Copycat Trader Joe's Chili Lime Chicken Burgers are a zesty, fresh twist on basic burgers. Switch up burger night with this craveable recipe!
A couple of weeks ago I was cleaning up old posts here on IGE and came across a Trader Joe’s night dinner including Chicken Chili Lime Burgers, which my husband and I had loved at the time.
I remember wanting to recreate them at home and had even typed out the ingredient list from the package so I could come back later and have a shopping list all ready to go.
I’m so glad I did, because I was able to use the ingredient list to create a burger we liked even better than the original. I present to you a zesty twist on a TJ’s fave: Homemade Chili Lime Chicken Burgers. You’ve got to try these!
Copycat Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Chicken Burgers
Start by adding 1lb ground chicken to a large mixing bowl. I recommend ground chicken with 5% fat so the burgers stay nice and juicy, though you can use ground chicken breast for a slightly leaner alternative.
Next add chopped green onions, minced red pepper, and chopped cilantro.
Followed by minced garlic, salt, and red chili pepper flakes, which give the burgers even more zip.
The real hero, though, is the juice of half a lime. It give the burgers a real punch!
Mix all the ingredients together with clean hands, then form the mixture into 4 patties.
Next, heat a skillet or grill pan over high heat. Chili Lime Chicken Burgers are more of an indoor grill vs outdoor grill burger. Spray each side of the burgers very well with non-stick spray then grill for 3-4 minutes a side, or until cooked all the way through.
When the burgers are nearly cooked on the second side, add a slice of Pepper Jack Cheese, then place a large pot lid on top to allow the cheese to melt.
While the cheese is melting, mix up a batch of Lazy’s Girl’s Guacamole – that’s just 1 avocado mashed with lime juice and garlic salt. The best!
Place the burgers onto a toasted bun then top with guac!
These easy chicken burgers are truly satisfying, totally filling, and I love the contrast between the creamy, cool guacamole, and the sizzling burgers. I hope you enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
- 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 lime
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese
- 4 buns, toasted
For the Lazy Girl's Guacamole:
- 1 avocado
- garlic salt
- 1/2 lime
Directions
For the Chili Lime Chicken Burgers:
- Combine chicken, green onions, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, and lime juice in a large bowl. Mix until just combined then form into 4 patties and spray each side generously with nonstick spray.
- Heat a large grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat then cook burgers for 3-4 minutes a side, or until cooked through. Place a slice of cheese on top of each burger then cover with a large lid and allow cheese to melt. Remove burgers to a plate then tent with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Place each burger on a toasted bun then top with Lazy Girl's Guacamole.
For the Lazy Girl's Guacamole:
- Mash all ingredients together with a fork.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
when i saw this recipes i directly goes to my kitchen and bring out the ingredients & i did it, now its on the fridge.. i will cook later night and .. i have blog i will put it there and i will translate into my language so the people around me will understand & i will put the resource to this original recipe which is your site .. thank you 4 posting this easy recipe
Wow!! Amazing flavors coming from all directions! This recipe is a keeper!!
I can’t believe you thought the same thing that I did. I tried a sample of these at TJ and thought, how can I make these myself? Thanks for the information I can’t wait to try your recipe. I am going to go with chipped chives instead of green onions since that is what is in my garden.
Love Iowa girl eats! Red peppers are my most beautiful vegetable,,,,unbelievable red and makes any dish gorgeous. You can have the cilantro though,,,, I use very little and substitute parsley.
Keep up this great website.
Your burgers are a perfect choice for the DailyBuzz Healthy Living Top 9! http://bit.ly/SjIftf
ps – your blog is my new fave!!
ummmmm…yum!
my picky husband was a big fan – he who dislikes scallions and cilantro (which i love to bits)! win!!
thank you :-)
just found your blog and made these for the first time this week – delish! we did a few subs (ground turkey for ground chicken because it’s easier to find, used a cube of the Dorot frozen chili & garlic instead of flakes/fresh) and these were amazing. quick, healthy dinner!
Been meaning to try this for awhile now… tried it and it was a big hit with everyone.. made some modifications for the kids, but it was easy to cater to different preferences and still come out with a winner. We added bacon, because not everyone loves cilantro… but everyone LOVES bacon.
A must try !
These look sooooo yummy! I want to make them but not everyone in my family likes to eat peppers and green onions. Do you think it would be fine to puree them and then add them to the ground chicken and other spices?
I’m sure that’d be just fine! :)
These were sheer AWESOMENESS! I actually used diced-up roasted red peppers since I forgot to pick up some fresh ones… But – they were sooo yummy with the avocados… OMG! Thank you for a great addition to our usual weeknight dinner fare! :)
made these for dinner tonight. they were great. thanks bree!