Grilled Spinach Artichoke Chicken Burgers
These grilled chicken burgers are healthy and delicious, with spinach, artichokes, herbs, and feta to add lots of savory flavor. If you’ve been disappointed by chicken burgers in the past, this recipe is a game-changer!
Think chicken burgers are dry and bland? Not these Grilled Spinach Artichoke Chicken Burgers! I have a few tricks up my sleeve to take them to the next level. Once you give them a try, you’ll gladly pass up a traditional burger in favor of a homemade grilled chicken burger!
Ground chicken benefits from a lot of seasonings and add-ins, so this chicken burger recipe starts with a mix of sautéed onions, garlic, spinach, and artichokes. To this, we add the ground chicken, Italian herbs, ground pepper and red pepper flakes, and crumbled feta. Lemon zest adds a bright citrus note to perfectly complement the feta and artichokes.
You can serve your grilled chicken burger patties on a bun, but they really don’t need it! You can keep this dish low carb by using lettuce instead of a bun, or even just serve the patties on a bed of greens. Pile on your favorite toppings and dig in!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Spinach Artichoke Mix
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Yellow onion – Mince this well so you don’t have big pieces of onion in your burgers.
- Kosher salt
- Garlic – I use a generous amount of garlic in this recipe, but you can make your burgers even more garlicky if you’d like!
- Fresh spinach
- Artichoke hearts – Use the kind that’s packed in water, not oil.
Chicken Burgers
- Ground chicken – Ground chicken breast doesn’t have enough fat for making grilled chicken burgers, so I recommend using a ground chicken that’s a mixture of light and dark meat, or even ground dark meat chicken.
- Lemon
- Egg yolk
- Crumbled feta cheese
- Dried Italian Herb mix
- Crushed red pepper flakes – Adjust the amount according to your taste preferences.
- Ground black pepper
Why Do You Want to Add Salt to Sautéing Onions?
The salt will help the onions cook down and brown up a little bit faster, so you get a nicer, deeper flavor. This will help add another flavor to your burgers, too.
How to Make the Best Healthy Chicken Burgers
If you’d like, you can get a head start on these Grilled Spinach Artichoke Chicken Burgers by making the spinach mixture up to 2 days in advance.
Sauté the onions. Set a medium skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Next, add the onions and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook the onions until they’re translucent, stirring occasionally.
Finish the spinach mixture. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the spinach and artichoke hearts. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30-60 seconds, or until the spinach wilts. Let the mixture cool slightly.
Make the chicken burger mixture. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, lemon zest, egg yolk, red pepper, Italian herbs and black pepper. Add the spinach mixture and crumbled feta, then mix with your hands until everything is incorporated.
Form the patties. Divide the chicken mixture into 5 or 6 portions and use your hands to shape it into patties.
Cook the burgers. Oil your grill grates with olive oil or butter and heat the grill to medium-high. Place the patties on the grill, cover, and lower the heat to medium. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, then flip the patties and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes with the grill closed.
Serve. Transfer the cooked chicken burger patties to a platter and serve with the toppings of your choice.
Tips for Success
Here are some hints and tips for perfect grilled chicken burgers:
- Forming the patties. If the chicken mixture feels sticky, you can wet your hands slightly and this should help with forming the chicken burgers.
- Getting a head start. After forming the patties, you can cover and refrigerate them until you’re ready to grill them. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to a day.
- Oil the grill well. This will ensure that the burgers flip easily and don’t stick to the grates.
Chicken Burger Topping Ideas
With their Mediterranean flavors, I love serving these Grilled Spinach Artichoke Chicken Burgers with:
- Bruschetta tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar
- Fresh arugula or baby spinach tossed with a squeeze of lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.
- Roasted red peppers and feta aioli.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
You can store leftover grilled chicken burgers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days; wrap them or keep them in an airtight container. I often eat the leftovers cold, but you can warm them up on a skillet on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
You can freeze these chicken burger patties in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat them according to the instructions above.
More Healthy Burger Recipes
Grilled Spinach Artichoke Chicken Burgers
With feta, spinach, artichokes, and plenty of garlic, these easy grilled chicken burgers are absolutely packed with flavor!
Ingredients
Spinach Artichoke Mix
-
1
tablespoon
of extra virgin olive oil -
1
small yellow onion minced
about ½ cup -
½
teaspoon
kosher salt -
3
cloves
garlic minced -
3
oz
fresh spinach roughly chopped -
1/2
cup
Artichoke hearts in water unflavored
chopped
Burgers
-
1
lb
ground chicken -
zest of 1 lemon
grated -
1
large egg yolk -
⅓
cup
of crumbled feta cheese -
1
teaspoon
dried Italian Herb mix -
¼
teaspoon
crushed red pepper flakes
more if you like it spicy. -
¼
teaspoon
ground black pepper
Instructions
-
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil.
-
Add onions, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook onions until translucent. You will need to stir every few minutes.
-
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
-
Add spinach and artichoke hearts, cook, stirring, for 30-60 seconds, or until spinach wilts.
-
In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, lemon zest, egg yolk, red pepper, Italian herbs and black pepper. Add in the partially cooled spinach mixture and crumbled feta.
-
Mix well with your hands to combine.
-
Form the mixture into 5-6 patties, wetting your hands slightly to make it easier if it’s sticky.
-
Note: you can cover and refrigerate patties at this point if you want to make them later in the day
-
When ready to cook, oil grill grates with olive oil or butter, heat your grill to medium-high heat.
-
Place patties on grill, cover grill, lower heat to medium and let cook 3-4 minutes.
-
Flip patties, they should release easily from the grill grates when you slide the spatula under the pattie.
-
After you flip, cook an additional 3-4 minutes, with the grill closed, or until the patties are cooked through.
-
Transfer to a platter to serve with assorted toppings of your choice.
Recipe Notes
These are great served as a leftover, I enjoy them cold