It’s time to go back to school, grab $5 for lunch and run over to the line serving chicken patty on a bun. The smell that stained my high school cafeteria walls for life! That squishy and salty mush needs a makeover. Wouldn’t you agree? Yes, please.
We started off with ground chicken. There are a million different spice combinations one could do with this. I remember school lunches being almost mass-produced, devoid of flavor, and completely bland. YUCK! Of course, these could go in the other direction and over spice them, that wouldn’t be good. YIKES! As a Libra, I’ll say the cliche, it’s a balancing act. If you want to be safe, better over-flavored than underwhelming for your first try. Don’t worry. You’ll get the hang of it with each try.
We mixed together some minced onion, cilantro a little salt and black pepper along with our favorite thing of all in the vegetable drawer…GARLIC!!!!!! We forgot to add the breadcrumbs and egg to this, but they still came out decently. Breadcrumbs serve to retain moisture, so it’s not too dry- filler and flavor- while the proteins in the egg bind the chicken together, called a binder. You get a better hold in your sandwich. You don’t want to have to finish a sandwich with a fork or spoon, or you don’t want the patty to fall into pieces and mix into the dirt on your picnic.
Remember when cooking chicken the internal temperature needs to be 165 degrees F. One thing I need to remember is not to keep flipping them and let the crust form on these patties. Lauren has to pull me away sometimes so I can Leave Them Alone. Remember this old jazz tune? Same idea. This crust, formed via caramelization, also adds tons of flavor. Let these suckers do their thing and only flip once, giving them at least 5-6 minutes on each side at roughly 350 degrees F on the skillet. Other than that, these are quick and easy, perfect for school-lunches, fast dinners or just a craving.
