Spicy chicken patties are a really simple, easy recipe and can be used for wraps, salads, sliders, with a sauce or even alongside some eggs for 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... it was an amazing time!
Here are the highlights: beach time, ATVs, canopy zip line tour, waterfall hike, Arenal Volcano, horseback riding through the rainforest and hot springs. I just loved every minute.
We got back late last night and while I'm not exactly ready to dive into work this week, I'm 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.
I briefly considered 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!)
OK, let's get cooking!
Now, I've got some notes and substitutions coming up below on how to make spicy chicken patties. Just tryin' to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Ground chicken: I prefer a lean ground chicken that's 85%-90% lean. (I find the 99% lean kind doesn't have very much flavor.) You could also substitute ground turkey if you prefer.
- Zucchini: I recommend using the small size of a grater to grate the zucchini so the spreads are fairly small and get well incorporated into the patty mix.
- Garlic: The recipe calls for just 1 clove of garlic, but you could bump that up if you want some extra garlic flavor.
- Cayenne: This patties are just a bit spicy, with a nice heat on the end. You can increase or decrease (or skip) the amount of cayenne to suit your tastes.
OK, let's get ready to eat!
Serving Ideas:
- You can serve these with your favorite dip: honey mustard, a creamy Dijon and Greek yogurt mix, BBQ sauce, creamy avocado 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.
Lots of ways to enjoy them! You'll be coming up with more and more ways to eat these, they're just that good!
(The patties above are on a bowl of my massaged winter kale salad with pomegranates, feta and walnuts. Hello gorgeous lunch! )
Last thing: what to do with any leftovers.
Leftover chicken patties, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze leftover patties for up to 4-5 months.
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 and enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
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 ½ cup after squeezed out)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional; see notes
- 1 ½ 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 ½ inches wide, and place on a plate. Use about ¼ 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!
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Karly says
Drooling.I can't get over how delicious these look- and how many ways they can be eaten! Definitely need to try!
Kathryn says
Thanks so much Karly! I hope you do try them!
Marcia says
These look great. I just started WW and they will be perfect. Do you think I can freeze leftovers?
Kathryn says
Yes, you can absolutely freeze these Marcia! I have a bag in my freezer right now 😊
Maria C Lyons says
i live in Cebu , Philippines and zuchini is hard to find , any suggestions on alternative to zuchini ?
Kathryn says
Hi 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
I made them tonight and used a yellow squash. It worked fine
Kathryn says
That's good to know - thanks for sharing! And I love your idea to add some minced green onion - yum!
Germaine Haberman says
I use grated mushrooms when I want a binder for meat.
Kathryn Doherty says
That's a great idea too! Bet it adds a great meatiness and earthiness as well. Thanks so much for sharing!
JyothiMcminn says
Squash,eggplant,and any kind of yam..thoroughly washed and grated.
julianne says
We made these tonight and they were AMAZING! I'll be making these again for sure!
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you loved them Julianne!
Jennifer says
How do you make the whole30 sauce for dipping?
Kathryn Doherty says
Hi! You can make a mustard-mayo sauce for dipping these in, but you'll need to check labels because most regular store-bought mayos wouldn't be whole30 compliant. But there are brands that make versions that you could use. (I like a 1:1 mustard and mayo mix, but you can sorta adjust it to suit your tastes.) You can also use a guac-like dip if you'd like or look up other whole 30 approved sauces you can make to have with these. Hope that helps!
Megan @ Megunprocessed says
I love throwing zucchini in dishes!
Kathryn says
Me too! 😊
Carolyn says
These sound amazing!
Kathryn says
Thanks Carolyn!
Becky says
About how many patties do you get out of this?
Becky says
Never mind I just saw the yield in the recipe. Duh! 🙂
Kathryn says
Ha 😊 I hope you give them a try!
Debi says
Made these tonight, and they were awesome! I used ground turkey, and cut the cayenne in half.
So yummy!
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them Debi!! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Carrie says
Just made these for dinner tonight and they were awesome. This will definitely be a go to recipe for me 🙂
Kathryn says
Oh yay! I'm so happy to hear you loved them Carrie! 😊
Teresa says
Hi, 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
Hi 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
Hi 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
I 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
Those are our favorite chicken parts! Thanks again Kathryn!
Barb B says
These were so good. I will be sharing this for sure.
Kathryn says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them! 😊
Glenda says
When I make them next time I'm going to add minced green onion
Cat says
I 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
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them! 😊
Sue says
I 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
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them Sue! Love your additions and how you served them too!
Adrienne says
Just 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
Hi 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
Thank you!
These were DELICIOUS!
The 4 year liked it so you know it has to be good 🙂
Kathryn says
Oh yay! I'm so happy to hear you and your kiddo liked these Adrienne! 😊
Diana says
How many weight watcher points are these? I just joined!
Kathryn says
Hi 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
Hi! I see the calorie per serving information, but about how many patties are in a serving? 1 or 2? Thanks!
Kathryn says
Hi 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
What a simple but brilliant idea!! Thank you so much for the inspo! I have pinned it.... x
Kathryn says
Yay! I hope you love them!
Krystal says
I made these last night. Soooo good!
Kathryn says
Yay! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them Krystal! 😊
Rosemary Cheung says
How do you suggest reheating them from frozen?
Kathryn says
Hi 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
Just 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
Yes, 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
I think just to be safe, I will go ahead and cook before freezing. I am anxious to try these. thank you!!
Kathryn says
I can't wait to hear what you think - I hope you love them!
Cheryl says
Do you think these would do well broiled or baked in a copper air fry baking pan?
Kathryn says
Hi 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
How do you make that mustard sauce? It looks good
Kathryn says
Hi 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
These 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
Those all sound like such yummy additions! So glad to hear you loved these!
Melissa Harrison says
Hi! 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
Hi 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
Hi! 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.