These chicken burgers are a healthier choice for BBQ and they have a special ingredient that makes them delicious! Apples add a touch of sweet to these savory chicken burgers with a simple maple mustard sauce.

A maple mustard chicken burger on a bun with lettuce, cheese and onions. There is a plate of sliced red onions in the background.

Remember how I was super picky as a kid? I hated ground beef. Like, hated it. This meant that hamburgers were totally out of the question for me.

If we had a BBQ I was a die-hard hot dog connoisseur. 

Ground Beef and Rice Casserole? Please leave me a corner of just rice. 

Fast forward more years than I care to count and I’m in love with all things, but I still hold on tight to the old favorites as a kid, which includes chicken burgers!!!

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Apple Chicken Burgers?

The mix of ingredients in these chicken burgers is going to blow you away! A little sweet, a little salty, and everything perfect! Here is what you will need:

Burgers

  • Bacon
  • Red Onion
  • Garlic
  • Pepper
  • Salt
  • Apple Juice
  • Apple
  • Parsley (fresh)
  • Sage
  • Ground Chicken
  • Panko Bread Crumbs
  • Brioche Buns
  • Lettuce
  • Monterrey Cheese

It make look like a long list but trust me on this one! These are perfection!

5 Small bowls containing cubed apples, chopped red onions, minced garlic and salt and pepper, apple juice, and minced parsley and sage.

The perfect maple mustard sauce is what takes these burgers over the top! You only need 3 simple ingredients:

Sauce

  • Dijon Mustard
  • Maple Syrup
  • Mayonnaise

To make this sauce, just mix the ingredients together in a small bowl and place it in the refrigerator to use later.

A bowl of maple mustard sauce with a spoon in it.

How Do I Make Apple Chicken Burgers?

We have all sorts of burger recipes on the blog, like our Southern Pimento Cheeseburger and our Teriyaki Pina Colada Burger, but this is our first chicken burger! Let’s jump into how to make them!

Burger Additions

  • We are going to start by cooking the bacon. Take the 5 slices of bacon and chop them into the small pieces (about 1 inch pieces). Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon pieces. When they are done, place the bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel. Save 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease and discard the rest.

A skillet containing sizzling, chopped bacon.

  • Using the same skillet, add the 1 teaspoon of reserved bacon grease and place it on the stove over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper to the skillet and cook everything until the onions are tender. It will take about 2 minutes.
  • Next you are going to deglaze the pan by slowly pouring in the apple juice and scraping the bottom of the pan with spoon to clean the bits off the bottom of the pan. Simmer the apple juice for a few minutes until the liquid is gone.
  • Add the cooked bacon pieces, diced apple and herbs to the onions and cook until the apple starts to soften. Then remove everything to a bowl to cool.

A skillet filled with cooked bacon, apples, onions, spices,and herbs.

Patties

  • Now it is time to form the burger patties. Combine the bread crumbs, chicken and apple mixture in a large bowl.

A plate with a scoop of bread crumbs in one area, ground chicken next to the bread crumbs and the cooked bacon, apple and spice mixture next to them.

  • Handling the meat gently, shape the mixture into 6 patties (or 4 larger patties). Place them on a large plate or baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with salt and pepper. Set the patties in the refrigerator to rest for up to 30 minutes.

6 chicken burger patties on a baking pan.

Grilling

  • Now it is time to fire up the grill! Over medium high heat, grill the patties. Put the seasoned side down first and grill for 6-7 minutes. Salt and pepper the other side and flip the patties to cook on the other side for another 6-8 minutes. You want the patties to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. When they are cooked through, top with cheese and let it melt.

A grilled chicken burger patty being placed on a white plate with a spatula. There are apple slices and another chicken burger in the background..

Assemble

  • We are all about the brioche buns for our burgers. They hold up well to the sauce and all the goodness of this burger, but they are still soft and perfect! We like to grill the buns quickly. Grab the maple mustard sauce out the fridge and and spread it on the bottom bun. The add the meat patty and whatever toppings you enjoy. 

