These caprese chicken burgers are perfectly juicy and dressed up with all the caprese fixings and a flavorful pesto vinaigrette drizzled on top.
Summer eats are starting a little early this year. I mean, it certainly FEELS like summer this week especially, so it’s probably time to go on a burger kick.
This ain’t your average burger, but it’s so much better. All the caprese fixins’ meet juiciest-EVER chicken burger and it’s a duo for the record books.
Plus it just looks so dang impressive AND it’s simultaneously packing in a lot of the green stuff. Win-win.
These burgers just taste like pure summer. You won’t even miss the beef whatsoever here!
These Caprese Chicken Burgers feature…
- A juicy, flavorful grilled chicken patty
- Thick tomato slices, fresh basil leaves, and soft mozzarella slices
- An herby pesto vinaigrette
Making the Caprese Chicken Burgers
(scroll down to the bottom of post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Ground chicken
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Garlic
- Pesto
- White wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Egg
- Sugar
- Buns
- Tomatoes
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Basil
What is Caprese?
Caprese is an Italian salad featuring fresh tomato slices, mozzarella cheese, basil, and olive oil.
Because of caprese’s simplicity, it is very easy to apply this delicious salad to other things as well! We’re taking all the classic caprese ingredients and turning it into burger form today.
Tips for Perfect Chicken Burgers
- Gently knead burger meat – use a light hand when kneading the burger patty ingredients so as not to overmix the dough and keep the burger juicy once cooked.
- Grill burgers on grill pan or aluminum foil – because there’s not a lot of fat in chicken, the patties tend to stick quite a bit if you grill them directly on the grill grates. Grill the patties on a greased grill pan or a sheet of nonstick aluminum foil to prevent sticking.
- Melt mozzarella off-heat – once the burgers are done, place a slice of mozzarella on each burger and lightly tent plate with aluminum foil to slightly melt mozzarella. Melting it off-heat prevents a gooey mess all over your grill.
- Make pesto vinaigrette – this vinaigrette drizzle on top is KEY for an extra-flavorful burger. Simply whisk prepared pesto with white wine vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and olive oil until smooth.
- Toast buns – always, ALWAYS toast your buns before assembling burgers! Split buns in half and toast them under a broiler for a minute or two or just throw them straight on the grill.
Stovetop Instructions
Don’t have a grill? You can still make these burgers easily on the stovetop!
Heat a large skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat and swirl a little vegetable oil in pan to coat. Add patties in a single layer and cook until golden brown on each side and meat registers 165F.
Recipe Variations
Try these suggestions for putting a little spin on these burgers!
- Try a different cheese – cheddar, muenster, or Havarti cheese would be great substitutes for the mozzarella.
- Make ’em turkey burgers – ground turkey would work flawlessly in place of the ground chicken.
- Skip the vinaigrette – the vinaigrette definitely makes these burgers a little on the messy side (in a good way!) but if you’re looking to keep things a little neater, top burgers with a smear of pesto instead.
These burgers are just an absolute flavor bomb. The patties are SUPER tender and juicy and the caprese ingredients give everything such a light and fresh feel.
My only tip for you is don’t skimp on the healthy drizzle of pesto vinaigrette. It’s a game-changer for these burgers.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Try these other summer burgers next!
Caprese Chicken Burgers with Pesto Vinaigrette
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Ingredients
Pesto Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons prepared pesto (jarred or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Caprese Chicken Burgers
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 4 sandwich buns, toasted
- 4 medium butter lettuce leaves
- 2 medium tomatoes, cut into slices
- Fresh basil leaves for topping
Instructions
Pesto Vinaigrette
- In a small bowl, whisk pesto, vinegar, and sugar until smooth. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly until vinaigrette is smooth and combined.
- Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste if needed. Store vinaigrette in refrigerator until ready to use.
Caprese Chicken Burgers
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, salt, and pepper. Very gently knead until just combined. Form mixture into 4 patties.
- Preheat a grill to 375F.* Grill patties either on a greased grill pan or a sheet of nonstick aluminum foil (they tend to stick to the grill grates if you put them on directly) Grill chicken burgers, flipping once until golden-brown and meat registers 165F (about 8-10 minutes of cooking)
- Transfer burgers to a plate. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese over each patty and lightly tent plate with foil to allow mozzarella to melt slightly for 5 minutes.
- Place a lettuce leaf on each bottom of toasted buns. Top with burger patties, tomatoes, and basil leaves. Drizzle burgers with pesto vinaigrette. Serve burgers immediately and enjoy!
Nancy Nadolny says
Very tasty!