The best healthy chicken parm burgers stuffed with mozzarella cheese and topped with marinara and fresh parmesan. Such an easy, gluten free, flavorful, and simple dinner recipe to up your burger game. Perfect for kids, families, athletes, and meal prep!
Mozzarella burgers
I love burgers, and I love chicken parmesan…. so why not try to combine them?! Honestly, I’d eat one of these chicken burgers over a regular burger any day. They are not only super juicy but they are STUFFED with mozzarella cheese! A grown-up mozzarella stick.
I promise you, these chicken burgers are incredibly tender, saucy, and delicious! We’re adding some pretty delicious good-for-you ingredients into the ground chicken to keep these burgers super juicy and tasty. Think melty cheese and saucy marinara. I’m drooling already!
Add this delicious chicken burger stuffed with mozzarella recipe to the weekly menu. Meal prep them, serve them on date night, or make them for your kids. Your family will thank you!
Are chicken burgers healthy?
They most certainly are! I love chicken burgers. There are over 22 grams of protein per serving, making ground chicken burgers are a great source of lean protein. Second, we added arugula with is full of vitamins and such a yummy leafy green. Plus, these burgers can easily be made gluten free and are full of healthy fats from the mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients in stuffed chicken parm burgers
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to get this easy 20 minute dinner recipe going! I am all about simplicity and ease, so don’t worry, you won’t need to go to the supermarket and buy a lot of expensive ingredients and spices. Kind of crazy how flavorful this chicken burger stuffed with mozzarella recipe is!
- Ground chicken: I recommend using 93% lean, and 99% extra lean.
- Egg: One egg helps bund these burgers together and make them super juicy.
- Yellow onion: This will add lots of flavor to these chicken burgers stuffed with mozzarella.
- Fresh basil: Nothing beats fresh herbs!
- Fresh parmesan: I love the flavor of parmesan cheese, so we’ll add some to the top of these burgers for serving.
- Panko breadcrumbs: You can use gluten-free or regular panko breadcrumbs which will help hind these healthy chicken burgers together.
- Mozzarella: I used whole milk mozzarella; it makes for. the best melted cheese. But any type of mozzarella should work!
- Olive oil: Just a dash of olive oil to cook the chicken parm burgers with.
- Marinara sauce: Feel free to use any type of marinara or red sauce.
- Spices: You’ll need dried oregano, salt, fresh black pepper, and garlic cloves.
- Arugula: Some delicious leafy greens to top these mozzarella stuffed burgers.
- Buns: I used whole wheat buns and toasted them with some butter (YUM)! You can use any type of buns you want.
How to make healthy stuffed chicken parmesan burgers
My favorite thing about these healthy stuffed chicken parmesan burgers is how easy they are to make! Honestly, they taste better than traditional hamburgers, and they are gluten free! Here are step by step instructions on how to make the juiciest stuffed chicken burgers
Step 1: First, you will combine ground chicken, egg, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, parmesan, and panko breadcrumbs in a bowl. Gently mix with hands.
Step 2: Then, you are going to divide your mixture into 5 portions. And using your hands, flatten each patty out and place a piece of mozzarella cheese in the middle. Then, fold the chicken over the edges, making sure to cover the cheese completely. PRO TIP: no cheese should be showing, and patties should be about ⅔ inch thick.
Step 3: Now it is time to cook the burgers! Do this by heating a large pan with 2 tbsp olive oil (or avocado) over medium heat. Once hot, add in burgers. Cook for 5 minutes, flip, then turn the heat to medium-low. Cook for another 4 – 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through with an internal temp of 165 F. If using an outside grill, heat to medium (350 – 375 F) and cook burgers for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
Step 4: Meanwhile, heat marinara sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low on the stovetop.
Serve chicken parm burgers on toasted gluten free buns dressed with arugula, marinara sauce, basil, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Tips for the best stuffed burgers
- Use 93% lean ground chicken or turkey. Anything higher (like 99%) will not be very juicy.
- Do not over mix. When combining the ground chicken with the other ingredients, be careful not to over mix. This could result in tough burgers.
- Do not press down the patties while cooking them. When you press down on burger patties while they are cooking, it presses out the natural juices and could make them dry.
