Jerk Chicken Burgers

I don't know about anyone else, but this winter is killing me.  Perhaps I've been spoiled with mild winters the last few years or maybe the thick skin that I'd built up living in NYC has finally worn off but I'm sick of being cold and I'm sick of snow and ice.  I share all of this because, my winter blues certainly inspired my latest and greatest experiment in the kitchen.  

It was an unusually cold day and my thoughts travelled to summer and the cookouts I threw at the pool in my apartment complex.  Last summer, for the first time, I made jerk chicken on the grill and it was a smash hit.  This spicy Jamaican entree was fresh on my brain when a follower of mine on Instagram posted a picture of Jerk Turkey Burgers.  They looked really good and I knew this was the perfect way to get my jerk fix, but I decided to use ground chicken because "Jerk Chicken Burgers" sounded like victory to me.

So even though I'd never worked with ground chicken before, I picked some up along with Grace's Jerk Seasoning; my favorite brand. (I don't bother to make jerk from scratch, waayyy too many ingredients and way too many opportunities to royally screw it up. Plus this lady Grace does it so well, why bother?) 

Once I had those two ingredients, I realized that what really makes a burger great, is what you put on it so I wanted to make a nice refreshing topping to cool down the spiciness of the jerk seasoning.  I'd had mango salsa in mind but when I didn't see any fresh mangos in the produce section, I decided to go with pineapple salsa. Plus, I'd discovered that in the refrigerated section, my grocer had a nice sized pineapple chunk already cored and sliced in into rings, saving me a few steps already.

So I went home and got busy!  What I will say is that even though I love jerk, these burgers really did blow my head off and I decided when I wrote the recipe (And when I make them again very soon) I would decrease the amount of Jerk seasoning.  But my roommate has a higher tolerance for heat than me and she absolutely loved the burger.  She even said it was one of the best things I've made for her.  

So below is the recipe along with plenty of pictures.  These burgers really spiced up a cold winter weeknight for me and I want you to experience the same.  Enjoy!

Jerk Chicken Burgers

Ingredients: (Makes 4 burgers)

1 lb Ground Chicken (mix of white and dark meat)

1-2 tablespoons Grace's Jerk Chicken Seasoning*

1 small shallot (or red onion), grated

1/2 cup Plain Panko Breadcrumbs

4 fresh hamburger buns (I used Italian Potato Rolls)

Mayo for topping

Sliced Ripe Avocado for topping

Pineapple Salsa, for topping (recipe below)

*When it comes to jerk, I found (the hard way) that a little goes a long way. One tablespoon is perfect for medium heat, but if you want HOT, add the second tablespoon.  I wouldn't go past that though.

Directions:

Add ground chicken to a bowl along with the jerk seasoning and then grate in the shallot, up to two tablespoons.  Add in panko bread crumbs  and then, using your hands, mix everything together.  This mixture will be very wet and if you feel compelled to add a bit more panko that's fine. What I did, after mixing in about two handfuls of panko, was form 4 patties and allow them to set in the refrigerator, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.

While the burgers are setting up, you can make the pineapple salsa (see below) and slice the avocado, being sure to toss the slices in fresh lime juice to keep them from browning.

Next, remove the patties from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature.  Preheat your indoor grill pan to medium heat and begin by toasting the buns for a couple minutes on each side and arrange on a serving plate.  Next, gently place the 4 patties on the grill pan.  Loosely cover the pan with foil and allow the patties to cook for about 5-6 minutes.  Then flip them over and grill for 5-6 minutes more, still covered with the foil.  Remove the patties from the grill pan, place them on a plate and cover with the foil and allow them to rest for another 5 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, spread each side of the toasted buns with mayo.  Then, place a patty on each burger bun bottom.  Place 2 avocado slices on top of patties as well as 1-2 tablespoons of the pineapple salsa.  Cover with the top bun and serve immediately.

Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients: (makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups)

4 1 inch pineapple rings

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

1/3 cup red onion, finely diced

2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

1 lime, juiced

Salt, to taste

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions: I grilled my pineapple rings on the indoor grill pan for about 4-5 minutes on each side, however this step is optional.  Dice pineapple and add to a mixing bowl.  Add in the diced bell pepper, red onion, chopped cilantro, juice of one lime, salt to taste and a pinch of cayenne.  Using a spoon, toss everything together, cover with saran and refrigerate until ready to serve.  The longer this sits, the better it is so feel free to make up to a day in advance.

