About once a week (especially during the summer months), I get a craving for a big, juicy burger. Hbu?
Since I didn’t grow up eating a lot of red meat, I don’t tend to love regular beef cheeseburgers. Instead, I opt for a juicy chicken (or turkey!) burger grilled to perfection, often piled high with creamy avocado and tomato slices all on a toasted bun.
But a few years back when I first created this recipe, I was craving something a little different…
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Since your girl also happens to love a good sweet and spicy BBQ sauce slathered on just about anything, I decided that a recipe for BBQ chicken burgers was a MUST for the blog. Safe to say, they quickly became a favorite.
When I first made these Abra and I absolutely fell in love and devoured them with a side of grilled sweet potato fries. They’re juicy, flavorful, packed with veggies and healthy! What more could you want? We still talk (and dream) about them all the time.
What you’ll need to make the best BBQ chicken burgers
These healthy BBQ chicken burgers are my favorite to throw on the grill during the summer because not only are they incredibly delicious but also super juicy, packed with flavor, and easy to make! The secret ingredient keeping them so moist and juicy is shredded sweet potato; trust me, you won’t regret adding it because it also gives the burger a unique slight sweetness, plus it’s nutritious! YUM. Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:
- Chicken: we’re using lean ground chicken as the base of these burgers. I recommend no more than 93% lean — any leaner and they’ll likely be too dry.
- Sweet potato: that’s right, you’ll shred a small sweet potato and add it right into the chicken burger mixture.
- BBQ sauce: feel free to use your favorite brand of BBQ sauce (I personally love Stubb’s!) It will keep the burgers juicy and flavorful.
- Extra mix-ins: I also like adding diced onion, garlic, cumin, and plenty of salt & pepper to the chicken patty mixture so that they’re super flavorful.
- Buns: feel free to use any hamburger buns you’d like (even gluten free).
- Toppings: top these BBQ chicken burgers with sharp cheddar cheese, extra BBQ sauce, butterhead lettuce, and sliced red onion if you’d like!
Make this chicken burger recipe your own
- Out of ground chicken? Feel free to use the same amount of ground turkey or beef instead.
- Choose your sauce. I LOVE the sweet and tangy flavor of BBQ sauce in these chicken burgers, but you could also use buffalo sauce!
- Keep them dairy free. Feel free to omit the cheddar cheese, use your fav vegan slice, or even top these BBQ chicken burgers with vegan cheese sauce, green tahini sauce, or good old guacamole.
- Go paleo. Feel free to serve these healthy chicken burgers in a lettuce wrap instead of a bun if you’d like, and then omit the cheese and use one of the sauces above!
- Have fun with toppings. Get creative with any burger toppings you’d like. Fresh avocado and tomato would also be amazing.
How to grill ground chicken burgers
Remember to get all of my tips & tricks for grilling burgers perfectly every time here!
- Mix the burgers. You’ll start by mixing together all of your burger ingredients (minus the toppings and bun, of course). I like to do this with my hands for ease.
- Divide the patties. Divide your chicken burger mixture into four 1/2-inch patties.
- Prep your grill. Preheat your grill to 400 degrees F and scrape off any leftover food bits from the last time you grilled.
- Cook your burgers. Grill the BBQ chicken burgers for 5-8 minutes per side.
- Don’t forget the cheese! During the last few minutes of cooking your chicken burgers add a slice of cheddar cheese on top of each patty. Cover the grill to let the cheese melt.
- Top & serve. Place the burgers on buns and pile high with your favorite toppings!
Can I make them on the stove?
Absolutely! Simply add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to a nonstick skillet and place it over medium heat. Once hot, cook your BBQ chicken burgers for 4-5 minutes per side until they’re no longer pink.
When are chicken burgers done?
These BBQ sweet potato chicken burgers are fully cooked when the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. I recommend using a meat thermometer so that you don’t have to cut into the burgers and risk losing their juiciness.
Freezer-friendly BBQ chicken burgers
These easy BBQ chicken burgers make the BEST freezer-friendly meal in the summer (and all year round!) There are two ways to do it:
- Freeze before cooking: shape your chicken burgers and place them in an airtight, freezer-friendly bag or container. If you’re stacking the burgers I’d recommend putting wax or parchment paper in between the layers so that they don’t stick together. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, you can either let them thaw in the fridge before cooking or cook them directly from frozen – you may just need to cook them a bit longer from frozen.
