There is little that says summer to me more than a good burger. We are well into summer, and I have yet to have one, and I knew that needed to change!
Now, I love a classic burger, but not quite as much as I love to do plays on food. I decided to go with an American Mexican Fusion burger. Probably much heavier on the American side of things, but it definitely has some tex-mex flavors going on.
First I decided to go with a chicken patties to change things up even more, and because it lends itself so well to the spices I wanted to use. I was proud of myself reigning in my excitement for spices and stuck to three (well, one is a mix) -- cumin, garlic, and chili powder. A hefty dose of those three spices/aromatics do well to flavor without spending 20 minutes digging through spices.
Not that I would have any experience with doing that…
Next comes the toppings. Cause that’s half the burger!
First there is avocado. I actually knew it would be chicken and avocado before I decided on the Mexican Fusion theme, but avocado just screams “stop anthropomorphizing me, but more importantly pare me with southwestern spices!”
The perfect avocado for this will be soft (but not mushy) in the ends, and ever so slightly squeezable on the sides. The sides will readily give when you push them, but not much.
Then there is the tomato, because I needed to keep some classic! When you are biting through hefty meat and rich avocado, and summery fresh tomato adds so much!
Next is the sauce, any good burger needs one. Now I have nothing against mayonnaise or ketchup (at least homemade versions) but I figured a mango lime dressing would be far more fitting. It is creamy because of blended in oil, tart with lime juice, and refreshingly sweet with mango. Alternatively you could just use mayonnaise, but it won’t be quite the same.
For serving I chose to do a lettuce wrap, as it is easy, and succeeds at getting everything to my mouth at the same time. If a more traditional option is desired though, these paleo burger buns look easy and delicious.
Avocado Chicken Burgers
Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
15 Min | 10 Min | 25 Min |
Ingredients
Print RecipeMakes 4 Servings
- 1 ½ lb Ground Chicken (Dark Meat)
- 1 ½ Tsp Sea Salt
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder (I used mild)
- 1 Tbsp Ghee, Lard, or other Heat Stable Fat of Choice
- 1 Head Ice Burg Lettuce, or Paleo Buns of choice
- 1 Beef Steak Tomato (optional)
- 1 Large or 2 Small Avocados, thinly sliced
- ~4 Tbsp Mango Dressing (recipe follows) or Paleo Friendly Mayo
- Coarse salt (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the fat.
2. Mix together the spices, salt, and garlic. Sprinkle over the ground chicken in a bowl. Gentle mix in. Ground chicken just loves to get tough, so be careful to not overmix.
3. Shape into 4 burger patties.
4. Cook the patties over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side. Until nicely golden, and cooked through. Unless you have a lot of experience working with ground chicken I recommend testing one to make sure it is cooked. It will be pinkish because of the spices, but will be opaque, and semi-firm throughout.
5. Assemble the burger in either Paleo Buns, or in a few leaves of ice burg to wrap around the burger. I like to add a tiny pinch of coarse salt on top of everything because of all the unsalted vegetables added (without the super salty addition of ketchup) but that is optional.
Nutritional Facts (Per Serving) (Including Dressing)
calories | fat | carbs | sugar | protein | sodum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
502 | 28g | 11.2g | 2.2g | 51.2g | 745mg |
Mango Dressing
Ingredients
Makes 8 Servings
- ½ C Very Ripe Mango Chunks (buy frozen and thaw if there are no really great fresh mangos)
- 2 Tbsp Lime Juice (1 large or 2 small limes)
- 2 Tsp Honey (optional)
- ¼ Tsp Sea Salt
- 1/3 C avocado oil
- Zest from 2 Limes
Instructions
1. Blend the mango, lime juice, honey if using, and sea salt together until smooth. You can use a powerful blender, or food processor.
2. Slowly drizzle in the oil while blending.
3. Pulse in the lime zest.
4. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
Note: This makes more then you will need for the burgers, and the reason is that it is hard for food processors or blenders to make smaller amounts. If you have a personal, strong, blender you might be able to half. If not you have extra for topping salads or tacos (it would be especially good on fish tacos).
