Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Maya's Mayan-Spiced Chicken Burgers -- 08/28/07

Maya's Mayan-Spiced Chicken Burgers

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 1 tablespoon (a palmful) ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon (a palmful) chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons (a mounded palmful) grill seasoning, such as Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped (eyeball it)
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
  • EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), for drizzling
  • 2 ripe Hass avocados
  • 1 clove garlic, minced then mashed into paste with 1 teaspoon salt
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 small white or red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 3 plum tomatoes, 1 seeded and finely chopped, 2 thinly sliced
  • Bibb or butter lettuce leaves
  • 4 rolls split, reserve or lightly toast then reserve
  • A bag of blue and yellow corn tortilla chips
  • Five Vegetable Slaw Salad:
  • 1 pound sack shredded cabbage
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin slices
  • 4 scallions, sliced thinly on an angle (greens and whites)
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1/4 cup (3 healthy drizzles) honey
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable or light-colored oil
  • Salt and pepper

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Place ground chicken in bowl and add cumin, chili powder, grill seasoning, ground cinnamon, parsley and cilantro.

Step

Add a drizzle of EVOO and mix to combine.

Step

Score the meat in 4 equal parts then form 4 patties about 1 1/2-inches thick.

Step

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with EVOO and add the burgers. Cook about 5 minutes on each side, until cooked all the way through -- there shouldn't be any pink in the middle.

Step

Once the burgers are cooked, transfer them to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm while you make the guacamole.

In a medium-size bowl, mash the avocado. Add the garlic paste, lemon juice, onion, jalapeño and finely chopped tomato.
For the slaw, combine vegetables in a serving bowl. In another small bowl, combine lime juice and honey. While whisking, drizzle in EVOO in a slow and steady stream. Pour dressing over slaw and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer burgers to the toasted bun bottoms and top with sliced tomatoes, lettuce and a rounded tablespoonful of guacamole. Serve Mayan burgers with Five Vegetable Slaw Salad and tortilla chips alongside. YUM-O!