Pesto Chicken Burgers

Gluten Free | Low Carb | Fructose Friendly

Summer is the best time of year in Australia to make the most of outdoor cooking, which means plenty of BBQ dinners! My tasty pesto chicken burgers may seem a little naked without a bun, but the bold, punchy pesto sauce surely makes up for it! Wrap the burgers in a lettuce cup and assemble with all your favourite toppings, for a healthy, low carb dinner option.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Burgers:

500g chicken mince

¼ cup spring onion (green ends)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon garlic infused olive oil

Salt & pepper, to taste

Extra virgin olive oil, to cook

Almond Pesto:

2 cups spinach

1-2 cups fresh basil

½ cup parmesan

½ cup oil

½ cup garlic oil

¼ cup almonds

½ teaspoon chilli

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt & pepper, to taste

Toppings:

1 tomato, sliced

1 cucumber, sliced

1 avocado, sliced

100 g tasty cheese, sliced

1 iceberg lettuce

Dijon Mustard (optional)

Method

1) In a large bowl, add the chicken mince, spring onion, oregano, oil and salt & pepper. Mix thethe ingredients together thoroughly, then roll into 4 burgers.

2) To make the pesto, add spinach, basil, parmesan, oil, almonds, chilli, lemon and salt & pepper into a food processor or blender. Process until desired texture is reached. I pulse the blender very gradually, as I like my pesto a little chucky. Remove from blender and place into a bowl before setting aside.

Note: Add 1 tablespoon of water to thin the pesto if necessary.

3) To organise the toppings, slice the tomato, cucumber, avocado and cheese, then pull the outside layers off the lettuce.

4) Place the burgers in a fry pan with some extra virgin olive oil and cook for 10- 15 minutes or until they the meat has changed from a pink colour to white. Alternatively, cook the burgers on the BBQ. Place a slice of cheese on top of each burger a few of minutes before taking off the heat. The cheese will melt nicely onto the burger!

5) Now to assemble. Place a burger in a lettuce wrap and top with 1 tablespoon of pesto, plus any additional toppings you might like such as avocado, onion or tomato.

Note: Any leftover pesto can be used as a dip or tossed through a salad.

Dairy free variation: Replace the tasty cheese with a creamy cashew cheese.