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.
Best chicken burgers ever! They were a hit:). My sis is really picky about ground chicken and she loved them!
I pinned this a while ago and somehow forgot about it. But I’ve made it twice in the last week! I love them!! I add some lemon to my guacamole (I don’t care if it’s lazy girl or not, but it’s seriously the best guac I’ve ever had!) I use roasted red peppers in mine rather than the fresh (That way I don’t get any complaints about crunch in the burger.
So good and so healthy, too!
Oh, and I wish my ground chicken was as cheap as yours!! My 430g pack cost me $6.50 on SALE
Made these tonight. I used turkey for me and ground beef for my husband. Both turned out phenomenal. Ground turkey is hit or miss for me but these were flavorful and moist. We froze extras to have on hand. Oh an they held up well on the outdoor grill. Thanks for a great recipe!
Made the TJ chicken chili burgers tonight. Loved them and so did the entire family!!
These.are.Amazing! I love the TJ’s version and was thrilled to find this recipe while browsing on Pinterest. They are fantastic and taste very close to the original except for that gross aftertaste…score! Thanks so much for sharing, definitely a keeper.
WOW! These were super yummy! Thank you so much for another tasty recipe. PS I added just a pinch of ground cumin to my avocado mash. My bf didn’t want any since he doesn’t like ‘chunks in my burgers’ so I am eating one for lunch tomorrow and freezing the other two for future use. :)
These are soooo good! I made them with ground turkey, my Hyvee didn’t have ground chicken. I was a little scared because I normally hate turkey burgers, but these were so flavorful that I will be making them over and over! My favorite new recipe this week :)
I just made this for lunch today. It was AMAZING!! I just found your blog recently and will be trying lots more of your recipes! Thanks :)
wow that looks delicious
These are so tasty that i will for sure be making over and over!Thank you for sharing:)
They look delicious and your pictures are always beautiful! I’ve made them this weekend and they tasted great but looked like a disaster !
Does anyone know if these freeze well? :)
These look so yummy! I was wondering what kind of bun you used?
Thank you!
That’s a “Thin Bun”!