Pico and Guac

With playoffs here and Super Bowl around the corner, you may be on the lookout for great dips and snacks.  Well, I'm here to share my recipes for 2 dips that no game day should be without: Pico De Gallo and Guacamole.  

There are thousands of recipes out there for Guacamole but I happen to like mine nice and chunky which is why I add fresh pico de gallo to it.  Sure you can grab store bought pico and use it in this guac recipe, but I actually like to make both.  Some people don't like guacamole and even thought that makes them crazy, I like to give another option so I make the pico, use some in the guac and it's a win/win.

Even though I give measurements here, when it comes to the seasonings, just do it by taste.  I like to use alot of cilantro and lime and I also enjoy garlic in my guac.  But you can adjust the seasonings to your own taste.  AND if you really want to kick your guacamole up a notch, check out my Seafood Version.

Pico and Guac use pretty much the same ingredients!

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients: (Makes about 2 Cups)

5 plum tomatoes, seeded, diced

½ cup red or white onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Juice of ½ a Lime

Salt & Fresh Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

After you have removed the seeds and diced your tomatoes, add them to a bowl.  Then add the finely chopped onion and cilantro and stir to combine.  Next squeeze half a lime over tomatoes and season liberally with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Give mixture a final stir, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.  Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos, quesadillas, burritos, eggs, you name it!

Guacamole 

Ingredients:

3 Ripe* Hass Avocados

2 Limes, juiced

1/2 cup Store Bought or Fresh Pico Gallo (see above) 

1-2 cloves garlic, grated using a micro-plane

Salt & Fresh Black Pepper, to taste

*A ripe avocado is dark green and soft to the touch when you squeeze it gently. If your avocados are bright green and hard, they will need 2-3 days to ripen by simply leaving them out on the kitchen counter.

Directions:

Grip the avocado gently on one side with one hand. With a large, sharp knife in the other hand, cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed. Open the two halves to expose the pit.  Remove the seed by scooping it out with spoon or using a knife to cut into the seed and twisting it out. Then, using a spoon, scoop the flesh of the avocado out into a small bowl. Roll the limes on the kitchen counter to release their juices, cut the lime in half and squeeze all of the juice onto the avocados. Next, mash the avocado using the spoon until to combine with the lime juice (this will keep it from browning). Lastly, add the salsa, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a final mix and serve immediately with chips.

Recipes Perfect for Cinco De Mayo!

Cinco De Mayo is Sunday and I just wanted to share a few recipes for anyone who may be entertaining or simply trying to be festive.  I, like most people, happen to love Mexican food so these recipes weren't written with May 5th in mind.  But they're perfect for the holiday and if I was entertaining this Cinco De Mayo, I would definitely make one, if not all of these!

Why am I not hosting a taco and tequila filled fiesta this Sunday?  Well, I've discovered that all of my entertaining has put a slight strain on my budget so I need to chill for a bit.  AND one of my friends invited me out to a party. And I need some fun!  So YES I will be partying but NO I won't be cooking. Which is why I'm posting some recipes in the hopes that YOU will do the cooking. ;-)

However, I only have a handful of Mexican recipes (all amazing though).  First is my Healthy Fish Tacos that I wrote recently for Ebony.com.  The beauty of this one is that inside that recipe is a Pico De Gallo recipe and a Cilantro-Lime Cole Slaw recipe in addition to the tacos. So you get 3 Mexican inspired dishes in one!

Then there's my Seafood Guacamole w/ Baked Tortilla Chips.  The tortilla chips are a fun snack to make, especially with little ones! And the seafood guac is so good, that is becoming my signature dish among my family and friends.  It is TO DIE FOR.  Especially if you love seafood.  But if you don't, I've included a classic "semi-homemade" Guacamole recipe as well.

Make one or make them all!

Healthy Fish Tacos w/ Cilantro-Lime Slaw & Pico De Gallo

Seafood Guacamole w/ Baked Tortilla Chips

Guacamole