The Best Homemade Healthy Burgers brimming with Veggies and topped with addictive Maple Glazed Shallots… and a recipe for Homemade Ketchup with Canned Plum Tomatoes!
For BEST Chicken Burgers – grind fresh chicken and then form into patties with veggies and seasonings.
Use a food processor and pulse chicken tenderloins and boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat until ground with a little texture.
You’ll notice the difference of GRINDING your own chicken.. and it’s so easy to do!
Chicken tenderloins are white meat (the part that’s attached to the breast) and are very tender – as the name implies. I’ve added some thigh meat for a little extra fat & flavor.
Cook indoors on a cast iron grill pan – or outdoors in warmer weather… smoking chips anyone?
Making the Chicken & Veggie Burgers:
How to Make Homemade Ketchup Year-Round: Use Italian Canned Plum Tomatoes!
I just couldn’t wait for ripe summer tomatoes ~ so I created this recipe using the best quality canned tomatoes.
I love making my own ketchup, not too sweet with savory intense flavors. You can whirl it smooth or leave slightly chunky.
The First Step: Roasting the plum tomatoes in a hot oven (keeping the puree for later) lends enormous full-bodied flavor!
Sauté the ketchup base, start with sliced garlic, seasonings and then reserved puree. Cook down then add the roasted tomatoes; simmer 1 1/2 hours until thickened. Simply pulse until smooth in a food processor, or use a food mill.
Canned Plum Tomatoes are the primary ingredient – so choose wisely!
Did you know MOST canned tomatoes contain Calcium Chloride and or Citric Acid (even some organic varieties)?
Neither ingredient is desirable – they are chemical additives… so buy an Italian product!
Use: One 28 ounce can Italian Peeled Whole Tomatoes (ingredients only tomatoes & tomato juice*), Tomato Paste, Apple Cider Vinegar, Light Brown Sugar, Fresh Garlic, Dried Onion Flakes, Chipotle Flakes, Cloves, Allspice, Celery Seed, Yellow Mustard Seeds and Sea Salt.
Please do not use canned tomatoes with “natural flavoring” they are chemicals too – look for an Italian brand.
Enjoy!
Karen
Homemade Chicken & Veggie Burgers with Maple Glazed Shallots
Ingredients
The Chicken & Veggies Burgers
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins and boneless chicken thighs (weight before trimming)
- 1/2 cup grated zucchini squeezed dry
- 1/3 cup colorful peppers small dice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley cleaned, dried, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili seasonings can use ancho pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon mexican oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Maple Glazed Shallots
- 1 large shallots
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 teaspoon pure maple syrup (the real stuff!)
- 3 pinches sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken & Veggie Burgers:
- Trim chicken thighs of most of their fat. Remove white tendons from the tenderloins. Add all to a food processor and pulse until finely ground with a little texture. Add to a medium sized bowl.
- Add the zucchini (squeezed dry), peppers, parsley and the seasonings - next 5 ingredients; chili powder through salt.Mix well with a large fork until all is well blended. Refrigerate until ready to grill (up to 12 hours.)
Make the Glazed Shallots:
- Remove the papers from the 2 shallots, trim root end. Cut into 1/4" thick slices lengthwise - will have 4 - 5 for each shallot. Heat 2 teaspoons of evoo in a 10" skillet.
- Heat the oil over medium heat, when hot add the shallot slices and cook until golden brown underneath. Carefully turn over, drizzle the maple syrup over them. Turn heat down to low and cover the pan with heavy foil. Cook about 8 minutes until the second side is golden and the shallots have cooked through.Set aside.
Grill the Burgers:
- Heat a grill pan and brush with 1 teaspoon evoo. Raise heat to medium high. Form 4 even sized burgers - set them on waxed paper. Add to the pan and cook until strong grill marks are underneath, about 5 minutes. Flip over with a metal spatula. Turn the heat down to low. Cover with heavy foil. Let the burgers develop color on the second side. Cook until firm and cooked through* - about 4 - 5 minutes (will depend on the thickness of your burgers.)
- Top the burgers on buns, if using - add 2 glazed shallots on each.Serve with Karen's Roasted Tomato Ketchup!
Notes
Karen's Roasted Tomato Ketchup
Ingredients
- 28 can Italian plum tomatoes with puree* (one without "natural flavoring")
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh garlic peeled, thinly sliced (from 5 small cloves)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle flakes (these are smokey) or chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar or light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add the opened can of plum tomatoes in a sieve over a medium sized bowl. Gently squeeze the juice and seeds out of the plum tomatoes, not breaking them up too much.You will have 1 1/2 cups of juice/puree to add to the pot; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the plum tomatoes, I broke them in half lengthwise. Brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil - place in oven to roast. Cook for 20 - 20 minutes until just golden around the edges.
- While the tomatoes roast, start the ketchup base. In a heavy non-reactive pot, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and the garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring over low heat until just golden around the edges. Add the spices; onion flakes, chipotle flakes, cloves, allspice, celery seed and mustard seed.
- Stir over low heat 1 minute to toast the spices. Add the sugar, stir well. Add the 1 1/2 cups reserved tomato juice - bring to a boil, stir well; cover and set the heat to a low simmer. Cook until tomatoes have roasted.
- Roast the tomatoes for 20 - 22 minutes until they are dry and a touch golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and carefully add them to the pot. Give a big stir, cook over a low simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes until reduced a little and flavorful.Uncover and cook for 5 minutes over a bare simmer. Cool slightly.
- Puree the ketchup in a food processor or pass through a food mill (as I did!)
- Cool, then refrigerate in a glass airtight container. Use within 3 weeks.