A chicken burger on a bun with lettuce, cheese, and red onion. There is another chicken burger in the background and small containers of bread crumbs, and red onions.

What Is The Best Way To Cook Bacon?

For this recipe since we are just doing small bacon pieces, cooking them in a skillet works perfectly. Plus, we also want that delicious bacon flavor left in the pan for cooking the onions and apples.

How Do I Know When Bacon Is Done?

I always go with the way bacon looks when cooking it. You want it to become slightly brown, opaque and crispy.

Three dinner plates containing chicken burgers on buns with lettuce cheese and red onions.

What Kind Of Onion Can You Substitute For Red Onion?

The closest in texture and flavor to a red onion is a yellow onion. Red onion is slightly sweeter and just looks prettier in my opinion, but to be honest, you won’t notice a difference.

A chicken burger on a bun with lettuce, cheese and red onion. There are apple slices and a glass of apple juice in the background.

Is Ground Chicken Healthier Than Ground Beef?

Ground chicken is leaner than ground beef, but because it is leaner, you need to add fat and moisture to it. In this case we add bacon to it to make it more moist and tender. Ground chicken is a great way to mix up your proteins and flavors, and on it’s own it is healthier.

A chicken burger on a white plate. The burger is on a bun wing lettuce, cheese, and red onion. There are two slices of apple beside the plate.

How Long Will Ground Chicken Keep?

Raw ground chicken will last in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. After ground chicken is cooked, it will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If you want it to last longer, it can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months.

A chicken burger being held in a hand. The burger is in a bun with lettuce, cheese, and sliced red onion.

Jump on board the chicken burgers train with us! You are going to love the sweetness of the apple, the saltiness of the bacon, and the creaminess of that maple mustard sauce!

All aboard!

 

A grilled chicken burger on a bun. It includes lettuce, cheese, and sliced red onion. There is another chicken burger in the background.

More Burger Recipes:

Maple Mustard Chicken Apple Burgers

3.63 from 27 votes
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Description

Apples add a touch of sweet to these savory chicken burgers with a simple maple mustard sauce

Ingredients 

  • 5 Slices Bacon, chopped
  • 1/4 Cup Red Onion, minced
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 Cup Apple Juice
  • 1 Apple, Chopped, about 2/3 cup
  • 2 Tablespoons Parsley, fresh, minced
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Sage
  • 2 Pounds Ground Chicken
  • 1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
  • 6 Brioche Buns
  • Lettuce
  • 1/2 Red Onion, Sliced Thin
  • 6 Slices Monterey Jack Cheese, any cheese is great, cheddar, smoked gruyere etc

For the Sauce

  • 1/2 Cup Dijon Mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

Instructions

For the Sauce

  • Mix ingredients in a bowl and set aside in the fridge.

For the Burgers

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 teaspoon of the grease.
  • Place the skillet and drippings back on the burner over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper, cooking until tender, about 2 minutes.
  • Slowly pour in the apple juice to deglaze the pan. Simmer for a few minutes until the liquid is gone. Add the bacon, apple, and herbs and cook until the apple is starting to soften.
  • Remove to a bowl to cool.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, chicken and apple mixture. Be sure to handle the meat gently. Shape into 6 patties or 4 larger patties. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside in the fridge to rest for up to 30 minutes.
  • Grill patties, salted side down for 6-7 minutes. Salt the other side, flip and cook another 6-8 minutes or until cooked through (165 degrees), topping with cheese to melt it.
  • Grill the buns quickly and spread sauce on the bottom. Add the meat and serve with toppings of choice.

Notes

Chicken burgers can be frozen for 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 891kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 48gFat: 52gSaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 313mgSodium: 1281mgPotassium: 991mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1079IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 312mgIron: 3mg
Author: Sweet Basil
Course: Top 10 Delicious Easy Hamburger Recipes
Cuisine: American

A maple mustard chicken burger on a bun with lettuce, cheese and onions. There is a plate of sliced red onions in the background.

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