Italian-Style Chicken Sliders incorporate spiralized zucchini in the patties and spiralized caramelized onions on top. These gluten-free, light and healthy burgers will be a hit at your house!
Hello, hello, everyone! Welcome to the start of a new week!
I’ve had a busy last couple of days but am feeling refreshed and energized heading into the week. I spent Saturday connecting with other local bloggers at an Iowa Bloggers Conference, and on Sunday I grabbed coffee (read: laughed so much I wanted to lay down and take a nap when I got home!) with two of my favorite gal pals back here in town. It was a fulfilling weekend, to say the least. ?
Today’s feeling like another good day because I get to share an awesome, healthy recipe PLUS give away a prize pack that you’re going to love welcoming into your kitchen! First up, Italian-Style Chicken Burgers pumped up in the health department with the addition of both spiralized zucchini in the patties and spiralized caramelized onions piled on top!
These bite-sized baby burgers were made from a recipe out of my friend Ali’s new cookbook, Inspiralize Everything, with help from The Inspiralizer® – both of which I’m giving away at the end of this post. You are going to LOVE them.
If you look up “hustle” in the dictionary, you’ll likely find Ali’s picture next to it. This girl is KILLING it not only in the living your best life department, but in the building your own empire department, too. I met Ali at another blogging conference last fall and was incredibly impressed and inspired by her drive and ambition.
Ali’s the gal behind the blog Inspiralized and her product The Inspiralizer, a kitchen gadget that turns fresh produce into healthy noodles. I got into spiralizing about a year ago and feel like a health goddess for a minimum of two days after spiralizing a meal. It’s such a fun and addicting way to incorporate more healthy vegetables and fruits into your diet, which I think is lacking in a lot of recipes, and why many people feel so meh towards vegetables. They’re missing the excitement factor that, let’s be real, melted cheese usually brings to the table!
Ali recently came out with her second cookbook, Inspiralize Everything which I couldn’t wait to dig into. Obviously. ? In case the dozens of post it notes didn’t give it away, I fully intend to cook my way through this entire book!
This cookbook is different than most in that it’s an “encyclopedia of spiralizing” with entire sections of the book dedicated to the type of fruit or vegetable you want to spiralize. So if you have a bunch of sweet potatoes on hand, you can turn right to the sweet potato section of the cookbook to find all the recipes utilizing sweet potatoes. Just bought a bunch of parsnips? Flip to the parsnip section, etc. Maybe I’ve been living in a digital world for too long, but one of my least favorite things about print cookbooks is that I have to hunt for a recipe I want versus being able to click “command + F” and search for it on my computer (I know.) Love that this print cookbook makes it easy to find the recipes I need.
Aside from my weird millennial issues, I like that this cookbook takes spiralizing past just noodles. Inspiralize Everything has recipes for everything from noodle buns, to pancakes, muffins, and even casseroles. That’s exactly what I love about spiralizing – it makes eating healthy feel fun and adventurous. The majority of the recipes are gluten-free and dairy-free, and many are paleo-friendly, too!
SO, after agonizing over which recipe to make first I finally decided on the Italian-Style Chicken Sliders. These sliders were too cute to pass up, plus both Lincoln and Ben love burgers so I knew they’d be a hit with all of us, and they were. While we all loved the taste of the Italian-seasoning-laced chicken patties, the caramelized onions piled on top were my favorite, and it was so fun to spiralize an onion in 3 seconds vs crying over the cutting board slicing them with a knife. Doesn’t take much, people! ? Plus, while chicken burgers are usually dry and crumbly, the spiralized zucchini mixed right into the patties kept each slider nice and juicy. This meal was light, healthy, and fun to eat.
As I mentioned, Ali sells her own spiralizer called The Inspiralizer which she sent me to try out, as I’ve been using a different spiralizer. At first glance they look pretty similar.
The biggest differences between the one I own and The Inspiralizer though, is that The Inspiralizer has two clamps that firmly secured the unit to my countertop (this thing did not move a centimeter while spiralizing,) and all the blades are contained within the unit versus coming as removable blades. Super handy as you know you’ll never lose any of the parts.
The Inspiralizer also comes with a safety guard for storing which is nice because these blades are super sharp – great for spiralizing both softer foods like apples and really tough foods like squash or root vegetables. Again, I’m giving one away at the end of this post along with the cookbook, so be sure to enter to win!
Alrighty, who’s ready to cook some Italian-Style Chicken Sliders?!
Start by spiralizing 1 small zucchini using the “D” blade, which will give you spaghetti-like zucchini noodles.
Roughly chop the noodles then add to a big bowl. In my last zoodle recipe I instructed you to draw the moisture out of the zucchini by lightly salting them, so you don’t end up with a watery dish, but for this recipe the more moisture the better! Like I said, chicken burgers are notoriously dry, so the chopped zucchini keeps them nice and luscious.
To the chopped zucchini noodles add 1lb lean ground chicken, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder and tons of salt and pepper then mix with your hands to combine and form into 8 sliders. The mixture will be wet, so let the patties firm up in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, trim then peel 1 red onion and send it through The Inspiralizer. Btw an onion might be my new favorite thing to spiralize. It took like, 3 seconds with zero tears – love that!
Roughly chop the onion then add to a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat with 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper then saute until caramelized, stirring every so often.
Meanwhile, heat another Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat next door then add the slider patties and sear for 3-4 minutes a side, or until cooked through. I did this in two batches.
Last stop is assembly! To go the bunless route, separate the leaves from a head of iceberg, butter, or boston bibb lettuce then top with an Italian-style chicken slider patty, slice of fresh tomato (these were from my Mom’s garden and really were that insanely red!) and a spin of spiralized caramelized red onions. Dollop with ketchup or mayo, if you please, then dig in!
