February 22, 2014

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise

Who says that grilling is just a summer staple activity?  In my book, it’s done in cold weather, too.  All you need is a grilling pan.  Or, in our case, all we have is a grilling pan since we live in an apartment and that is the closest thing to a grilling mechanism that we can get our hands on.  Besides, I love to put my always reliable grilling pan to work when arctic temperatures are still looming just to get a slim whiff of what warm weather would be like, or better yet to trick myself into a summer state of mind!




These homemade Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise are a year-round mouthwatering indulgence!  They were without a doubt the best part of this year’s Super Bowl.  And the fact that I cooked them on an outside grill, in freezing temperatures and a menacing snow storm made them that much more delicious and the experience way more exciting than the actual game.  Bottom line – my burgers were unbeatable, just like the Seattle Seahawks! 





These burgers will rock your house!  They are simply lip-smacking, piney and fresh, their pleasant lightness countered by the garlicky richness of the mayonnaise.  You may think that adding a disturbing amount of garlic-rosemary mayonnaise mixture to burgers is a despicable crime, but it works like a charm.  The burgers are so juicy, dressed with big flavors and nestled in between toasty challah buns smeared with more hefty dollops of the sinful mayonnaise sauce and topped with crisp mixed greens.  One word: phenomenal!     





These chicken burgers were my dinner of choice for the Super Bowl and, wait for it, Valentine’s Day.  I know, I know… a very unconventional dinner option for such a holiday but it worked beautifully and paired with this cake for dessert, it was truly unforgettable! 




Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients for Mayonnaise:

·         1 cup mayonnaise
·         Scant ¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
·         1 clove garlic, minced

Ingredients for Burgers:

·         1 pound ground chicken
·         Heaped ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
·         ¼ teaspoon black pepper
·         4 sandwich rolls or burger buns (I found that challah buns work particularly well)
·         ¼ cup olive oil
·         1 cup mixed greens, divided





Instructions for the Mayonnaise:

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary.  Set aside.

Instructions for the Burgers:

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. 





In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, salt, pepper and half of the mayonnaise mixture.  Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties.  Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 to 10 minutes on each side.  Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes. 

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and about 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture.  Grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.  




Instructions to assemble the Burgers:

Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns.  Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns.  Top each with ¼ cup of the mixed greens and finish with the top half of the bun.  




P.S.: I’ll be back on March 25!  It’s time for our annual trip to Romania, so Adrian and I are off to see our families for the next couple of weeks.  I won’t be able to post while away but I’ll return with stories and new recipes from good ol’ Transylvania!  Until then…




Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

19 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you so much! They are really tasty :)

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  2. These are a favorite in our home, which also happens to be a grill-less apartment :) Gorgeous pictures!

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    1. Thanks so much, Katy! We absolutely love these burgers and are so easy to make even in a grill-less apartment :)

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  3. Yummy! I can attest to the delicious burgers on SuperBowl night! It was fun grilling outside on a cold winter night! But, what a treat to eat!! Love you guys!

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    1. Thank you, Louise! It was a fun SuperBowl night and I'm so happy you loved these burgers :)

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  4. These burgers look absolutely incredible :D
    Delicious and that mayonnaise is even better!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Uru! The mayonnaise is pretty spectacular :)

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  5. The chicken burgers look awesome! I also love the Seattle Seahawks and can’t wait to see them defend the Super Bowl title next season! Joshua

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    1. Thank you so much, Joshua! The Seahawks were simply amazing and will be fun to see them defend their title :) Hope you'll enjoy these burgers!

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  6. My sister loved your viennese iced coffee and I made the chicken burgers last night! My husband loved them and so did the kids :) The chicken burgers were big and full of flavor! Laura

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    1. Thank you so much, Laura! So happy that you and your family loved the chicken burgers! They are definitely big and so flavorful :)

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  7. I am SO looking forward to our first grilled burger of the season. Till then, I will love trying your gorgeous chicken burgers. The mayo sounds fabulous!!!

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    1. Thank you, Liz! The chicken burgers are really delicious and the mayo puts them over the top :)

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  8. Hey can I use dry rosemary instead fresh rosemary
    It's quite hard to get fresh rosemary from my place
    hope to hear from you very soon Dana :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi and thank you so much for stopping by! You can definitely use dry rosemary instead of fresh rosemary. I would only use about 1 Tablespoon of dried rosemary since the dried rosemary is stronger and more concentrated in flavor than the fresh one. Hope this helps and let me know how the burgers turn out! I think you'll love this recipe :)

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  9. Hi Dana,
    Thank You so so much for replying
    I did use dry rosemary and the burgers was incredibly tasty and juicy and the mayo is over the top
    This is the 1st time ever I tried making homemade burgers and it was a hit
    My family members loved it
    Your guidance helped me alot
    again thank you
    will b stopping by everytime from now on
    And I want to know what other herbs,seasonings I can use for the burgers


    Mila,
    Love and hugs from Malaysia :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Mila! I'm so happy to hear that you tried and loved the burgers! I feel so proud and honored :) Stop by anytime and let me know if you have questions about any other recipes. xo

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  10. Thanks for sharing this blog. This is really easy recipe and It will help easy to make a delicious chicken burger in a few minutes.

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