Spinach Avocado Chicken Burgers (Whole30, Paleo, AIP)
These paleo spinach avocado chicken burgers are the ultimate healthy burger. They’re packed with healthy fats, protein, and even hidden veggies. Make them on a weeknight, or serve them at a backyard cookout. They’re paleo, Whole30, and AIP!
Whether you’re on a Whole30, eating paleo, or are just living a healthier lifestyle, chicken is always such a great go-to protein. It’s easy to source, it’s filling, and it’s fairly easy to make. The only problem is that it can get a little bit boring… especially if you’re just having plain chicken breast. I’ve wasted way too many years of my life eating boneless skinless chicken breast only seasoned with salt and pepper to settle for boring chicken anymore! That’s why I’m loving these Spinach Avocado Chicken Burgers!
Why you’ll love these Chicken Burger
- They’re easy to make. Simply form the burgers and grill… no fancy steps!
- They have hidden veggies. Spinach is one of the best veggies to hide in recipes, and these burgers are no different. You won’t even realize that you’re eating it!
- They’re packed with healthy fat. The avocado in the burger adds extra healthy fats, and a creamy pop of flavor.
The Ingredients for the Chicken Burgers
- Ground chicken. If you can’t find ground chicken at the butcher counter, you can also use a food processor to grind your own at home. Or, you can just use turkey!
- Avocado. You’ll use avocado in the burger, as well as for the optional avocado mayo.
- Spinach. Spinach is the perfect veggie to hide in this burger. It has a neutral flavor but packs a big nutrient punch.
- Coconut flour. This acts a binder in the burger. Technically, you could use other flours like almond flour if you tolerate nuts, or you could experiment with leaving it out.
- Lime. Lime adds a tiny zest to the burger to add more flavor.
- Garlic and onion. You can use other seasonings in the burger as well.
How to make Spinach Avocado Chicken Burgers
- Step one. Prep the avocado mayo.
- Step two. Prepare either a grill.
- Step three. Mix the ground chicken with the seasonings, spinach, cilantro, coconut flour, lime juice, and avocado oil until well combined. Very gently fold in the avocado slices, being careful to not smash them.
- Step four. Form the chicken burgers.
- Step five. Grill the burgers on the grill surface for about 5 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
- Step six. Top with optional avocado mayo and serve in lettuce cups like a bun, or enjoy the burgers on their own.
Tips & Tricks
- Use a grill pan if you don’t have a grill. I love opting for an indoor grill pan for ease! Any grill pan will work.
- Opt for a regular pan instead. If you don’t have a grill or grill pan, stick with a regular pan. You won’t get the grill marks, but it will still be a yummy burger.
What to serve with the chicken burgers
- Avocado Broccoli Salad
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Chicken caesar pasta salad
Storage and reheating instructions
These burgers are always going to be best fresh, but if you want to save some, store them without the avocado mayo and add extra lime juice on top. Keep them in the fridge for about a day and reheat them before serving.
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PrintSpinach Avocado Chicken Burgers (Whole30, Paleo, AIP)
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 burgers 1x
- Category: Burger
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
These paleo spinach avocado chicken burgers are the ultimate healthy burger. They’re packed with healthy fats, protein, and even hidden veggies. Make them on a weeknight, or serve them at a backyard cookout. They’re paleo, Whole30, and AIP!
Ingredients
For the avocado mayo (optional)
- 2 medium avocados
- 4 tbsp avocado oil
- Juice of one lime
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
For the chicken burgers
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup spinach, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp coconut flour (optional- acts as a binder)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (plus more if you’re frying or grilling)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
- Juice of one lime
- 1 small avocado (or half a large avocado), diced into chunks
- Butter lettuce leaves (optional)
Instructions
- For the avocado mayo, combine all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Set aside.
- Prepare either a grill or a grill pan and set to high heat. Add avocado oil to the grill pan if using.
- Mix the ground chicken with the seasonings, spinach, cilantro, coconut flour, lime juice, and avocado oil until well combined. Very gently fold in the avocado slices, being careful to not smash them.
- Form the chicken into 4-5 burgers, spacing out the avocado to make sure it’s evenly dispersed.
- Grill the burgers on the grill surface (using extra avocado oil if frying in a pan) for about 5 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
- Top with optional avocado mayo and serve in lettuce cups like a bun, or enjoy the burgers on their own.
Notes
Nurition facts are estimates and will vary.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 304
- Fat: 15.8g
- Carbohydrates: 14.7g
- Fiber: 5.9g
- Protein: 28.2g
This recipe was published in 2018 and updated in 2023. Photos by Modern Food Stories.
Should the chicken be raw
Yes, the chicken is raw.
I’ve never commented on a recipe before, but since this one is new & has no comments yet, I felt compelled to share my thoughts. Living in south Florida, I always have avocados & limes on hand & always look for new ways to use them. I was so excited when this recipe popped up on my Pinterest feed.
It was sooo delicious. I had some issues with moisture & keeping it together on the grill, so I think next time I will use the coconut flour & grease my grill a little better. It was surprisingly easy to throw together too! I got 3 bun sized patties & 2 mini patties out of the recipe. We ate them with the avocado mayo on tostone (fried plantain) buns with sweet potato fries. I only cooked 2, because I wasn’t sure how they’d turn out & I froze the rest because avocados oxidate very quickly. This recipe will be added to my regular rotation!
