Juicy Grilled Cajun Chicken Burger with Avocado and Sweet Chilli Sauce

Do you have recipes that you’ve made forever, but have never given a thought about the recipe, the exact how-to’s, because you’ve always made it this way? This juicy, cajun chicken burger is one of them for me. A juicy, grilled Cajun spiced (but not too spicy) thigh fillet on a brioche bun topped with all the goodies… smashed avocado, cheese, sour cream, and chili sauce. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Yep, this is about to become your favorite Friday night (or any night!) homemade takeaway-style meal.

a juicy grilled cajun chicken burger with smashed avocado and sweet chilli sauce alongside a side of fries on a metal tray.

Here’s why you need these grilled cajun chicken burgers in your life

They are an easy way to feed a crowd for those Summer backyard BBQs. The meat can be marinated in advance, buns buttered and salad prepped. Yes, there’s the avocado that needs to be made last minute, but other than that there isn’t much left to do but pop everything in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves.

As well as making the tastiest chicken burger around, leftover cajun chicken makes the BEST toasties. So I ALWAYS make a little extra! Sliced cajun chicken, vintage cheddar cheese, finely sliced spring onions with siracha mayonnaise between two slices of bread, buttered on the outside, then toasted. Ahhhh!

What you need to get started

  • Skinless chicken thighs approx. 500g in total, trimmed of any fat. You can also use breast meat for this recipe. To substitute, you will need 2 chicken breasts, each cut horizontally, giving 4 chicken pieces of even thickness.


  • Cajun seasoning. An essential in my spice drawer. I use it to make cajun chicken tacos, grilled salmon, and prawns and its delicious sprinkled over baked potatoes.


  • Olive oil and Butter


  • Brioche buns or hamburger buns


  • Vegetables – English spinach, a ripe avocado


  • Vintage cheddar cheese


  • Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper


  • Sour cream. I also substitute with mayonnaise if I don’t have any sour cream in the fridge. Both work equally as well.

  • Sweet chili sauce. I mean seriously, This stuff is heaven. Any kind of sweet chilli chicken burger is ok with me.

The details

  1. Prepare your burger buns by cutting each one in half and buttering each interior side.


  2. Trim the chicken thighs of any bone and fat. In a medium bowl, combine the thighs, cajun spice mix, and 1 tsp sea salt flakes. Toss to coat the meat.


  3. Heat a grill pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and then the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes then turn over to cook the other side. Once you have turned the chicken, lay a piece of cheddar cheese on top of each piece of meat to melt. Cook another 5 minutes. Check that your chicken is fully cooked (if not, cook for an extra few minutes) remove it from the pan, and pop it aside to rest.


  4. While the chicken is cooking make the smashed avocado by mashing the avocado in a small bowl and seasoning it with a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper.


  5. Place each burger bun buttered side down on the grill pan and gently cook for 1 minute on each side.


  6. To assemble the burger… Place a bed of English spinach on the bottom piece of each burger bun. Top with the grilled meat and cheese. Add the smashed avocado, then the sour cream and sweet chili sauce. Place the burger bun lid on top and you have your grilled Cajun chicken burger with avocado and sweet chilli sauce!

Cooks notes

If you want to flatten out your chicken thigh to make more even cooking, try this… Lay the thigh on a chopping board. cover with parchment paper and using a rolling pin, give it a bit of a pounding till it’s more even in height. This might also make the meat cook faster, so be sure to adjust your cooking time if needed.

Equipment you’ll need to cook this juicy, Cajun chicken burger recipe

A large bowl and a good pair of tongs are essential.

There are quite a few ways to cook cajun chicken burgers. Personally, I use my 26cm Le Creuset cast iron grill pan. I’ve had it for years and it’s my go-to pan when I’m grilling inside. You can also use a bbq grill or a large frying pan.

How do I know if my chicken is cooked?

The easiest way is with a digital instant read thermometer, however, most of the time if I think that there is a chance it is undercooked, I will just cut into the thickest part of the meat to ensure it is cooked through. It’s a bit different if you are cooking commercially, however, I’m cooking for family and friends so I think it’s a totally acceptable way to check if the meat is cooked.

When using a thermometer, the cooked temperature of a chicken thigh is 75C.

Let’s talk sides, shall we?

Regular fries or potato wedges are the obvious choices, but what about oven-baked sweet potato fries alongside our grilled cajun chicken burger? Personally, I prefer them! Another favorite of mine is alongside the BEST potato salad you’ll ever eat. It’s always a winner together.

Variations

You can totally substitute the sour cream for mayonnaise. I make it both ways depending on what’s in the fridge.

Want to tone down the spiciness? Try this… Nix the sour cream and chili sauce. Instead of mashing the avocado, slice it instead and add a scoop of homemade creamy slaw. Plus if you are having a bbq, it’s one less salad to make!

The Irishman likes to add a rasher of bacon and sliced tomato to his cajun burger.

Love to bbq? Here are a few of my go-to bbq recipes

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a grilled cajun chicken burger with a side of fries on a metal plate

Juicy Grilled Cajun Chicken Burgers

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  • Author: Emma Lee
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 burgers 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Grill
  • Cuisine: American

Description

 A juicy, grilled spiced (but not spicy) chicken thigh on a brioche bun topped with all the goodies… smashed avocado, cheese, sour cream, and chili sauce. Sounds good, doesn’t it? 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 brioche buns
  • butter
  • 4 large skinless chicken thighs approx. 500g in total
  • 1 1/2 tbs cajun spice
  • 1 tsp seas salt flakes + extra to season
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • English spinach
  • 4 slices cheddar
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 tbsp sour cream
  • 4 tbsp sweet chili sauce

Instructions

  1. Prepare your burger buns by cutting each one in half and buttering each interior side.
  2. Trim the chicken thighs of any bone and fat. In a medium bowl, combine the thighs and cajun seasoning and 1 tsp sea salt flakes. Toss to coat the meat. 
  3. Heat a grill pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and then the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes then turn over to cook the other side. Once you have turned the thigh, lay a piece of cheddar cheese on top of each chicken piece. Cook another 5 minutes. Check that your chicken is fully cooked (if not, cook for an extra few minutes) remove it from the pan, and pop aside to rest.
  4. While the chicken is cooking make the smashed avocado by mashing the avocado in a small bowl and seasoning with a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
  5. Place each burger bun on the grill pan and gently cook for 1 minute on each side. 
  6. To assemble the burger… Place a bed of English spinach on the bottom piece of each burger bun. Top with the grilled chicken and cheese. Add the smashed avocado, then the sour cream and sweet chili sauce. Place the burger bun lid on top and you have your Cajun chicken burger!

Notes

I use my Le Creuset 26cm cast iron grill pan for this recipe. You can also use a skillet or your bbq grill. 

The cooked interior temperature of a chicken thigh is 75 C. Usually, they take between 10-15 minutes to cook on the stove.

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