“No need for ketchup or mustard when there’s bacon fat,” Ali Slagle says of these bacon jalapeño smashburgers from her new cookbook, I Dream of Dinner. Here, we happen to agree, especially considering these babies are made with chicken instead of beef, ready to eat in about 25 minutes and don’t require lighting a grill.
Serve them with roasted potatoes, crispy oven fries or frozen tater tots, depending on how you’re feeling. (We’re feeling tater tots, always.)
Reprinted from I Dream of Dinner. Copyright © 2022 by Alexandra Slagle. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Mark Weinberg. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.
Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
1 pound ground chicken
4 burger buns
Neutral oil, as needed
8 slices bacon (regular, not thick-cut), halved crosswise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
Directions
1. Working the meat as little as possible, roll the ground chicken into four 4-ounce meatballs, then press down slightly to give them flat tops.
2. Warm a little oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then toast the cut sides of the burger buns, about 2 minutes. Transfer to plates. Add half the bacon to the skillet and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to 2 bottom buns.
3. Season 2 of the meatballs generously with salt and pepper. Place them far apart in the skillet. Using a spatula, smash the meatballs down as thin as you can. Top each with a handful of the onion and jalapeño and press them into the meat. Cook, untouched, until browned, about 2 minutes.
4. Flip the patties and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are golden, about 2 minutes more. Place the patties on the buns. Repeat with the remaining bacon, meat, onions and jalapeño.