Published: Sep 1, 2014 · Modified: Jun 27, 2022 by foodyschmoody ·

Apple Chicken Burger

This Apple Chicken Burger is the perfect way to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall!

With ground chicken and fresh granny smith apples, this is one burger recipe that you don't have to feel too guilty about!

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I'm at a crossroads you guys and I don't know which way I want to turn.

Oh man, that sounded so dramatic. Some days I'm such a drama queen. Seriously though, this weather has me not knowing which way I want to go. One day it's 80 and I want to still be outside grilling and then next day I have a driveway full of acorns and have to wear a sweater, so I want the fall comfort of apples and pumpkins and all things warm and cozy.

If you live near me, you get it. You just never know what you're going to get with the weather in Massachusetts. I guess that's a good thing, you know, embrace the unexpected or some crazy thing like that.

Anyway, my point is, in a roundabout way, that I created this Apple Chicken Burger with this time of year in mind. The apples lend a touch of the fall into an otherwise very summery burger. I chose ground chicken for two reasons. I thought it would be much lighter and I think apples and chicken just go together. However, if you aren't a fan of ground chicken, I think pork or sausage would be a great choice too.

Okay, so what is in this fabulous fall/summer Apple Chicken Burger? I'll be honest, I was nervous seasoning this burger. I wanted the apple flavors but I didn't want an overly sweet burger. So I did as I often do, cringe as I add and then hope for the best (and maybe warn the family we might possibly be ordering pizza for dinner) and added cinnamon, nutmeg and seasoned salt. Sounds like a weird combo, but it worked.

I started out by finely chopping the apples. I dropped them in a big bowl and then added all my seasonings and gave it a good stir. After the apples were good and seasoned, I added the ground chicken and combined it. The last thing I added was the cheddar cheese. I love cheddar and apple together. Because I'm always nervous about the leaner meats sticking to the grill, I did brush the patties with a tiny bit of olive oil before placing on the grill. I'm not sure if it's necessary but I've ruined many a burger from sticking. So do what you normally would do for grilling a burger.

You have got to top this burger with sliced apples. I prefer to slice mine super thin, ⅛th of an inch, by using a mandolin slicer. If you follow me, you know how much I love my mandolin. I think it's the best way to get even slices, as thin as you want them.

While the apple slices are a mandatory garnish, the optional garnish is BBQ sauce. My husband ate his without and I ate mine with. I thought it was a great addition. I'm not really one to make BBQ sauce from scratch, so I used a bottle from the grocery store. If you are someone who appreciates a good homemade BBQ sauce, you might want to check out some of these recipes from my friends:

Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce - The Lazy Mom's Cooking Blog

Pomegranate Tomato BBQ Sauce - The Weiser Kitchen

Printable Recipe Card