Description
These Paleo and Whole30-friendly Buffalo Chicken Burgers are packed with lean ground chicken, grated zucchini for moisture, and a spicy buffalo kick. They make a healthy, flavorful dinner option that can be served with buns or wrapped in lettuce for a lighter meal. Perfect for fans of zesty, protein-rich burgers.
Ingredients
Scale
Burger Mixture
- 1 lb. ground chicken (93-96% lean)
- 3/4 cup grated zucchini, excess moisture squeezed out
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 2 Tbsp. cilantro
- 2 Tbsp. buffalo sauce
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp. salt
To Serve
- Buns or lettuce leaves for wraps
- Lettuce
- Ranch dressing
- Additional buffalo sauce
- Optional toppings: sliced tomatoes, red onion, avocado, pickles, cheese
Instructions
- Prepare zucchini: Squeeze the excess moisture out of the grated zucchini using a clean paper towel or kitchen towel, wrapping and pressing firmly to remove as much water as possible.
- Mix ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, grated zucchini, sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, buffalo sauce, garlic powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly with a fork or your hands until well combined.
- Form patties: Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and gently shape each into a patty roughly the size of your buns or slightly larger, keeping in mind they will shrink slightly during cooking.
- Cook burgers: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 burgers at a time, making sure they do not touch. Cook for 5-7 minutes per side until fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Assemble and serve: Transfer the cooked burgers to a clean plate. Build your burgers by layering patties on buns or lettuce wraps, adding lettuce, ranch dressing, additional buffalo sauce, and any other desired toppings like tomato, cheese, onion, or pickles. Alternatively, serve the patties on a bed of lettuce for a burger bowl.
Notes
- Make sure to thoroughly squeeze out zucchini moisture to prevent soggy burgers.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure burgers are cooked safely to 165°F.
- You can swap ranch dressing for a paleo or Whole30-approved alternative if desired.
- For a lower-carb option, serve wrapped in lettuce instead of buns.
- Extra buffalo sauce can be added for more spice or served on the side as a dipping sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger patty
- Calories: 157 kcal
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 843.7 mg
- Fat: 5.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.9 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 24.8 g
- Cholesterol: 111.2 mg
