Flavor Packed Chicken Apple Brat Burgers

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Discover the perfect blend of savory and sweet with these juicy Chicken Apple Brat Burgers. This unique recipe will impress your friends and family at your next BBQ. Learn how to make these delicious burgers from scratch and elevate your grilling game.

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Tailgating and game day foods are typically packed with calories. And lots of fried fat. Or maybe slow cooked ribs and other meats. Either way, tailgate foods typically are not healthy. It’s about indulgence and flavor. But I’m saying you can have flavor without all that indulgence. I’m serious!

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Imagine a bratwurst. It’s packed with flavor, spices, and so much moisture it’s almost bib worthy. Then turn it into a burger. And it retains all that moisture and flavor. But in a different kind of bun. Now, take all that brat flavor and combine it with some coarsely chopped chicken breast. And add in some shallots and green apples. Both of which keep the moisture and flavor inside of these brat burgers.

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What Is a Brat?

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A bratwurst, or brat for short, is a type of German sausage.  They’re typically made with pork, veal, or beef. It’s famous for its rich flavors and juicy texture.  They also have signature spices that set them apart from other sausages. Brats are often grilled and served whole.  But I’m taking all that classic flavor and packing it into a burger for a fresh twist.

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Making Your Own Homemade Brat Seasoning

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The magic of a great bratwurst or brat burger lies in the seasoning. Traditional bratwurst seasoning includes ground coriander, nutmeg, ginger, white pepper, and a touch of marjoram. For this recipe I used coriander, garlic and onion powder, fennel seeds, thyme, sage, salt and pepper.  This blend brings out the bold, savory notes that make bratwurst so mouthwatering and adds the sage I love to combine with chicken recipes.

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Chicken Breast vs Chicken Thighs in Brat Burgers

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When it comes to choosing chicken for your brat burgers, you have options. Chicken breast is lean and keeps things light.  I used chicken breasts in this recipe.  However, chicken thighs offer more fat and a juicier bite. Both work well but for those that like chicken thighs, they will give your burgers extra tenderness and a richer flavor. For those that don’t, stick with chicken breasts.  That’s why I added in some apples and onions to my chicken brat burgers.

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How Do You Make Homemade Chicken Brat Burgers?

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Turning brats into burgers is easier than you might think. Start by coarsely chopping your chicken.  I put mine in a food processor and pulsed the breasts a few times.  This made for a nice coarse texture for the burgers.  Then I added in the brat seasoning, diced onions, and diced green apples.  I pulsed the mixture a few times more to blend everything together.

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Shape the mixture into patties.  You can make the brat burger patties ahead of time.  Simply cover and chill them until you’re ready for the grill. Remove them from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking so they’re not cold when you put them on the grill.  This simple process brings together classic brat flavors and fresh ingredients for a memorable burger experience.

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Adding Shallots and Apples for Moisture and Flavor

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Green apples and shallots are the secret weapons of keeping these chicken breast burgers moist. The apples add a touch of sweet tartness.  The shallots infuse every bite with mild onion flavor. While they both add flavor and a touch of tang, they also bring lots of moisture. These fresh additions are what make chicken brat burgers juicy but also stand out at any cookout.

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Ingredients to make these chicken apple brat burgers

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You might not have the fennel seeds and the coriander, but everything else are pantry staples for us.  If you had to pick, get the coriander.  I use it in a lot of Eastern European recipes.

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Pantry ingredients – garlic powder, onion powder, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, dried thyme, rubbed sage, salt, pepper, buns

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Refrigerator ingredients – chicken (thighs or breast your choice), apples, shallots, cheese (I used provolone), toppings like lettuce, tomato, mustard, sauerkraut

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Instructions for making these chicken burgers

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The best way to make these is grabbing your food processor.  Pulse the chicken 4 to 5 times for a large coarsely ground mixture.  Add the chopped apples and minced shallots and pulse 5 to 6 times.  Then add the spices and pulse 2 to 3 times more to make sure they’re incorporated.

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Wet your hands and form the mixture into 6 patties.  The chicken is sticky.  If you don’t wet your hands, then you’ll have chicken sticking to them.  And when I was finished, I still had some on my hands but not as much.  Refrigerate the burger patties until you’re ready to cook them. 

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I cooked mine in a skillet.  You can grill, broil, or air fry yours.  I haven’t tested those methods so I’m not entirely sure how long to cook them.  For grilling and broiling try 5 to 6 minutes a side.  If you want to air fry them, preheat your air fryer then give them between 10 and 15 minutes making sure to flip halfway through.  Just make sure the internal temperature is between 160 F and 165 F.  Let them rest which should bring the final temperature to at least 165 F.

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Creative Serving Suggestions

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Play with the buns!  I mean the burger buns not THOSE buns.  I am all for a pretzel bun which would give these burgers a brat like feel and taste.  By adding some sauerkraut or even some sweet and sour cabbage you really get the German bratwurst flavors.  Or try some slaw for a sweet and sour crunch.  Apple slaw would really bring out the apple flavors of the burgers.  If you’re looking for that bratwurst flavor, top yours with some caramelized onions and sautéed peppers.

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Now, for the cheese.  I put provolone on mine as a nod to the Italian sausage with peppers and onions.  If you want a more German flavor, try Emmentaler.  It’s a German version of Swiss cheese or just use Swiss cheese.  Muenster, which is one of my favorites cheese, is a great melty option for your burgers.  For a more traditional German cheese, try a butterkäse (soft and melty), rauchkäse (smoky flavor), or tilsiter (fruity and spicy) cheese.

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I served mine with some kicked up coleslaw.  They would pair well with some sweet potato fries to bring out the sweetness of the apple.  Or try German cauliflower salad.  Of course you can go with regular fries, but I’d sprinkle them with pommesgewurz which is a German seasoning for fries!  It has similar spices as these burgers but adds paprika, cayenne, curry, and garam masala.  Yes, Germans like curry.  They have currywurst you know!  And they really like curry in their ketchup, so I’d try some of that to top these burgers with. 

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What do chicken apple brat burgers taste like?

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For me, chicken burgers tend to be a bit loose without a binder. That means they can easily fall apart on the grill if you’re not careful. My grill pan made them easy and delicious to cook up. If they fell apart in the pan no big loss! I could just scoop the pieces up and throw them on the bun. Thankfully, these burgers didn’t do that. I ground the meat coarse enough to keep everything together.

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They are super moist and delicious. These burgers are packed with delicious bratwurst flavors like sage and coriander. The shallots and apples keep them moist and add unique flavor to these burgers. Using a tart apple really makes them unique and different. If you don’t want to use a tart apple, use a sweeter apple. I would add some heat to counter the sweet if I did that. In fact, I might have to try that next time I make these.

 

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