Pan-Seared Mushroom Chicken Burgers Recipe

Maybe you've tried mushroom burgers, and you've tried chicken burgers, but if you haven't tried a combination of the two, you're really missing out. This simple recipe for a pan-seared mushroom chicken burger is the perfect weeknight dinner to lighten up your menu while keeping your tastebuds happy. "I love that these chicken burgers are really straightforward to make and are full of flavor," says recipe developer Christina Musgrave of Tasting with Tina. "The mushrooms add an earthy umami flavor to the patty, while the breadcrumbs help bind the patty together." 

The recipe only takes 30 minutes to make and pairs perfectly with all your standard burger sides. All you need to do is mix up a side salad or throw a batch of french fries in the oven and before you know it, you'll have a whole meal ready to serve, and one that's a welcome change from the typical beef burger.

You'll be making these mushroom chicken burgers from scratch, so you'll need quite a few ingredients to mix up the patties. Check your kitchen for the items you already have (quite a few are pantry and fridge staples), and be sure to pick up the rest from the store before getting started. You'll need olive oil, white mushrooms, salt, pepper, ground chicken, breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic powder, and onion powder for the patties, and burger buns, mayonnaise, mixed greens, and tomatoes to build your burgers.

First up, you need to prep your mushrooms for the patties. Dice up the mushrooms into small pieces and place them in a skillet. Add a tablespoon olive oil to the pan and bring it to medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms along with the salt and black pepper for 8 to 10 minutes. You're waiting for the moisture to evaporate and for the mushrooms to be dry. "The mushrooms need to be completely dry or else the patty will have too much moisture and not hold together properly," Musgrave explains. When the mushrooms are dry, remove them from the heat and set them aside to cool. 

Place the mushrooms, ground chicken, breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a bowl. Mix well to combine, then separate the mushroom-chicken mixture into four equal-sized balls. Use your hands to form them into large patties. 

Grab a large skillet and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, heating it to medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the patties to the pan, cooking them until they're golden brown on each side. This should take about 5 minutes per side.

When the patties are cooked through, remove them from the skillet and set them aside to start building your burgers. While Musgrave uses fairly standard toppings, including mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato slices, feel free to get creative with whatever toppings you prefer. Avocado or guacamole, sauteed onions, or slices of jalapeño would also work great. 

And if you and your family don't finish off the whole batch in one sitting, the patties make for good leftovers. "These can definitely be refrigerated and reheated," says Musgrave. "I recommend reheating in a pan with a bit of olive oil."