I hope you love this fun and healthy take on burger night, and don’t forget to enter to win both The Inspiralizer and Inspiralize Everything cookbook below! Enjoy!
Italian-Style Chicken Sliders
Description
Italian-Style Chicken Sliders incorporate spiralized zucchini in the patties and spiralized caramelized onions on top. These gluten-free, light and healthy burgers will be a hit at your house!
Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini, spiralized with BLADE D, noodles roughly chopped
- 1lb lean ground chicken
- 1 large garlic clove (I used 2)
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (I omitted)
- salt and pepper (lots!)
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 small red onion, peeled, spiralized with BLADE A, noodles trimmed (I used a whole red onion and used Blade A)
- 8 leaves Boston lettuce
- 8 Roma (plum) tomato slices from about 2 tomatoes
- 2 cups microgreens (I ommitted)
- ketchup, for serving
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the zucchini noodles, chicken, garlic, parsley, oregano, basil, onion powder, and red pepper flakes and season with salt and black pepper. Using your hands, form the mixture into eight small patties (or four large). Refrigerate for 10 minutes to set.
- Heat the olive oil in a grill pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions to one half of the pan and the patties to the the other, working in batches if necessary. (Note: I used two skillets.) Season the onions with salt and pepper and sear, tossing occasionally, until mostly caramelized. Sear the patties for 5 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through.
- On a serving platter, lay out the lettuce leaves and place a burger on each (if you made sliders). Top each with a tomato slice, caramelized onion, and microgreens. (Top with another piece of lettuce if you made larger burgers.) Serve with ketchup, if desired.
Notes
Recipe shared and reprinted with permission from Inspiralize Everything by Ali Maffucci.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
It’s boring, but I would probably do zuchini or summer squash first because I love them and they are plentiful right now! I would also be curious what you could do with an inspiralized beet!
There’s a whole beet section in the cookbook!
With the start of fall coming up I would definitely want to try to spiralize sweet potato!
I’ve never used one before, so I’d try this recipe. Love sauteed onions!
Oh my! I’ve pinned a bunch of spiralizer recipes but haven’t actually bought the tool yet – I might have to finally bite the bullet this week. That looks awesome!
probably zucchini as it is most heard of.
I would start with a zucchini because we have so much right now!
I am dying to make zucchini noodles!
I would start with a sweet potato!
Would want to try a red onion. Sliced onion with no tears sounds great!
I’d like to try a sweet potato.
I would try sweet potatoes!! Especially now that summer is coming to a close
As we head into fall, I’d love to spiralize the apples and pears we’ll be picking up at the local orchard.
Sweet potatoes or apples for Apple pie
I would want to try spirilizing a zucchini first! The farmers market has such an abundance of them right now!
I would love to try to spiralize an onion! Thanks for doing the giveaway.
I’m thinking sweet potatoes! For shoestring fries!
Zucchini! Somehow my garden is still producing an unending amount.
Definitely onions!
Zucchini! I love zoodles
I have wanted a spiralizer so bad! Love the idea of being able to “hide” veggies to make dinner a little more healthy.
Onions!
Boringly, I would do a squash or zucchini first since I’m currently covered up with them!
Yum! I’ve been loving zoodles lately; her cookbook sounds great at inspiring other ways to spiralize!
I would totally be into this cookbook. I don’t have a true spiralizer (I use the cheese grater, lol) It looks so yummy and fun to eat. I would love to try this one out.
Love the onion idea!
These look great! Can’t wait to try them. Do you think they would be freezer-friendly?
Definitely! I’d line them up on a baking sheet uncooked then freeze, transfer to a freezer bag, and then thaw in the refrigerator before sauting when you’re ready.
I make zucchini noodles about once a week. I would love to win the new cookbook and expand my inspiralizing horizons :) will start with the chicken sliders :)
Sweet potato! I love zoodles, but need to branch out. I’ve pinned a bunch of recipes for sweet potato noodles.
Sweet potato!
This looks like fun! Thank you for the chance to win.
Onions!
i love spiralized sweet potatoes cooked in ghee and cinnamon YUM!
I’d go for a sweet potato first! I’ve never thought of spiralized onion though so that would likely be a close second choice!
I’d try a zucchini first!
Fall on the mind…I want to spiraling apples!
I would probably do zuchini first! I love that stuff!
Sweet potato and onion – to make a quick hash!
Can you spiralize carrots? I’ve heard of carrot noodles and have always wanted to try them! Otherwise, sweet potato.
Yep – there’s a carrot section in the book! :)
I have been wanting to get a spiralizer for awhile! So many possibilities!
The spiralizer is a great invention! The food just looks fun! I can’t wait to try the chicken burgers; they sound delicious and healthy.
Wow! I’m so intrigued by all you can spiraling! I have been wanting to try parsnips and turnips so I think they would be my first test!!
I just tried spiralized parsnips last night for the first time (made the broccoli rabe and sausage recipe from the cookbook) and it was AWESOME!
These look great! Since fall is approaching, I would spiralize an apple first! ?
Definitely zucchini would be first to inspiralize!
Awesome giveaway! I’d definitely use it on zucchini first!
I’ve tried zucchini noodles before, but that onion is making me want to try spiraling one!
It’s nearly apple picking time here in Upstate NY so apples would be my first spiralize!
Looks like a wonderful cookbook!
Those caramelized onions look great – so it’d probably be an onion, followed by sweet potato!
I would probably be predictable and go with zucchinis. But then again onions for a burger before (comfortable) grilling season is over, would be super yummy!
Onions ! And sautée them, and put them on everything! ?