This gluten-free buffalo chicken patties recipe is one of our family’s all-time favorites this summer! They’re perfect for weeknight dinners or gatherings. They are flavorful but not spicy. This is a meal my kids ask for and genuinely enjoy. In my book, that’s a total mom win!
Compared to ground beef, ground chicken offers an option with less fat and higher protein. I prefer to use ground skinless and boneless chicken thigh over ground chicken breast. Using ground chicken thighs results in a juicy burger for dinner, and provides more flavor than ground chicken breast. In addition to the fat on the chicken, I add buffalo sauce to increase moisture and flavor and gluten-free breadcrumbs as a binder!
Choosing a Buffalo Sauce
There are a couple of different options for buffalo sauce, each with pros and cons. The listed alternatives are available for each individual to make the best decision to suit their needs.
Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce is the most commonly available in grocery stores and is free of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, fish, tree nuts, and shellfish. However, it does contain canola oil and xanthan gum. Canola oil has been deemed an unhealthy oil, and xanthan gum can cause digestive problems if consumed in large quantities.
The second option is Primal Kitchen’s buffalo sauce. It is certified paleo and keto, Whole30 approved and doesn’t contain xanthan gum. It contains tree nuts (cashews), so it wouldn’t be suitable for individuals with a tree nut allergy.
The last option is New Primal Medium Buffalo Sauce. It is also Whole30, and Paleo approved, does not contain nuts but and contains xanthan gum.
In choosing breadcrumbs, I’ve found that Nature’s Promise Gluten Free Panko Bread Crumbs or Good and Gather Plain Bread Crumbs perfectly bind the patties. They do, however, contain xanthan gum or canola oil.
With any method of cooking, it’s safer to use a lower temperature for longer. Harvard Health released an article with 5 tips for healthy grilling. These include using a build-up-free grill, marinating the food, practicing safe grilling by using a food-grade thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat, and more.
Cooking Tips
The best way to make these burgers is to have a kitchen scale and a burger press.
Equal-sized patties will cook evenly. I line a baking tray with unbleached parchment paper to place these perfectly even gluten-free buffalo chicken patties on. Although the parchment paper is not heated, I prefer to use unbleached parchment as it is untreated and completely chlorine-free.
Using the burger press allows for equally sized patties then place them on the lined baking sheet for easy stacking.
Planning ahead? Prepare these gluten-free buffalo chicken patties in advance and freeze them! Store the cooked patties for up to four months and uncooked patties for up to three months.
Heading to a party? Check out our Hummus Plate appetizer.
Recipe
Gluten Free Buffalo Chicken Patties
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds ground chicken thigh, boneless and skinless
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley, fresh
- ½ cup gluten free bread crumbs, of choice
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce, of choice
- 2 teaspoons Trader Joe's 21 Season Salute
- 1 teaspoon dill, dried
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Get the baking tray ready by lining it with parchment paper. Cut 1-2 additional sheets to help you stack your patties easily. I also like to put a small sheet of parchment paper on my kitchen scale
- Prepare your vegetables, by dicing the onions, finely chopping the parsley and crushing the garlic cloves.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, diced onions, chopped parsley, gluten free bread crumbs, buffalo sauce, crushed garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, dried dill and black pepper.
- Mix all of the ingredients together to fully incorporate.
- Using the kitchen scale, weigh out the patties to 4 ounces each.
- Place the weighed-out mixture in the burger press and press down, forming the perfect patty, then place on the lined baking tray, repeating for all 12 patties.
- Preheat the grill on high for about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the grill heat to low, and place the burgers directly on the grates, closing the grill cover.
- Check on the burgers after 5-7 minutes to see if the chicken has turned white as it cooks.
- Once the patties are close to being fully cooked, place the buns of choice to lightly toast, or serve in lettuce buns.
- Flip the burgers over, and cook for another 3-5 minutes to fully brown the other side.
- Remove the patties and buns from the grill.
- Serve with your favorite toppings. I prepare the equivalent of a burger charcuterie board including tomatoes, cucumbers, avocadoes, fresh cucumbers, pickles, red onions, and lettuce. Since the buffalo sauce in these gluten free chicken patties is not as intense as eating buffalo wings, you can add more buffalo sauce instead of the traditional mayonnaise and ketchup!
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