BBQ Season is Coming
I had every intention of actually barbecuing for this review of Canadian Living Magazine’s Smoky Chicken Burger with Snap Pea Slaw. It has been so nice out lately! Unfortunately, today it was super, super windy and I did not feel like standing on the deck in a parka.
This Smoky Chicken Burger with Snap Pea Slaw caught my eye for two reasons: first, the snap pea slaw sounded really unique and second, I love chipotle mayo. I’m really easy to please. I will cut straight to the chase and say that I definitely recommend this dish – with a few adjustments.
Read the Directions
I’m not always the best at reading directions, but with this whole recipe review thing I am a little more diligent in reading them ahead of time to ensure I have the right ingredients and I allow myself enough time to prep and eat by a reasonable hour. I had to read this recipe through a few times, because first it says to prep the slaw but then it also says to let the burgers sit in the fridge up to 24 hours… but after re-reading, it says you can leave them for that long if you want to.
I made the burgers in the morning and left them in the fridge until I was prepping the slaw at dinner time. Burger prep was easy enough except I obviously had to forget something – white bread. Instead, I used two kaiser buns. For the broth, make sure if you use a bouillon cube and boiling water, that you let it cool a little before you start mixing it with your hands. Cause boiling water is hot and you don’t want to lose feeling in your hands. Just saying.
Going Rogue
I stepped off recipe for a couple of things. Where these burgers call for chives, I used green onion – they are a little more readily available at the grocery store and as far as I’m concerned, a little more tasty. I also cheated when it came to the chipotle mayo, but hear me out! I have made a dish in the past using chipotle chilies in adobo (which you will find in the Mexican food aisle, if you’re wondering) and my mouth was on fire for what felt like forever. So I chickened out and used chipotle seasoning. You know, the stuff you mix with mayo when you bring McDonald’s home after the bar… (it’s great with your Junior Chicken)
When it came to forming the patties, I had a very, very sticky consistency. So with my hands full of sticky, raw chicken burg, my aunt got out the breadcrumbs for me and poured in, oh I’d say at least 3/4 cup. Maybe a full cup. Problem solved. So if you run into a sticky situation when forming your patties like I did, just add plain breadcrumbs until you get the right consistency (aka not sticking to your hands). I yielded 8 patties and will be freezing the extras.
Side note
If you’re not really feelin’ the ground chicken, I would totally suggest grilling chicken breasts (season with chipotle spice) and adding the chives (or green onion!) to the slaw.
Time to Eat
Fast forward to the evening, I measured the cup and a half of peas before I chopped them and then I just measured the cabbage as I went. Toss the veg in lime juice (I used the juice from half of a fresh lime which made me want a margarita), as per directions and away we go. I made a little bit more chipotle mayo for the burgers, toasted the buns on the griddle and popped the burgers into a frying pan (like I said, it was way too windy for a barbecue). I oiled the pan a little bit so they wouldn’t stick – and I’m really glad I did. There was absolutely no grease that came out of these burgers and I could tell when flipping them that the oil brushed on the pan was necessary.
Next time
Looking back at the date Canadian Living published this recipe (July, 2017), my aunt is so right – the Smoky Chicken Burger with Snap Pea Slaw is definitely a tasty summer recipe. But don’t let the seasons stop you! It’s almost summertime in half of the world! I definitely think you should give these a go before the snow sets in and all you want is soup and grilled cheese (not that there is anything wrong with that…)
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Thanks for checking this one out. Happy cooking!
