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Spicy chicken patties are a really simple, easy recipe and can be used for wraps, salads, sliders, with a sauce or alongside some eggs with breakfast. Paleo, gluten-free and whole 30-approved, these patties will become a new favorite!
I’m freshly back from Costa Rica and wow, you guys…
We had a seriously amazing time. My husband and I were celebrating our 10-year anniversary and just loved every minute!
We had some beach time, rode ATVs and did an amazing canopy zip line tour followed by a waterfall hike, traveled inland to the Arenal Volcano area (and hiked to the volcano), horseback riding through the rainforest, hot springs and so much more.
It was a quick trip but we packed so much in, it felt luxuriously long! 💕
We got back late last night and while I’m not exactly ready to dive into work this week, I’m putting on my big girl underwear and pushing through… so on we go!
Today’s recipe for these spicy chicken patties is for all of you who are doing a paleo, gluten-free or whole 30 diet this year.
I am not one of you, but I did briefly consider doing whole 30 this January. A friend was doing it and I knew I’d have the support.
But I also knew I’d have the Costa Rica trip in the middle of it. So that seemed like a terrible idea. 😂
But I have made some tweaks this month and gotten back to my cleaner eating ways after the holidays.
And I wanted to share with you one of my easy favorites that is super versatile.
These spicy chicken patties are based on my 5-ingredient zucchini turkey burgers and are an easy addition to a paleo lunch, part of a gluten-free dinner and even a fun whole30 breakfast. (See below for ALL the ways you can serve them. 😊)
They are just ground chicken, zucchini and some spices — no bread/flour or egg needed — and they come out so juicy and flavorful!
And just to note, these are just a tad bit spicy. It’s a subtle heat at the end that gives them a lovely little kick. 🌶
You can adjust the amount of cayenne to suit your tastes or leave it out altogether.
(If I’m making these for the kids, I skip the cayenne and just serve mine with hot sauce or sriracha sauce. Love the spicy!)
Ways to serve these spicy chicken patties:
- You can serve these with your favorite dip: honey mustard, a creamy Dijon and Greek yogurt mix, BBQ sauce, hummus or Ranch dressing.
- These patties are also great for lettuce wraps, regular wraps and in pita pockets.
- You can serve these as sliders and add your favorite toppings: cheese, lettuce and tomato, ketchup, pickles, etc.
- They also make a great protein option atop a grain bowl.
- These salads also go great over a salad as a lunch or dinnertime protein.
- They work great with breakfast too! I love these spicy chicken patties as a healthier alternative to sausage patties, with some scrambled eggs and veggies in the morning.
(The patties above are on a bowl of my massaged winter kale salad with pomegranates, feta and walnuts. Hello lunch! 😍)
I hope you give these paleo spicy chicken patties a try! They are sure to help keep your meals interesting, which is the best way to stick to any healthy eating plan.
Happy cooking!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. Check out my new VIDEO and watch me make this recipe!
Spicy chicken patties
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground chicken (I use 90% lean)
- 1 medium zucchini, grated and squeezed well of excess moisture (should be about 1/2 cup after squeezed out)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional; see notes)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil or coconut oil
Instructions
Combine all ingredients (except oil) and stir until just combined. The mixture will be wet.
Form into small patties, about 1 1/2 inches wide, and place on a plate. It should be about 1/4 cup of the mixture for each patty.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add patties, working in batches if necessary, and cook over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, then flip and finish cooking, another 4-5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Add extra oil or turn down heat if they are cooking too quickly or if you are doing more than 1 batch.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
I use ground chicken but you could substitute ground turkey if you prefer.
I use the small size of my grater to grate the zucchini so the spreads are fairly small and get well incorporated into the patty mix.
These are just a tad bit spicy, with a subtle heat at the end. You can adjust the amount of cayenne to suit your tastes or leave it out altogether.
Ways to serve these chicken patties: with a dip (BBQ sauce, honey mustard, hummus, Ranch, etc.), in a lettuce or regular wrap or pita pockets, as sliders with toppings, on a salad or with eggs for breakfast.
Recommended Products
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Calphalon 2 Piece Classic Nonstick Fry Pan Set, Grey -
OXO Good Grips Multi Grater -
OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Flexible Turner
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Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 88 Total Fat: 6g Saturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 39mg Sodium: 157mg Fiber: 0g Sugar: 1g Protein: 8g
Karly says
January 22, 2018 at 9:57 PMDrooling.I can’t get over how delicious these look- and how many ways they can be eaten! Definitely need to try!
Kathryn says
January 24, 2018 at 3:52 PMThanks so much Karly! I hope you do try them!
Marcia says
January 23, 2018 at 7:17 PMThese look great. I just started WW and they will be perfect. Do you think I can freeze leftovers?
Kathryn says
January 24, 2018 at 3:52 PMYes, you can absolutely freeze these Marcia! I have a bag in my freezer right now 😊
Maria C Lyons says
January 24, 2018 at 7:16 AMi live in Cebu , Philippines and zuchini is hard to find , any suggestions on alternative to zuchini ?
