lil carb Island Chicken Burgers

Here I am staring outside at the falling snow that will become a blizzard overnight and all I can think of is my honeymoon in Mexico... a far cry from where I am now!  But that's ok because I plan on transporting Jason and myself to a warm island tonight with the lovely flavors of what I like to call Island Chicken Burgers. I try to keep recipes simple most of the time but this one has a few ingredients from the Asian aisle of the supermarket. These items might seem like the opposite of kitchen staples- they definitely weren't for me about 2 years ago but now these are things I always keep on hand precisely for recipes like this!  You will be surprised how often you will use them.

For the burger I don't serve it in the traditional way with a toasted bun -sad face- although you certainly can! Instead I serve it with a lemon ginger mayo and a lettuce mix that I have tossed in a simple dressing- call it open-faced! Let's get started!

First I combined all of the ingredients for the lemon ginger mayo, mixed it well and put it into the fridge to chill. I didn't take a picture of that and I'm not sure why... ha

Next I combined the ingredients for the simple salad dressing, I whisked it together and put that in the fridge also. 

Then I started on the burgers.

I combined everything into a bowl and then I added the ground chicken!

What great colors!  I had to include 2 pics.. 

In goes the chicken and then I mixed well with my hands.

I melted butter and oil in a cast iron skillet.

Because the chicken mixture is very sticky I form it into a patty shape and place in the skillet and then spread it out with a spatula very carefully.

5-6 Minutes per side and then they're done!!

See below for the assembly!

Simple Lettuce Dressing:
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
Pinch of Salt and Pepper
2 cups of Spring Mix Lettuce (1/2 cup for each burger)

*Whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside.
Toss a lil dressing with spring mix lettuce and assemble burger as described below.

Lemon Ginger Mayo: - tops 4 burgers -
1/2 Cup Mayonaise
1/2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Fresh Ginger, minced
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
Juice of 1/2 of a Lemon (use the one zested for the burgers)
1 Tbsp Green Onion, chopped
Pinch Pepper

*Combine all the ingredients, mix well and place in the fridge so the flavors can merry and the mayo can chill. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 3 days.

Chicken Burgers: -Makes 4 Burgers-
1 Lb Ground Chicken
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, minced
3 Tbsp Green Onion, chopped
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of half a Lemon
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Almond Flour
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter

*Combine all of the burger ingredients except the oil and butter and mix well with clean hands. Next heat oil and butter over medium heat, I like to use a cast iron skillet. Form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. (Hint: they will be very sticky. I like to section out the chicken mixture and grab 1/4 of it and place it into the pan and then carefully form it into a flatter patty.)  Cook for 5-6 minutes per side and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

To assemble the burgers... Start with a spoonful of lemon ginger mayo on the plate. 

Then place the chicken burger on a plate and top with another good dollop of the lemon ginger mayo. 

Next top it with the mix greens that were tossed in the quick dressing above.

Sprinkle on a few toasted sesame seeds and serve with a knife and fork!

I served this along side Ree Drumonds Spicy Cauliflower Stir Fry - why fix what's not broken?! 

Her recipe is the best!!!  It went perfectly with my chicken burgers.

Jason and I! Here we are at a Sunset-5-Course-Lobster-Dinner... oh Mexico how you spoiled me!