Spicy chicken burgers made with a Jamaican jerk style seasoning and wrapped in the perfect lettuce bun. Don’t forget the spicy jerk mayo!

Let’s have a little #ThrowBackThursday shall we?

Feeling a bit nostalgic today as I come up to my one year anniversary of moving from Miami. I do truly miss my classroom days and think often of my South Florida family and especially my students.

I get inspiration for recipes in many places, and these Jerk Chicken Burgers were inspired by my three years of teaching at MHS. Many of my students were Jamaican, Haitian, and Bahamian. I learned a lot about the foods and cultures from these Caribbean islands over those three years.

In fact, I’m sure I’ll get some flak for not using scotch bonnet peppers in this recipe (I’m sorry kids… Nagel Bagel just isn’t THAT cool), but I think these burgers are pretty damn awesome.  This recipe was also one of the first I created last fall when I began this whole “Instagram/Blog” thing. So as I come full circle and reflect on these past few months it just seemed fitting to give this recipe a little makeover and a bit of an update (you should have seen the original pictures…woof).

This recipe for Jerk Chicken Burgers is dedicated to my C-Squad kiddos and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Find the full recipe below and read on for tips and tricks!

“School” Supplies:

• Grill
• Tongs
• Mixing Bowls
• Knife/Cutting Board
• Measuring Spoons

“Class” Notes:

These Jerk chicken Burgers are packed with some serious flavor and are super moist! I really prefer ground chicken over ground turkey for this reason. There are two parts to this recipe. The first, is the burger itself. The second is the amazing slaw that goes on top. Both are super easy to make and totally worth all the ingredients. Start by mixing the burgers together using ground chicken, jerk seasonings (see blend in recipe below), a little almond flour to bind everything together, and a sprinkling of fresh minced ginger and some sliced green onions. I use a cookie cutter to create 4 equal sized patties. To make the slaw, combine diced green and red cabbage, sliced jalapenos (or scotch bonnets if you are feeling brave), more green onion, chopped walnuts, erk seasonings, mayonnaise, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Mix the slaw and let it sit.

Fire up the grill and grill the burgers over direct heat. Chicken has very little fat so I like to lightly oil the outside of the burger a bit to help prevent it from sticking. What’s the best way to know if a chicken burger is done? Use a meat thermometer! Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F and you’re good to go. I threw a few thick slices of red onion on the grill, sliced some tomato, and prepped my romaine “buns”. I assembled my Jerk Chicken Burgers by placing one lettuce bun on the bottom of my plate, added the onion and tomato, and then the burger. I had some extra jerk seasoning and mixed it with a little mayo. Spread this over the burger and top it all off with the jerk slaw and the second lettuce “bun”. Use a toothpick to hold it in place or just get in there and dig in!

Find the full recipe for these Jerk Chicken Burgers below!