Chicken Toddler-yaki Burger
This one replicates the template from the smashburger on the site–golden brown outside, creamy middle, nutrition packed in–with a slightly sweeter profile, thanks to the addition of teriyaki sauce. You could, of course, leave the kale out, but why? There is no better place to hide vegetables than a burger, my friend.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep
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Remove leafy ends of kale from stems; discard the remaining fibrous parts of stalk. Chop or chiffonade the kale into small bits and place into a large bowl.
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Add chicken meat, breadcrumbs, herbs, a small spoonful of mayo, and a generous pour of teriyaki sauce into the bowl; with your hands, mix and mesh until all the components are combined into one meld. Seal bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cook
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Heat a large saute pan to Medium High, adding a small pool of oil once hot.
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Scoop out a handful of the meat mixture and form into a round; place onto hot stove. Smash ball down until in patty form; repeat until pan is filled but patties are not touching each other. Cook for two minutes, then turn temperature down to Medium and cook for an additional two minutes.
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Flip patties over, then repeat process for other side: two minutes on Medium High, followed by two minutes on Medium. Remove from heat.
Serve
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We often treat this like a burger for our toddler: put it on a bun, slather it in favorite condiments, and cut into the appropriate sized pieces. But it’s great for an infant served straight up–plenty flavorful on its own–and can be stuffed into a myriad of finger foods: empanadas, dumplings, and so on.
Adapt
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Don’t have, or don’t want to use, teriyaki? You could substitute with pretty much any sauce: BBQ, ranch, etc. My recommendation: pour in some leftover “green sauce” (p.xx)--feel free to hold the kale–and you’ll get a creamy, unctuous burger in its own right. Trust me, it’s great–and your child won’t know the difference.