Kathryn says
January 25, 2018 at 5:37 PMHi Maria, I’m not sure what would work as a good substitute here since the grated zucchini provides both the binder and the moisture. You could perhaps try it with an egg or two and see if that works.
Glenda says
March 21, 2018 at 8:58 PMI made them tonight and used a yellow squash. It worked fine
Kathryn says
March 22, 2018 at 6:55 AMThat’s good to know – thanks for sharing! And I love your idea to add some minced green onion – yum!
julianne says
January 25, 2018 at 1:11 AMWe made these tonight and they were AMAZING! I’ll be making these again for sure!
Kathryn says
January 25, 2018 at 5:36 PMI’m so happy to hear you loved them Julianne!
Megan @ Megunprocessed says
January 26, 2018 at 1:28 AMI love throwing zucchini in dishes!
Kathryn says
January 26, 2018 at 4:59 PMMe too! 😊
Carolyn says
January 26, 2018 at 9:41 PMThese sound amazing!
Kathryn says
January 29, 2018 at 6:30 AMThanks Carolyn!
Becky says
January 29, 2018 at 12:22 PMAbout how many patties do you get out of this?
Becky says
January 29, 2018 at 1:18 PMNever mind I just saw the yield in the recipe. Duh! 🙂
Kathryn says
January 29, 2018 at 2:52 PMHa 😊 I hope you give them a try!
Debi says
January 30, 2018 at 9:14 PMMade these tonight, and they were awesome! I used ground turkey, and cut the cayenne in half.
So yummy!
Kathryn says
January 31, 2018 at 6:54 AMI’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them Debi!! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Carrie says
February 2, 2018 at 6:33 PMJust made these for dinner tonight and they were awesome. This will definitely be a go to recipe for me 🙂
Kathryn says
February 3, 2018 at 8:42 AMOh yay! I’m so happy to hear you loved them Carrie! 😊
Teresa says
February 4, 2018 at 9:54 AMHi, I’m planning to try this today. Do you have a recipe for the dipping sauce that it shown ? it really looks good ! Thanks!
Kathryn says
February 4, 2018 at 11:28 AMHi Teresa! That dipping sauce is just a mix of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise. I did about a 1:1 ratio to start and then you can just adjust to your tastes. I hope you love the chicken patties!
Jaycelle Playda-Sahagun says
February 10, 2018 at 9:13 AMHi Kathryn! These looks so delicious. I plan to make it for my toddler. What chicken parts do you suggest for the ground chicken? Thank you!
Kathryn says
February 11, 2018 at 6:40 AMI buy my chicken already ground at the store but you could certainly do it yourself. I’d suggest a mix of chicken breast and chicken thighs. I hope you and your little one enjoy them!
Jaycelle Playda-Sahagun says
February 11, 2018 at 11:51 PMThose are our favorite chicken parts! Thanks again Kathryn!
Barb B says
February 16, 2018 at 12:11 PMThese were so good. I will be sharing this for sure.
Kathryn says
February 16, 2018 at 7:29 PMI’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them! 😊
Glenda says
March 21, 2018 at 9:01 PMWhen I make them next time I’m going to add minced green onion
Cat says
April 17, 2018 at 6:02 PMI made these tonight and they turned out to be a really good protein for a dinner salad.
Next time I am going to try your dip of Dijon and mayo! (And next time I Will not use the 1/4 c measuring cup. I only got 7. Oops! 🙂 )
Kathryn says
April 18, 2018 at 2:18 PMI’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them! 😊
Sue says
May 16, 2018 at 3:04 PMI made these for dinner last night, served with lettuce and chopped tomatoes drizzled with a balsamic reduction. So delicious! I grated some onion in when adding the garlic and should have added more chili powder. Will definitely make again.
Kathryn says
May 17, 2018 at 10:01 AMI’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them Sue! Love your additions and how you served them too!
Adrienne says
May 21, 2018 at 1:07 PMJust joined Weight Watchers a week ago and am finding it hard to find recipes that I and the whole family will enjoy – I can crossed your spicy chicken patties via a pin on Pinterest and was like “YES!” I am going to make these as sliders for the kids (4yr old & 13 yr old) but am not quite sure which cheese would go best. I was hoping you had some suggestions?
Kathryn says
May 21, 2018 at 3:12 PMHi Adrienne! I’m so happy you found this recipe and I hope your family loves it! These definitely make great sliders and I’ve used mozzarella and cheddar cheese for them for my kids because those are their favorite cheeses. Hope that helps!
Adrienne says
May 30, 2018 at 7:34 PMThank you!
These were DELICIOUS!
The 4 year liked it so you know it has to be good 🙂
Kathryn says
May 30, 2018 at 8:57 PMOh yay! I’m so happy to hear you and your kiddo liked these Adrienne! 😊
Diana says
February 18, 2019 at 2:55 PMHow many weight watcher points are these? I just joined!
Kathryn says
February 18, 2019 at 3:14 PMHi Diana! I’ve never done Weight Watchers so I’m not sure how to calculate their points. There is nutrition information in the recipe card above, in case that helps you figure it out. Hope you give these a try!
