One of Our Favourite Grilling Recipes – Maui Ribs

It’s May and that means grilling season is right around the corner. Well, in Canada that is. If you are in the desert like Christine, then grilling season is all year long. 🙂 But then there are the die hard grillers in the good ole north, that grill all year long. Snow, wind and minus temperatures can’t stop us. One of our favourite grilling recipes is Maui Ribs. Although we do usually keep this one for summer grilling.

This recipe is based on Maui Ribs that we would get from a local market. But because I follow a gluten free diet, I found a recipe and adapted it to make it gluten free. To start you will need to purchase Beef Simmering Short Ribs, thin cut. I usually buy enough for 3 ribs per person. You can adjust that depending on how big the eaters are in your house. But don’t worry if you get too many. These are great as leftovers.

Easy and Delish Chicken Feta Burgers

Guess What? Father’s Day is right around the corner – you might be welcoming your crew, and is there a more perfect way to celebrate than with our easy and delish chicken feta burgers?

I think not!

In our house, when I think DAD and FOOD the the first three words that come to mind are BBQ, MEAT and RIBS – I don’t know why? Maybe too many years watching The Flinstones as a child? Gawd, I loved that show – remember the huge Brontosaurus ribs Fred would order that would tip over his car? I digress…

Well – if Dad loves a good plate of ribs – we’ve got you covered HERE – but today we are seeing many Dad’s try to lighten things up with leaner meats, or taking beef off the menu completely for other reasons. Today we are talking CHICKEN BURGERS – easy and delish chicken feta burgers.

I can’t tell you how many times I have made this recipe. This recipe works great for an every day family meal – who doesn’t love it when you say burgers are for dinner? But it works equally well for a crowd.

I have had many evenings with friends where these burgers were on the menu. And every time I make them there are two comments.

1. Can I please get the recipe
2. Chicken burgers are always dry – these are so good – how do you make them so they aren’t dry?

I’m telling you in all the times I have made these burgers, not once have we worried about them being dry. It’s the feta – it works every time.

It amazes me that such a simple recipe is so sought after but it seems a simple chicken burger recipe that actually tastes good is pretty hard to find.

No doubt you have made a homemade burger before, all I can really provide you with is MY tips for these chicken burgers.

Mix it Up

For the perfect chicken burger, I like a mixture of lean ground chicken breast and lean ground chicken thighs. I like a 3:1 ratio. So if I’m cooking for a crowd, or just wanting to ensure a good amount of leftovers, I use 3 lbs of lean chicken breast and 1 lb of the ground chicken thighs. I find that the mixture still remains lean, but the chicken thighs add just a touch of moisture to make it perfect.

The “Right” Kind of Feta

I love any kind of cheese – and a solid block of feta is my choice for most recipes. BUT – for these chicken burgers, I like the “pre-crumbled” feta.

I use Tre Stelle Crumbled Feta – but really any brand of crumbled feta will do.

Yes – I know you can crumble up the ‘true feta” but the moisture in that seems higher, and can make your burger mixture a little too wet. As we are not adding any bread crumbs to this mixture, you need it to be the right consistency to hold together on the grill.

A Little Chill Time

If you are in a rush, these burgers perform well right after you form them. But in my experience, if you’ve even got a half hour to chill them in the fridge once you’ve formed them into burgers, they are even better.

When prepping the burgers, to prevent any stickiness, I prep a three sheets of wax paper ahead of time by spraying them with a little cooking spray. Place the first sheet of wax paper on your platter. Form your first six burgers then add a sprayed piece of wax paper. Form your second six burgers. Top with another sprayed piece of wax paper. That way, you don’t have to wash your gucky hands until the end 🙂

Olive Oil is your Friend

I like to brush a little olive oil on the burgers prior to placing on the grill. Don’t go crazy, but a little oil will help with the flip! Because these burgers don’t have a ton of fat in them, the olive oil makes sure you don’t have burgers that stick to the grill and make a mess.

Temperature is Everything

While medium rare beef burgers may be a thing, uncooked chicken burgers are NOT. Cook your burgers to an internal temperature of 165F.

My husband is the grill master in our home, and he takes our burgers off the grill at about 160F and lets them tent under foil for about 5 minutes – they come to that 165F mark then.

These are simple – perfect for a party or family dinner – a true crowd pleaser

• 4 lbs Ground Chicken (See notes above on what mixture I use)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (See notes above on my fav.)
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional for a little heat)

1. Pre-heat your grill to medium heat

2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Form into 12 burgers – place on wax paper sprayed with a little kitchen spray

4. If you have time, chill in the fridge for about 1/2 hour or longer if you wish

5. When ready to cook, brush both sides of burger with olive oil.

6. Grill for about 6-8 minutes a side until chicken reaches 165F

7. Use your favorite condiments to make the ultimate burger!

Main Course

bbq, burgers, chicken, chickenburgers, fathersday, summerdinners

Here’s hoping you find these burgers as delish as we do in our house – don’t forget to comment below or tag us when you make these – we love it when we see our recipes in your homes!

Happy Father’s Day y’all 🙂

xx

C

What’s in the Crockpot – Thai Red Curry Chicken

Fall, the time of year that brings us sweater weather, pumpkin latte’s and warm comfort food. Also the time when our schedules get busier after the summer months. And if you are like our family, everyone is coming and going in all directions at all times. The sit down family dinner might have to wait. So lets pull out the Crockpot and make a meal that can be eaten at any time. You will have the family asking, ‘What’s in the Crockpot – Thai Red Curry Chicken.

Now I know we all have a crockpot or slow cooker somewhere. If you can’t remember where you put it, it might be hiding in the back of your pantry . Or maybe way back in the cupboard where all the other appliances are. It is one of those appliances that we have and don’t use as often as we should. If you have young adults in the house who are working, going to school, or socializing with friends, like we do. You never know when they will be home. But I still have that feeling of nourishing the family with healthy meals. (Now whether they eat it or not, that is another thing!). So this year I am hopeful that I can use the crockpot a couple times a month. For inspiration, my go to is of course, Pinterest. Check out our board – What’s in the Crockpot for your inspiration too..

How to create a “Great Canadian Lobster Boil!”

Are you looking to host a fun (small) backyard get together to celebrate the end of summer?

Danni and I had a blast recently creating a “Great Canadian Lobster Boil” – the easiest, and most fun party of the year so far! And you know – Labour Day is right around the corner – a perfect time to try your hand at cooking lobster!