I have a secret to confess...whenever we’re in a big city the first food stop we make isn’t an amazing local restaurant I scoured the internet for that uses all local ingredients, it’s Shake Shack for a chicken sandwich. I know, not exactly on brand with my homemade is best ethos. My other ethos? Everything in moderation! Fortunately we don’t have a Shake Shack in our city, otherwise I’d have to fight the urge to indulge more than moderation would allow, but what I do have is an uncanny ability for recreating my eat out cravings at home with way better ingredients and for half the price. So, I’ve been tinkering with a chicken sandwich recipe that would hit my cravings button, but not require me to be deep frying chicken in my kitchen on a Tuesday night. Thanks to ground chicken, a pile of breadcrumbs and a hot oven, my mission has been accomplished.
Ingredients:
Makes about 12 patties
Chicken Patties:
2 pounds ground chicken or turkey (I love Mary’s organic 97/3 ground turkey)
1 cup breadcrumbs (I just grind up stale sourdough bread in my blender!)
2 eggs, whisked
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
pepper to taste
Breading:
2 cups breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon flakey salt
olive oil (I love using mine in a spray bottle, but you can also drizzle it!)
buns, lettuce, and sliced dill pickles for serving
Herbed Aioli:
2 tablespoons high quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
a handful of chopped herbs (we like dill, basil, parsley, cilantro, and/or chives best!)
a splash of white wine vinegar
a pinch of salt
1 garlic clove, finely grated (leave out if you don’t like fresh, spicy garlic ;)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 450 and grab a large baking sheet and coat it in a thin layer of olive oil. It’s rare that I don’t use parchment paper BUT you want the patties to directly touch the pan. Let’s make the patties first, in a large bowl mix the whisked eggs with the breadcrumbs and seasonings. Add the ground chicken and use a fork to mix well. Set the bowl aside and grab a large sheet of parchment paper. Pour the remaining 2 cups of breadcrumbs on the parchment and toss with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, and flakey salt. Using a scoop or large spoon, scoop out about ½ cup of patty mixture and flatten it into a smooth patty shape. Press the patty into the seasoned breadcrumbs and coat it well on all sides. Lay it on the baking sheet and continue until all the patties are made. Drizzle or spray olive oil on top and pop them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. They should be golden and crispy. Make your dream sandwich and enjoy!
For the herbed aioli, mix everything in a small bowl and spread to your heart’s content. It will easily keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
