Chicken Parmesan Burgers

August 16, 2016

I made these burgers last week for an evening picnic at the park with live jazz music (read about it here). I had already been planning on making them for dinner and when I saw that there was a concert in the park I thought they would be the perfect picnic food. I was watching Create TV (a PBS station that if you don't watch, you should!) when I saw a chef make these burgers. I thought it was Jacques Pepin but searched his recipes and couldn't find anything like this. Thankfully, I did take some notes while watching the program:

1lb ground all white meat chicken
spices, garlic, herbs, marinara
mix and make into patties, roll in panko and basil, fry in olive oil 3 mins per side
Bun, fresh slice mozzarella, marinara, roasted red peppers, basil?

Ok, a little cryptic but I can figure it out right? I guess I really thought I would remember who the chef was and that I would be able to find the recipe online. Oh well! Whoever you were, thank you for the inspiration! My version is below.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

for chicken patties

1 1/2 pounds ground, all white meat chicken

1 sprig fresh oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons marinara sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

pinch red pepper flakes

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

olive oil, for frying

for serving

4 buns (ciabatta would have been delicious had I thought of it at the store, we used brioche)

6 ounces fresh mozzarella

1 cup marinara sauce

marinated, roasted red peppers (from a jar)

fresh basil leaves

To make patties, combine the ground chicken, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, marinara sauce, olive oil, and red pepper flakes into a large bowl. Mix with your hands until all ingredients are incorporated. Shape the mixture into 4 patties. Set aside. In a shallow bowl, combine the panko and grated parmesan cheese. Cover each patty with the panko mixture.

In a large pan, heat some olive oil. Fry the patties for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked throughly. To assemble, put patty on bun, add a slice of mozzarella, 1/4 cup of marinara sauce, and then top with a roasted red bell pepper and some fresh basil.