Green Chili Chicken Burgers

Told you.

Burger kick.

I cannot be stopped [okay, I can. It’s called three days until Italy].

There is this restaurant in San Diego called Big Kitchen. It’s an awesome diner of the greasy spoon variety, but thankfully doesn’t tear up your stomach. It has huge portions without sacrificing quality. There is a hidden patio in the back that I just found after the fourth time going. They’re cash only, which drives me insane, but the food is totally worth it. And while breakfast is usually the star of the show, the one time I veered into lunch territory I was equally impressed. The ‘Chicken, Chili N Cheese’ is a force. A massive chicken breast topped with a boatload of green chilies and a mess of ooey, gooey cheese. It’s a three-handed affair, and keeps getting better with every bite. A sane person would probably stop after the halfway mark, but not me. I like to plow my way through. I feel like the inevitable food coma is apart of the package deal.

When Jessica at How Sweet It Is posted up her version of a green chili chicken burger, I sent the link to Andrew ASAP. He immediately responded with a “Yep. That’s happening.” Mind reader. It had been too long since we had gotten intimate with Big Kitchen’s version.

The burgers themselves? Awesome. Juicy. Delicious. The green chilies and extra cheese on top? The icing on the cake. The buns were the biggest drawback. They were the only kind that the fridge New Seasons had that wasn’t in an 8-pack. All of the single serving rolls were sold out. I wasn’t the only one with the idea for burgers. Clearly. These buns were far too bread-y. I didn’t know that was possible. It overshadowed a lot of the burger in some bites. Boo. We’ll make them again, only with something else to be the vehicle for chicken-y, gooey, green chili memories.

Inspiration: How Sweet It Eats

Ingredients

• 1/2lb ground chicken
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4oz can of green chilies
• 1.25oz monterey jack cheese, shredded or cut into small cubes [plus more for topping!]

Preparation

1. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
2. In a bowl, combine the chicken, seasoning, garlic, cheese, and 1/4 of the green chilies.
3. Mix with your hands until combined, and then form into two patties.
4. Place on the grill and cook on each side for 4-5 minutes.
5. Once flipped, add any additional cheese to melt.
6. Build your burgers, and top with remaining chilies.

Serves 2

[Big thanks to Andrew for taking these photos!]