One of the things I like about writing this hobby blog is that it challenges me to try new things. This week: I’m turning on the grill and making a chicken burger.
How is it that I’ve never eaten a chicken burger before? Is that good or bad?
I draw inspiration from this teriyaki turkey burger recipe, which features homemade teriyaki sauce and a grilled pineapple ring. Feels very backyard barbecue circa 1950s.
First, I make my teriyaki sauce. Super easy. In a pan, combine 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce, 3 tbsp of pineapple juice (water works too), 3 tbsp honey, 1 minced garlic clove, and about 3/4 tsp grated ginger. Pro tip: wash then store your ginger in the freezer; it makes grating easier. I use ginger skin and all and then pop it back into the freezer after each use.
Bring the teriyaki to a boil, reduce heat, and whisk for about 2 minutes.
Add a slurry of 2 tsp cornstarch and 2 tsp water. Whisk for another minute until you’ve got a bit of a syrup happening. It’s a magical transformation. Teriyaki is ready.
The teriyaki is going to compete with the burger and pineapple as the star of this sandwich, so you want it to be lip smacking. Mine isn’t too sweet (if you want sweet, replace honey with brown sugar) but it could use more ginger (I like it bold), so I grate about another 1/4 tsp into the teriyaki.
I want to lay down some mayo on the bottom of my sandwich to cut through the sweetness of the teriyaki and grilled pineapple, so I combine 2 tsp white miso with 1/4 cup of Hellmann’s mayo. It’ll add richness and a bit more umami flavour but if you’re going for low sodium, plain mayo will do.
I slice a pineapple to create 1/4 inch sized rings. These can be sliced even thinner if you don’t want pineapple becoming the boss of your burger.
I wash and dry these sweet little gem lettuces. They’ll go on top of the mayo, underneath the burger.
I slice open some lovely burger buns from Blackbird Baking Co. Everything’s ready but the chicken burgers.
Now for the part I really, really hate: working with raw meat. I’ve got 1 lb of ground chicken thighs from Rowe Farms, my trusted meat supplier. In a bowl, I add the grated onion and ginger, as well as salt and pepper to taste.
Using my hands, I gently work that into the chicken, just enough for the ingredients to incorporate. Then I form them into loose balls, placing them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
At this point you can form the burgers by hand or, if you have a metal ring mould and press, put that into action.
I cover those with plastic wrap and let them chill in the fridge for a half hour. Now I’m ready to grill.
The BBQ is set high — at 500 F and the grill grates have been brushed with olive oil to prevent sticking. On go the burgers for about 3-4 minutes per side. Once the bottom is cooked (you’ll know because the burgers will release from the grill), flip and brush the cooked side with some of the reserved teriyaki sauce.
Get those pineapple rings on the grill and cook them on both sides to get grill marks (about 3 minutes in total).
Everything’s ready.
Time to build the burger. Buns down, cut side facing upward. Bottom bun gets painted with the mayo and topped with gem lettuce.
Top that with a chicken burger and drizzle on some teriyaki sauce. Place a pineapple slice on the top bun.
And there it is. My first chicken burger and it’s got a lot going for it. Great char on the burger; a nice smoky flavour. Sticky teriyaki sauce really makes it feel playful. Pineapple is great but adds to the sweetness. Not sure I’d do that again. But the chicken burgers themselves? They’re the star. A great summertime treat.
— Trish Hennessy
A Year in Sandwiches 