Chicken Tequila Burgers

What a crazy week this has been!  First there was an unexpected trip to the hospital (all is ok), then there was a small earthquake (In North Carolina!  Can you believe it!?!), I was also asked to make a birthday cake for a 16th birthday, and school started back up.  So, as you can probably guess, I have been incredibly busy and have not had a lot of opportunities to cook large, time consuming meals.  That is one of the reasons that I love to make these chicken tequila burgers.  Not only do the burgers taste great, but they are also very quick, easy, and for the most part, healthy.  All you have to do is toss the ingredients together in a food processor and pulse. 

(If you don't have a food processor that is fine.  Just purchase pre-ground chicken and knead all the ingredients together by hand.)

This burger goes great with a side of fries, or in my case strawberries.  I unfortunately didn't have any potatoes at the time, otherwise I would have made a batch of hand-cut fries.  

Chicken Tequila Burgers

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Makes 5 to 6 patties
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 chicken breast totaling about 11 oz.
2-3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
Zest of ½ a lime
1 oz. tequila
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
½ cup Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat the broiler.  Line a baking sheet with foil and then lightly brush with a little olive oil.  In the bowl of a food processor combine the garlic, jalapeno pepper, chicken breasts, cilantro, and lime zest.  Pulse the ingredients together until the chicken is evenly ground.  Now add in the tequila, soy sauce, salt/pepper, and bread crumbs.  Pulse together a few more times until everything is well combined.

Form the mixture into 5-6 patties and then place the patties onto the pre-lined baking sheet.  Broil the burgers for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking so that both sides have a chance to brown.  Before serving, be sure to check that the burgers are done cooking.  Garnish with desired toppings. 

I like mine served with lettuce, sautéed or fresh red/green peppers, and pepper jack cheese!

Source: Slightly adapted from Annie's Eats