Jamaican Chicken Burgers

The recipe for these Jamaican Chicken Burgers is yet another one that made the cut when I was trimming down my recipe collection. I am a sucker for allspice in pretty much anything, and I liked the sound of the plantain in the chicken mixture, both for sweetness and moistness.

I couldn’t remember how many plantains the recipe called for while I was grocery shopping, so I bought two to be on the safe side. (Of course, I completely neglected to buy the green onions the recipe calls for.)  Since I had an extra plantain, I just sauteed slices of it in a little olive oil, spiced with salt, pepper, aleppo chili powder and a little brown sugar.  We also had this with a salad. 

This is a good burger, though I do think it benefits from a condiment on top. Normally I am not a condiment kinda gal but I’ll recommend one in this instance.  All I did was mix a little store-bought ketchup with a little adobo sauce.  As for the burgers, I left the amount of spices almost the same, despite reducing the meat by half a pound, and I’m glad I did. I think we tend to like a little more spice than the norm. 🙂 

Jamaican Chicken Burgers

Serves 4
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 medium soft black plantain, peeled and thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. finely diced red onion
2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried thyme
scant 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp.  cayenne pepper
1 lb. ground chicken 
salt and pepper

Cook the plantain in boiling water for 10-15 minutes or until very tender. Drain, and then mash in a large bowl. Cool for a few minutes before adding the remaining ingredients. Portion into 4 patties (at this point, as with pretty much any chicken burger, I like to let them sit in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, in order for them to firm up and for the flavors to mingle). 

Cook the patties on a lightly greased grill or pan (I used my cast iron skillet, of course), for about 4-5 minutes per side.  Grill or toast 4 buns, and serve the burgers in the buns with  your choice of toppings.  We used red onion, lettuce, and the adobo-ketchup I mentioned above.