Ground Chicken Smash Burgers turn one pound of chicken into eight thin two-ounce patties, stacked two per bun to make four cheeseburgers. The recipe serves four and records 10 minutes of preparation, 20 minutes of cooking, and 30 minutes total. Four yellow American cheese slices go on every other patty after the flip, allowing each final double stack to contain one melted slice. Brioche buns are optionally spread with mayonnaise before toasting, while shredded iceberg, tomato, pickles, and burger sauce are prepared ahead for quick assembly. The short cook depends on a hot pan, thin patties, and organized toppings.
Ground Chicken Smash Burgers Ingredients
Main Ingredients: 1 pound ground chicken; Salt; Pepper; 4 slices yellow American cheese; 4 brioche burger buns; 1/4 cup mayo or light mayo (optional).
Toppings: Shredded iceberg lettuce; Tomato slices; Pickles; Burger sauce*.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta.
How to Make Ground Chicken Smash Burgers
- Prepare toppings and ingredients: Prepare any toppings such as lettuce, tomato slices, pickles, and burger sauce ahead of time for quick assembly later.
- Form chicken patties: Pat the ground chicken dry with a paper towel and portion it into 2-ounce balls without squeezing or forming into meatballs. Season each portion with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Prepare burger buns: Lightly spread mayo on each side of the buns for better browning. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat, lightly coat with oil or cooking spray, and toast the buns on the hot pan. Set the toasted buns aside.
- Cook and smash patties: Place the chicken balls on the hot pan. Place a small square of parchment paper on top of each ball and press down with a spatula to flatten into thin patties. Carefully remove the parchment and lightly season the patties with salt and pepper again.
- Cook patties: Cook patties for 2-3 minutes on one side until golden brown and almost no pink remains on top. Flip the patties and add cheese to every other patty. Cook the second side for another 60-90 seconds before stacking the non-cheese patties on top of the cheese-topped ones.
- Assemble and serve: Assemble the burgers by placing the double chicken patties on the toasted buns. Add your prepared toppings and serve immediately.
For storage details after serving, the USDA leftovers and food safety guidance.
Why the Order Matters
Prepare shredded iceberg, tomato slices, pickles, and burger sauce before cooking. Pat one pound ground chicken dry with paper towel and portion it into eight loose two-ounce mounds without squeezing them into firm meatballs. Season each with a pinch of salt and pepper. If using the optional one-quarter cup mayo, spread it lightly on the cut sides of exactly four brioche buns. Lightly coat a griddle or skillet with oil or cooking spray over medium-high heat, toast the buns, and set aside. Place chicken portions on the hot pan, cover each with a small parchment square, and press thin with a spatula. Remove parchment and season again. Cook two to three minutes until golden with almost no pink showing on top. Flip, cheese every other patty, cook 60 to 90 seconds, then stack plain patties onto cheese-topped patties and assemble four burgers.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Sausage Gravy Puff Pie.
Critical Visual and Timing Cues
Ground chicken is softer and stickier than beef, so drying its surface and keeping portions loose makes smashing easier. Count eight two-ounce portions before the griddle stage. The pan should be hot enough to produce immediate steady sizzling, but not smoking. Parchment prevents the spatula from sticking during the firm downward press; peel it away carefully after each patty is thin. Do not move patties repeatedly during the two-to-three-minute first side because uninterrupted contact creates browning. The top should show almost no pink before flipping. Add exactly four cheese slices to alternating patties, leaving four plain. After another 60 to 90 seconds, chicken must be fully cooked and the cheese softened. Stack one plain patty on each cheesy patty to form exactly four doubles.
Serving and Storage
Build four burgers immediately on the toasted brioche buns. Each bun receives one double chicken stack containing two patties and one slice of cheese, followed by the prepared lettuce, tomato, pickles, and burger sauce as desired. Serve hot while the patty edges retain their browned texture. Refrigerate any cooked patties promptly and keep fresh toppings separate. Reheat chicken until safely hot before rebuilding a leftover sandwich. The recipe contains poultry, dairy, and wheat, and mayonnaise or burger sauce commonly contains egg; confirm package labels for the exact products used. Avoid cross-contamination by keeping the raw-chicken plate, parchment, and utensils away from toasted buns and finished toppings, and use a clean spatula or plate once patties are cooked.
Practical Kitchen Notes
One pound equals eight two-ounce portions, which explains how four buns become four double-patty burgers. Do not make four quarter-pound patties, because that would change the intended smash format and cooking time. Salt and pepper are intentionally listed without fixed numeric amounts: use a pinch on the loose portions and another light seasoning after smashing as instructed. Mayo or light mayo is optional and limited to one-quarter cup for bun browning. Oil or cooking spray is used only as a light coating on the cooking surface. Four American cheese slices match the four final burgers. Lettuce, tomato, pickles, and burger sauce are topping lines without quantities, so no unsupported amounts should be claimed.
Details Worth Preserving
Set up the entire station before raw chicken touches the griddle: slice four buns, prepare optional mayo, arrange cheese, shred lettuce, slice tomato, drain pickles, portion sauce, and cut eight small parchment squares. Then pat chicken dry, divide into eight loose portions, and season. Toast buns first so they never share the pan with raw chicken residue after cooking begins; move them to a clean plate. Smash in batches if the surface cannot hold eight without crowding. Preserve the two-to-three-minute first side and 60-to-90-second second side while also confirming safe doneness. Cheese exactly four, create four double stacks, and transfer them with a clean utensil to the toasted buns for immediate assembly.
Recorded Recipe Tips
- For a lighter version, use light mayo and reduced-calorie condiments for the burger sauce. Quality American cheese is recommended for the best results.
- Extra lean ground chicken breast is ideal for this recipe, but ground turkey or beef can also be used as substitutes.
Conclusion
Ground Chicken Smash Burgers makes 4 servings in 30 recorded minutes, plus any separately stated baking, chilling, rising, resting, or cooling time. Preserve every listed quantity and instruction for the intended result.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How many servings does Ground Chicken Smash Burgers make?
It makes 4 servings and serves 4.
- → How long does Ground Chicken Smash Burgers take?
The recipe records 10 minutes of preparation, 20 minutes of cooking, and 30 minutes total, plus any separately stated baking, chilling, rising, resting, or cooling time.
- → What equipment should be ready?
Prepare Large griddle or skillet; Spatula; Paper towel; Small parchment paper squares before starting.
- → Can I change the recorded method?
For the verified result, keep the listed quantities, temperatures, timing, and ordered instructions exactly as written. Use only optional variations explicitly recorded in the source.