Life has been wonderful,  I am loving my residency program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.  It’s amazing how much I have already learned in my first few weeks!  Finishing dental school and moving on to the next chapter is really quite terrifying, but these past few weeks have reassured me that I am exactly where I should be.  My new co-residents have also been awesome, I am so thankful that I have such a great group of people to work with and learn from.  A few of them came over for fourth of July, I made some delicious berry cheesecake bars, I’ll have to share the recipe a different day.

Today I want to share the recipe for these delicious Chicken Cheddar Jalapeño Burgers, these might just be my new favorite burger. Ok fine, nothing beats a classic cheeseburger, but these chicken burgers are full of so much flavor.  If you’re feeling adventurous,  try these, they won’t disappoint! I can’t wait to make them again.

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño (more or less based on spice preference)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Hamburger buns
• Optional burger toppings: salsa, guacamole, lettuce, sour cream

Instructions

1. Prepare an indoor or outdoor grill over medium heat.
2. In a medium bowl mix ground chicken, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, paprika, cheddar cheese, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Use your hands to incorporate everything well.
3. Form the mixture into four 1/2 inch thick patties.
4. Grill burgers over medium heat until cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side.
5. Serve each patty in a burger bun.  We topped ours with guacamole,  sour cream and salsa and it was delicious!