5-Ingredient Blackened Cilantro Lime Chicken Burgers

These 5-Ingredient Blackened Cilantro Lime Chicken Burgers are such an easy way to eat healthy this summer! Each patty is packed with tons of cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice, and then covered in spicy blackening seasoning. Once they’re grilled up, they’re topped with a makeshift guacamole and served open-faced.

I’m kind of obsessed with chicken burgers, so be sure to check out these Spanakopita Burgers, these Mozzarella Stick Chicken Burgers, and these Bánh Mì Chicken Burgers.

5-Ingredient Blackened Cilantro Lime Chicken Burgers

If eating healthy means I get to dig into things like these 5-Ingredient Blackened Cilantro Lime Chicken Burgers, then by all means, sign me up for a summer of healthy eating.

One question. Can I really classify these as burgers if they aren’t sandwiched between a bun, or even a crisp piece of lettuce?? I say yes, but we can also call these 5-Ingredient Blackened Cilantro Lime Chicken Patties if we want to get technical. If you feel the need to turn them into a bonafide burger, all you have to do is go ahead and buy a package of buns, and maybe even throw a slice of melty pepper jack cheese on top. If healthy eating weren’t on my mind, that’s exactly what I’d do. 

Here’s what’s happening: Ground chicken breast is mixed with tons of chopped cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and plenty of salt. The meat is formed into patties, covered in blackening seasoning, and cooked on the grill, an indoor griddle (my choice of cookware), or a non-stick pan. Each patty is topped with a makeshift guac, lots more cilantro, and its ready to be served. 

These actually kind of remind of the chili lime chicken burgers from Trader Joe’s, which have become my lazy lunch/dinner when I don’t feel like throwing something homemade together. These guys today are, obviously homemade, and for me, much more filling since each patty has a generous 1/4-pound of chicken breast.

Our 5-Ingredient Ingredient Lineup Includes

• Ground chicken breast (Sometimes I grind my own, but since we’re keeping things simple here, I went ahead and purchased it already ground.)
• Limes (Both the zest and the juice)
• Cilantro
• Blackening seasoning
• Avocado 

As I mentioned last week, a lot of times the key to flavorful five-ingredient cooking is to use ingredients that double up in either flavor complexity or in different components of the dish. Today, the blackening seasoning is the multi-faceted ingredient since once jar of seasoning actually includes several other ingredients (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, ground mustard, oregano, etc.). The limes and cilantro are used to flavor both the chicken meat and the avocado, so neither is lacking in flavor.

How to make 5-Ingredient Blackened Cilantro Lime Chicken Burgers

• Add ground chicken, chopped cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and salt to a large bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together. Form into four patties. Sprinkle evenly with blackening seasoning on both sides. 
• Heat a grill (make sure it’s greased if using a grill), non-stick griddle, or non-stick skillet to a medium-high heat. Cook patties until blackened, and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side. 
• While the patties cook, add the remaining cilantro, lime juice, salt and avocado to a medium bowl. Use a fork to mash the ingredients together. (I like to leave it a little bit chunky)
• Once the patties are done cooking, top with avocado, sprinkle with more cilantro, and a little bit more blackening seasoning.

Where can I find blackening seasoning? 

At my grocery store, there are two places you can find blackening season. First, there are obviously a few where all of the normal seasonings are, but I also find that there’s a few more options tucked away in their own little area near the seafood and meat counter. I had about three more options there. 

Do I have to use ground chicken breast? 

You can sub out regular ground chicken (which is fattier), or ground turkey. I haven’t tried them with ground beef, so I really couldn’t say if the beef would overpower the lime and cilantro. It’s worth a try though! 

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• Feel free to use any type of bun you want. We were just trying to cut back on carbs, but normally, we’d bun it up. 
• You can also add any type of cheese you want – pepper jack would be awesome. 
• Ground chicken breast has a tendency to get dry, so try really hard to avoid overcooking the meat. Even overcooking it a little bit can result in a dry burger – still flavorful though! 
• If you like a little bit more heat in your burger, add a little bit more blackening seasoning to the ground chicken breast itself. 

What to serve with 5-Ingredient Cilantro Lime Chicken Burgers

• The Best Pasta Salad in the Whole World
• Everyday Kale Salad
• Feta Caesar Pasta Salad

5-Ingredient Blackened Cilantro Lime Chicken Burgers

Yield: 4 burgers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

These 5-Ingredient Blackened Cilantro Lime Chicken Burgers are such an easy way to eat healthy this summer! Each patty is packed with tons of cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice, and then covered in spicy blackening seasoning. Once they're grilled up, they're topped with a makeshift guacamole and served open-faced.

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Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground chicken breast
• 1/4 cup + 2 tsp. chopped cilantro, divided
• 2 tsp. lime zest
• 2 tbsp lime juice, divided
• 1 1/4 tsp. salt, divided
• 2 1/2 tsp. blackening seasoning
• 2 avocados

Instructions

1. Add ground chicken breast, 1/4 cup cilantro, lime zest, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 teaspoon salt to a large bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients into the chicken breast. Form into four patties. Sprinkle the patties on both sides with blackening seasoning. If you like spice, add more.
2. Heat a large non-stick griddle, non-stick skillet, or cast-iron skillet to a medium-high heat. Cook burgers until blackened and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes per side.
3. While the burgers cook, add avocado remaining cilantro, lime juice, and salt to a medium bowl. Use a fork to mash. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Top patties evenly with avocado. Sprinkle with extra cilantro and blackening seasoning.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 331Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 1767mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 5gSugar: 0gProtein: 28g