- Freeze after cooking: let your BBQ chicken burger patties cool completely before placing them in airtight, freezer-friendly containers or bags. As I mentioned above, put wax or parchment paper in between the layers of burgers if you’re stacking them. Freeze them for up to 3 months. To reheat, let them thaw in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop for a couple minutes on each side. You can also reheat these directly from frozen – I recommend doing so on the stovetop.
If these photos haven’t convinced you to make these delicious grilled chicken burgers, I’m not sure what will. I hope you get a chance to try them out very soon. Maybe for a Memorial Day BBQ?!
Tools for grilling perfect burgers
Check out our fav kitchen tools here.
What to serve with chicken burgers
If you’re looking for delicious recipes to serve with these juicy chicken burgers, here are a few that always go over well:
- Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Healthy Summer Broccoli Salad
- Jalapeno Watermelon Margaritas
- Healthy Coleslaw
- Damn Good BLT Pasta Salad
- Sesame Garlic Grilled Sweet Potato Fries with Yogurt Curry Dip
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If you try these BBQ chicken burgers, be sure to leave a comment and rate it below and let me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to snap a photo and tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram so I can see your beautiful creations. xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Sweet Potato Cheddar BBQ Chicken Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound 93% lean ground chicken (or sub ground turkey) -- do not use 99%
- 1 cup shredded raw sweet potato (from about 1 small sweet potato)
- 2 tablespoons low sugar bbq sauce of choice
- ¼ cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- For assembly:
- 4 hamburger buns of choice, toasted if desired
- 4 tablespoons low sugar BBQ sauce of choice, for topping
- Butterhead lettuce
- Sliced red onion
Instructions
- Make the chicken burgers by adding the ground chicken turkey, shredded sweet potato, bbq sauce, onion, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into 1/2 inch patties.
- Grill over medium-high heat (around 400 degrees F) for 5-8 minutes per side or until burgers are cooked through and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. During the last few minutes of cooking the chicken burgers, add a slice of cheddar cheese on top of each burger patty; cover the grill for about 1 minute while the cheese melts.
- Place the burgers on buns, top with onion, lettuce and drizzle with extra bbq sauce and top with onions. Serve immediately. Great with sweet potato fries or fresh fruit!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on June 27, 2019, updated and republished on May 19, 2021, republished on May 16th, 2022, and republished on May 20th, 2024.
93 comments
Just made these for dinner and loved them! Thank you! I’ll be keeping this recipe. I substituted turkey and it worked great
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
This was AMAZING!! So juicy and flavorful. I added pickled red onions and avocado slices on top and used lettuce wraps.
Glad you enjoyed! Love those toppings and the idea of lettuce wraps!
These were so good (and husband approved)! I can’t wait to make them again.
These are fantastic – made them with my daughter tonight and we both loved them! had them over some arugula with some marinated onions- will definitely be making these again!
That sounds delicious! Glad you two loved them 🙂
Monique!!!! One word “Excellent” you have yet to disappoint. Family loved it!
So happy to hear that, Lisa! One of my favs from the summer so far 🙂
How can I cook these if I don’t have a grill? Thank you!
Feel free to cook them on the stovetop for about 3-5 minutes on each side!
Okay I’ll be honest – I was skeptical about this combo! But the sweet potato actually made the burger super juicy and they actually didn’t take that long to prep at all. Love!!
It sounds weird but the sweet potato makes them SO juicy! Glad you loved them!
That sounds like the best combo! I’m glad they’re boyfriend-approved, too. One of my favs!
This was a hit with me, my husband and 12 y/o son! So flavorful! My husband though the patties were too moist and swore they would stick to the grill, but alas they did well! I used Stubbs BBQ sauce (original) and it added a great flavor! Thank you! This website is my go-to every weekend!
Amazing! So happy to hear that. I love using Stubbs, too 🙂 Thanks for your comment Deb!
Okay YUM!
My boyfriend made these today for my mom and I. A BIG BIG hit! The only thing we did different then the pic is add some crispy onions on top. Amazing!
Perfect! That sounds delicious!
These were amazing!!! So delicious and juicy!! They were a big hit with the family!!
So happy to hear that, Gina! Perfect for summer 🙂
These are so quick and easy to make and taste amazing. This time I used 99% lean ground turkey and shredded the sweet potato in my food processor so that it was almost riced and they actually turned out the best they ever have.
