredients
1 pound ground chicken breast (organic, free range preferred)
1 cup packed shredded zucchini, with excess water squeezed out
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped dill
1/4 cup chopped scallions (green onions; If low fodmap, only use green part)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
For sweet potato buns:
2 large sweet potatoes
1/2 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix together until ingredients are evenly distributed. Form into 4-6 patties, about 1-inch thick.
- Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- When pan and oil is hot, add burgers to skillet. Cook for 5 minutes before flipping and cooking for another 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F (use a meat thermometer for safety).
- Serve on sweet potato or whole grain bun, over a bed of greens, or in a lettuce wrap.
For sweet potato bun:
- Slice a large sweet potato into 1/4-inch slices.
- Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Cook potato slices for 5-8 minutes per side, until cooked through and soft to fork. To expedite cooking, you may microwave sliced potatoes for 2 minutes, then brown in the skillet for just a few minutes on each side.
Don’t Forget to PIN these burgers to save for later…
Are you ready for your 1st BBQ of the season?! ENJOY!
XO