Rachael Bryant is the founder of Meatified, a Paleo blog where she shares her recipes and kitchen antics. As someone with Hashimoto’s, she uses the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) to feel her best and is on a mission to prove that following the AIP can be as delicious as it is nutrient dense! She is passionate about filling the AIP with flavor and fun, which led to her creating Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook. Outside of the blog, you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
It turns out that the answer to the problem of tasteless, dry chicken burgers, like so many problems in the kitchen, is to add bacon. Adding bacon gives a lovely smoky flavor and creates a super-juicy chicken burger. I love how the green onions lighten up the burger, cutting through the richness and making these burger bites flavorful and fresh tasting. Choose the best quality bacon you can as it will be the backbone of this burger’s flavor.
- Makes 16
Ingredients:
- ¼ lb (115 g) bacon (about 2 – 3 thick cut slices)
- 1 lb (454 g) ground chicken
- ½ cup (35 g) chopped green onion
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground sage
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- MIX: Roughly chop the bacon slices and put them in the food processor. Process until the bacon resembles ground meat, but not so long that the bacon becomes a paste. Add the ground chicken, green onion, sage and garlic powder to the food processor. There should be plenty of salt in the mixture already, thanks to the bacon! Pulse until the meat mixture is just combined and you can see that the green onions are evenly distributed throughout.
- SHAPE: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Use a 2 tablespoon (30 ml) scoop to measure out 16 equal-size portions of the meat mixture and drop them onto the lined baking tray. Use your hands to roll each portion into a round mini meatball shape.
- BAKE: Cook the burger bites for 20 minutes and rest them for 5 minutes on the baking tray before serving. These are great paired with either BBQ Sauce (page 201) or Creamy Green Onion Dressing (page 206).