Perfect! So glad you love them!
This was a phenomenal twist in chicken burgers! Super juicy and even more flavorful! My only wish is that there were left overs! Everyone in the house enjoyed! Thanks for a great recipe!
So happy everyone loved them!
This was really yummy. Sadly I can’t eat regular cheese, but would’ve been happy to put it on for my partner (just didn’t have any). I think that sharp cheddar would give it a great hit of flavour. I mixed dairy-free cheese shreds right into the burgers and it turned out quite good!
Perfect! Love the idea of adding shreds into the burger 🙂
I loved these chicken burgers because they had amazing flavour! The burger mix was way to wet (not sure if it was because I used ground chicken that was frozen and then thawed). We just added bread crumbs until it was sturdy enough to make to patties. They were so delicious that I didn’t need cheese or a bun. I just added tzatziki sauce on top and ate them as is.
Hmmm the thawing might have been the culprit! Glad they turned out well and tzatziki sauce sounds delicious on them!
I absolutely love these chicken burgers! I was just wondering if I can make them in the morning before I grill them for dinner?
Yes absolutely! Just store them covered in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
These were so good! Surprising great taste with a few ingredients!
Absolutely! One of my fav burgers 🙂
I wasn’t sure how my beef eaters would like these… they devoured them! Absolutely delicious. Just a tip.. if you make a thumb indent in the middle of the burger when you first put it on the grill, it cooks more evenly and the burgers don’t shrink.
So happy to hear that! And great tip 🙂
I’ve made these several times on the outdoor grill and stovetop and each time they turn out phenomenal!! 10/10 would recommend!!!
So happy to hear that!
These burgers scream summer….but they’re just as good in fall, spring, and winter. A huge hit with my friends and family!
Absolutely! Happy to hear that 🙂
These were so good, I made them twice in one week! The burgers are so juicy thanks to the sweet potatoes and a great change from beef burgers.
Love these burgers, thanks!
I love this burger! I use G Hughes original bbq with it and it is a winner every time I make it. The burger is filling and flavorful and has become one of my favorite burgers.
Love that! One of our favorites, too 🙂
So delicious! The shredded sweet potato was great, the burgers held together perfectly and were juicy & flavorful. I also loved how easy and fast they were to throw together. I’ll be making these again for sure!
Absolutely! So glad you loved them!
will be making this soon can i use mushrooms / vegan chicken and cheese instead as am a vegan can i skip butter head letuce as am not a big fan of it perfect for my after office meals will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Hi, Ramya! I’d try one of my veggie burger recipes like these Vegan Sweet Potato Burgers!
These are seriously so good. I had never thought to put sweet potato in a turkey burger before to keep them moist! The sweetness balances a spicy bbq sauce well. These and your turkey curry burgers are the only two non-beef burgers I make – they come out juicy every time. Even my boyfriend who was VERY skeptical of any burger that wasn’t beef/cheese/ketchup was very impressed.
So happy you’re loving these, Jennifer!!
Wow this recipe is great!! I’ve made it two weekends in a row for a special treat. The second time I added in chopped raw spinach and it blended in nicely. 👏🏻 This is definitely on our family favorites list
That’s so great to hear, Laura! Great idea to add spinach 🙂
Flavor was amazing. Used a grill pan on the stove so they flattened out a bit but the flavor was fantastic.
These are so good! We made ours on the smoker and topped them with pepperjack cheese, avocado, lettuce, red onion & some hot pepper jelly. Your recipes are always my go-to when I don’t know what to make!
OMG that sounds so incredible! Glad that you’re loving them!
Excellent recipe; delicious and juicy burger. Will make again; thank you for the great recipe. I am excited to have frozen some burgers for future enjoyment.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed them. And great idea to stash them in the freezer!
Amazing
Happy you enjoyed them!
Absolutely the BEST chicken burgers ever. Usually, I find chicken or turkey burgers come out like hockey pucks, although we pretend they are ok because we WANT a healthy burger that tastes good. But this recipe truly delivers a moist, DELICIOUS, healthy burger. Thank you so much for this recipe – I’ll be making this again and again!
I’m with you on that!! So happy you’re loving these 🙂
These were so good! I was a little nervous about how wet the burgers were going onto the grill. I was worried they would stick or fall apart. Nope! They were perfect. Can’t wait to make them again.