Katie says
March 4, 2019 at 3:02 PMHi! I see the calorie per serving information, but about how many patties are in a serving? 1 or 2? Thanks!
Kathryn says
March 4, 2019 at 4:13 PMHi Katie! The nutrition info is listed for a single patty. We generally eat 2-3 patties per person. I hope that helps!
georgie @ georgieeats says
May 27, 2018 at 8:09 AMWhat a simple but brilliant idea!! Thank you so much for the inspo! I have pinned it…. x
Kathryn says
May 28, 2018 at 1:37 PMYay! I hope you love them!
Krystal says
July 19, 2018 at 1:56 PMI made these last night. Soooo good!
Kathryn says
July 19, 2018 at 2:24 PMYay! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them Krystal! 😊
Rosemary Cheung says
September 3, 2018 at 1:43 PMHow do you suggest reheating them from frozen?
Kathryn says
September 4, 2018 at 10:34 AMHi there! I usually pull out the number of patties I want from the freezer and let them defrost in the fridge overnight. When I’m ready to eat them, I heat them up in the microwave. You could also rewarm them in a pan if you prefer. I hope that helps!
Robn Staley says
December 4, 2018 at 1:46 PMJust so I am clear, you are suggesting the freezer AFTER they are cooked? Just wondering if I could do before I cook then fry when defrosted. Have you tried that?
Kathryn says
December 5, 2018 at 6:21 AMYes, I always freeze them after they are cooked. That way, I can defrost, reheat and enjoy without having to worry about raw chicken. I haven’t tried freezing them uncooked. You likely would need to lay the shaped patties flat on a baking sheet (I’d put a piece of wax paper down) and do an initial freeze that way before transferring them to a plastic bag for storage. Again, just be careful of handling the raw chicken during that process. Hope that helps!
Robn Staley says
December 5, 2018 at 8:52 AMI think just to be safe, I will go ahead and cook before freezing. I am anxious to try these. thank you!!
Kathryn says
December 5, 2018 at 2:30 PMI can’t wait to hear what you think – I hope you love them!
Cheryl says
December 12, 2018 at 11:36 AMDo you think these would do well broiled or baked in a copper air fry baking pan?
Kathryn says
December 14, 2018 at 12:58 PMHi Cheryl! I don’t have one of those pans, so I’m not sure. You could try baking them and broiling at the end to get a slight crust on the tops, but you’ll need to make sure they cook through all the way. Hope that helps!
Matt says
January 13, 2019 at 3:10 PMHow do you make that mustard sauce? It looks good
Kathryn says
January 14, 2019 at 7:07 AMHi Matt! That mustard sauce was just a mixture of Dijon mustard and a nonfat plain Greek yogurt. I just add a bit of each until I’m happy with the mixture. These also go great with a honey mustard sauce as well. Hope you enjoy them!
Holly says
January 30, 2019 at 3:35 PMThese were great and I threw in some additions that made it even better. I added diced red onion, a splash of paprika and a bit of garlic powder. Topped it with dairy free smoked Gouda. I also made these regular size burgers with turkey instead of chicken sliders and they were perfect for a meal. Didn’t even need a bun! I also topped it with smashed avocado and that was a great touch.
Kathryn says
January 30, 2019 at 8:55 PMThose all sound like such yummy additions! So glad to hear you loved these!
Melissa Harrison says
February 1, 2019 at 7:02 PMHi! I’m making these for dinner tonight and super excited. You posted the yield of the recipe and the nutrition facts per serving, but you didn’t say how many patties are in one serving.
Kathryn says
February 3, 2019 at 7:59 PMHi Melissa! So the nutrition facts are for just one patty – about 88 calories for one. We usually eat 2-3 per person. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy them!
Melissa says
February 1, 2019 at 7:07 PMHi! I’m making these for dinner tonight and super excited. How many patties are in one serving? You gave the yield and nutrition facts for a serving but no serving size.
Kim says
February 3, 2019 at 6:56 PMWoohoo I snuck a veggie in!!! My husband won’t eat veggies or salad so any chance I get I sneak ‘em in, where my son makes more of an effort to try new things, I even got him eating spinach. This was a great treat for the three of us during the Super Bowl. We’re trying to eat better and this was a super alternative to nachos or pigs in a blanket 😍 I just wasn’t very creative on a dipping sauce. I went with a spicy bbq. It worked.
Kathryn says
February 3, 2019 at 8:02 PMYay!! I’m so happy this was a hit and helped you get some veggies in your family! 😊 And I think the spicy BBQ sounds like a great dipping sauce!
Emily says
April 2, 2019 at 9:56 AMOkay, I just tried these and wow! They’re amazing. I have a hard time getting vegetables in so this is a great way to incorporate it! I ate this with some baked tortilla chips and they were great. Didn’t even need a sauce cause they were very juicy!
Thanks for this recipe!
Kathryn says
April 2, 2019 at 11:15 AMI’m so happy to hear you loved them Emily! ❤️