Ground Chicken Smash Burgers with Pepper Jack Cheese

Step 1

Preheat griddle on low.

Step 2

Add bacon to the preheated griddle and cook until done. Once cooked to your liking, remove from the griddle and allow to drain.

Step 3

While the bacon is cooking, saute white onion and poblano pepper in a bit of your favorite cooking oil. You can also scrape the bacon grease on the griddle towards the vegetables for extra flavor. When vegetables are done cooking, remove from the griddle.

Step 4

In a large bowl, add ground chicken, sautéed onion and pepper, panko, cilantro, Worcestershire, garlic, mustard, and mayonnaise. Use your hands to mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Step 5

Separate ground chicken mixture into 4 balls. For smaller patties, separate mixture into 6 balls. Use hands to shape meat into balls, just like you would for smash burgers.

Step 6

Place burger balls on the griddle, making sure to space them far enough apart to be able to smash the meat and flip it.

Step 7

Place a large square of parchment paper on top of the first burger ball, then use a press to evenly smash the burger meat down. The chicken smash burgers should be slightly thicker than a regular beef smash burger. Repeat until all chicken burgers are smashed. Sprinkle the top of the burger patties with your favorite seasoning.

Step 8

Allow the burgers to cook on the first side untouched until meat is about 75% cooked through. Then flip to the second side. Be sure to use your spatula to get under the burger crust as you're flipping, so that the crust stays on the patty.

Step 9

Allow the burgers to cook on the second side for 1-2 minutes before adding one slice of cheese to each burger. Continue to cook burgers until the internal temperature of each patty reaches 165 degrees.

Step 10

When the chicken burgers are almost done cooking, dab the cut side of your hamburger buns in the leftover grease and toast on the griddle until done to your liking.

Step 11

When buns are toasted and chicken smash burgers are cooked through, remove them from the griddle and build your burgers. Enjoy!