These are DELICIOUS! Husband has ranked it one of his favorite burgers ever, we made them with chaffle buns. Also, I air fried them! 350 for 9 minutes each side and they were perfect – still really juicy!
Ooooh the chaffle buns! And air fried burgers 😍 That sounds incredible. So happy to hear you loved them!
A perfect chicken burger recipe
YUM! I used ground turkey instead of chicken and added grilled red onions on top as well – soo good!
Sounds amazing!! So glad you loved them, Megan!
I didn’t have sweet potato so I used regular potato. Of course it had less nutrition, but the texture was still A+. Thanks!
Glad to hear that worked well!!
The sweet potato mix is really interesting! As you are making it all from scratch, it would be worth to accompany it with a homemade bbq sauce.
Absolutely fine to make homemade if you have the time!
I have made these a few times and they are so good! The flavor definitely varies depending on what type of BBQ sauce you use. They are amazing with avocado.
Delicious and quick dinner! Grated the cheddar cheese and the onion into the burgers. Loved them on their own more than with a bun!
Another winner. My husband’s doctor put him on a low fat diet, which means regular burgers, which he loves, have become a forbidden food. He was very happy with these. So glad I stumbled across this recipe.
I’m so glad these are suitable for his diet and that you both loved them! Thanks so much, Mary 🙂
Incredible! These are not dry at all and I appreciated the amount of sweet potato that you used, when using a “small” sweet potato. I only used half of my “huge” sweet potato, so again that was very helpful. I also used Stubbs BBQ sauce. Every recipe I make of yours, I always end up making over and over again. They are delicious and always turn out great! Any cookbooks coming in the future? ; )
So glad you loved them, Suzy!! Thanks for the kind review. Will keep you updated about a cookbook 😉
HOLY MOLY these were INSANE. So so delicious and so easy to make. These burgers are incredibly juicy and flavorful which is so hard to achieve with chicken. These will be a summer staple. Yum. Thanks, Monique for another amazing recipe!
Another delicious dinner by AK!
YAY! Happy to hear it came out great ❤️
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These were phenomenal! I normally don’t cook with ground chicken (it kind of grosses me out), but with all of these ingredients, esp. the BBQ sauce, the flavor was on point. I paired it with a lettuce bun instead of a bread bun to go carb-less 🙂
Will make these all summer!
Excellent Burger Recipe! I’ve been replacing the BBQ Sauce with Spicy Brown Mustard and find that they are just as good!
Thank you Monique!
YUM! Sounds amazing, glad you’re enjoying this recipe, perfect for summer 😍
Monique! You have done it again!!!! Your recipes are a staple in my household because they are so elevated and flavorful yet SO easy to make. This burger is so different and the hint of sweetness from the sweet potato is great!!!! I love to pair this with your slaw recipe and a side of brussels sprouts for a wonderful meal. I also made your street corn tacos this week and had leftover cashew crema which I put on the burgers and it was *chefs kiss*. Thank you for everything you do! You are extremely relatable and make cooking and baking extremely enjoyable for me. By far my favorite recipe developer to follow!!!
Aw this means the world to me, thank you, Danielle! I am so glad you’re loving this recipe and it turned out fabulous for you! You’ve been on a roll with some of my favorites!
These were fun to try. Totally different, but so easy and delicious. I did pop mine in the freezer for about 40 min before grilling as I always worry they will fall apart. This definitely helped. Great with onions and avocado.
YUM! I am so excited to hear that you are loving this recipe, Karol!
Delicious! Even my red meat loving husband commented they were really good! Made them and prepped them exactly as the recipe directed and give them a big thumbs up! I was worried they would need an egg or panko to keep them together but nope! (I *did* saute my onions and sweet potato together first but not sure if that was necessary.)
Amazing! So happy they were a hit 🙂 No need to sauté the veggies first, but it doesn’t hurt the recipe either!
These were some of the best burgers, if not THE best burgers I’ve ever eaten, even despite the fact that I burnt them. I made them last week and I’m making them again this week. This recipe will definitely be on repeat in my house this summer. I used ground turkey and they turned out phenomenally. Thank you, Monique!
Amazing! So glad you loved these!
These were wonderful! I made them with ground turkey and everyone in my family loved them (including picky kids). I will definitely keep these burgers in my healthy rotation!
Amazing! So glad they were a hit!