- Grilled burgers. You can grill these burgers! Grill for about 5 minutes on each side until they are cooked through. But make sure to still heat up the sauce in the skillet separately.
- Toast buns. It’s an extra step (I know), but it makes a HUGE difference! I highly recommend buttering or using olive oil & toasting the hamburger buns before assembling the burgers. SO MUCH BETTER!
Variations and ingredient subsitutions
This burger meal is delicious as-is, but no worries if you are missing an ingredient or two! Feel free to change things up to customize it to your family’s preferences:
- Swap protein: Instead of using ground chicken, try this with ground turkey!
- Add veggies: Top with extra veggies like fresh tomato slices, red onion, and any type of lettuce.
- Add spiciness: For just a little kick of heat, add about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to your marinara sauce.
- Mozzarella cheese: Easily swap out the mozzarella for any other favorite cheese. Try Gorgonzola, Cheddar, Provolone, or Asiago cheese. Honestly, even crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese over the top would be super tasty!
- Yellow Onion: Use a white or red onion instead.
- Fresh Basil: Use dreid basil instead.
Fequently Asked Questions
Are these burgers gluten free?
Absolutely! Just make sure to use gluten free buns and panko breadcrumbs.
Can I freeze chicken burgers?
Yes! You can freeze cooked and uncooked chicken burgers. Make the burger patties, stuff them with cheese, then place them into a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook them, defrost them for at least 6 hours in the fridge. Do the same thing for cooked burgers.
Can use ground turkey instead?
Be my guest! You can certainly use ground turkey instead of ground chicken in this recipe.
How to store and reheat leftovers
Storing: This recipe makes five filling, hearty, and tasty servings that you can store for meal prep. Be sure to let the chicken parm burgers completely cool before dividing them into separate airtight containers. Store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Do not store your burgers with the toppings or buns, assemble them after reheating.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave for 30 – 60 seconds until warm.
More healthy burger recipes to check out!
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don’t forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
Healthy Stuffed Chicken Parmesan Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken, 93% lean
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh parmesan, grated
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs, gluten-free or regular
- 2 ounces whole milk mozzarella, cut into 5 circular pieces
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, or avocado oil
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup fresh arugula
- 5 whole-wheat or gluten-free buns
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, parmesan, and panko breadcrumbs. Gently mix with hands.
- Divide mixture into 5 portions. Using hands, flatten patty out and place a piece of mozzarella cheese in the middle. Then fold the chicken over the edges, making sure to completely cover the cheese. No cheese should be showing and patties should be about 2/3 inch thick.
- Heat a large pan with 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add in burgers. Cook for 5 minutes, flip, then turn the heat to medium-low. Cook for another 4 - 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through with an internal temp of 165°F.
- If using an outside grill, heat to medium (350 - 375°F) and cook burgers for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
- Meanwhile, heat marinara sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low on the stovetop.
- Serve burgers on toasted buns dressed with arugula, marinara sauce, basil, and sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by Tati Chermayeff / Healthful Blondie + Photos by The Travel Palate
I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. In full disclosure, by purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. Thank you for supporting Healthful Blondie!
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Chandler S says
ACTUALLY INSANE HOW GOOD THESE ARE!!!! I mean they do not tasty healthy what so ever. My boyfriend and I are obsessed and will be making these again this week.
Tati Chermayeff says
YAY!!!! I am so happy to hear this, wow! Thank you for such an amazing review!
Jessica coppola says
Delicious, and super easy to make!! You gotta try this fun,delicious & healthy burger!
Tati Chermayeff says
So happy to hear this, Jessica!! Thank you for your amazing review!
Marc Fremmi g says
I made these last night and loved them! So much flavor! Very easy to put together and will be making them again very soon. So glad I stumbled upon your page, can’t wait to try more!
Tati Chermayeff says
I am so thrilled to hear this Marc!! This is one of my favorite recipes 🙂
Emily W says
By far one of the best meals I’ve had in a LONG time!! Will for sure be making this at least once a week! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 🙂
Tati Chermayeff says
Emily, so happy to hear this! This is one of my favorite dinners everrrr!
Nan Parrish says
These burgers were so easy to make and so tasty! This recipe idea was SO intriguing and makes healthy eating fun and exciting. Will definitely be making these again in the future and trying more of Tati’s recipes!