Madaline, thank you SO much for your comment! I’m so happy that you liked these burgers 🙂
You’re welcome. 🙂
I’d also like to share that I defrosted one for lunch today, it held up very well & was just as tasty!
excellent dish I dded jalepenos
Yum!! Thank you so much!!!
These were delicious! I fried mine in a cast iron pan with lots of coconut oil and they turned out amazing. Thank you for this quick and easy recipe!
Thank you so so much Candace!! So glad you liked it!
I don’t have a grill pan or a grill can i use a regular frying pan
You won’t get the same grill marks and you may need more oil, but it should still work. Let me know if it works well!
I just made these yesterday, but I used turkey instead of chicken. It’s what I had on hand. They were good. I really liked the addition of the avocado mayo. I will be making these again, adding some spice to them.
Thank you Sherry!! Glad to hear that swap works well!! 🙂
Is this good for keto?
It is! 🙂
Yum! I can’t wait to try this! It has such simple delicious flavors!
Thank you!!
We love these and have them on a regular rotation now. I eat them on a cassava tortilla with red onion, lettuce and mayo. I also sub the spinach with some fresh basil!
Yum!!
Thanks for sharing! I bet this chicken burger could be used with a variety of toppings!
Thank you Vanessa!
I made this with ground turkey and they were amazing, especially with the avocado mayo! That really put the flair over the top.
Yay! Thank you so much Beth!!
I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of texture given the chunks of avocado but we loved these burgers! I doubled the garlic powder and added a bit of cumin and they had great flavor. I didn’t make the avocado sauce but may try that next time because I will definitely be making them again!
Love the addition of cumin! Sounds so good. Glad you enjoyed it Melanie 🙂
Hey Michelle, I’m trying to figure out what fries you’ve pictured with the burgers. They look delicious! Are they white sweets or parsnips?
They’re white sweets 🙂 I believe these were Hannah Sweet Potatoes.
I’m absolutely loving these burgers and eat them with a cassava flour tortilla. I look forward to the days that these are on the menu 🙂
I love the recipe and so does my 2.5 year old! Do these freeze well? Any tips of defrosting? I don’t normally freeze meals but would love to be able to make double the amount and freeze half.
Hi Sarah! I haven’t tried to freeze these… Avocado can be weird with freezing sometimes. But let me know if you try it out 🙂
Sarah I have the same question! Did you try freezing them! How did they turn out? Did you freeze before or after cooking?
Looking to change up my Whole 30 recipes and this one was perfect! The avocado keeps it moist and the flavor is great! Yum!
Thank you so much, Courtney! So glad you liked it!!!
Great flavor and easy to make! Will definitely keep this recipe!
Thank you so much Roxanne 🙂
Soooo delicious! Thanks for yet another fabulous recipe!
Thank you so much, Grace! So glad you liked it!!
Do you have the nutritional value on these or know how many WW Smartpoints these are?
Do these keep well? Cooking for 1 so I often eat leftovers. Thanks in advance!
They’re best fresh but they’ll keep for 24-48 hours 🙂
These were so delicious, and so easy to make!
I did the mixture Saturday morning and leave it in the fridge; can I use it now ( after 3 days)? Or should get rid of it?
Thanks
I haven’t tried that honestly… the avocado may not be fresh anymore, and it depends on how fresh the chicken was too.
This is one of my all time favourite recipes. I can’t get enough!
These are amazing! I ate the leftover burger for breakfast topped with an over-easy egg. The only change to the recipe I made was using olive oil because my store didn’t have avocado oil. I will make this again!
I liked these very much but it did not make a burger for me, just crumbled. I did not use the optional flour and I used ground turkey but next time I will use flour and hope it will hold together better. I ended up putting crumbles on top of a salad along with the avocado mayo. It was satisfying and delicious. I will make it again.
When is the cilantro added? In the patty? Or is it a garnish?
It is added into the patty with other ingredients to make the ground meat mixture.
These were SOOOO good! My family loved them tonight (including my 2 year old twins)! Thank you for the yummy recipe! =)
Yay!! Thank you so much, Emily!!
As someone who struggled for years with Hashimotos…I am really trying to stick to AIP. This recipe was so good. My husband said it was one of the best things he ever ate. My 13 year old said it was “fire” which is the highest praise you can get.
Thanks for putting all these recipes out there. We are going to try Hawaiian Chicken Bowls tonight.
Yay, so glad!!
Added goat cheese to these… wow. Great recipe!
Love that idea!! Thank you!
Could these be made ahead a time and freeze for later? Would you freeze before or after cooking?
I would probably freeze them after cooking, though I haven’t tried myself! Let us know if you do 🙂
What can I use if I dont have avocado oil?
Melted coconut oil works fine too!
Really excellent! Would u recommend freezing before or after cooking?
Just made these! I added cumin and baked at 400 for 10 minutes per side because I didn’t want to babysit the frying pan! So good!
This is a delicious, very easy and flavorful recipe. I use ground turkey. The only thing I would change is to decrease the amount of salt. The burgers are always quite a bit too salty for my liking, and I like things very salty. Other than that it is my go-to for burgers because I am not a fan of beef.
So glad you enjoy the recipe!
Can we use almond flour over coconut flour?
The coconut flour acts as a binder, so you could use other flours like almond flour if you tolerate nuts, or you could experiment with leaving it out.
I made these last night for my family and they are amazing! The perfect healthy, yet easy, family meal! I’m hoping to make them again for my sister’s family, but she is allergic to coconut. Would almond flour be a good replacement? Thanks!
Oh my gosh, I immediately sent this recipe to my sister, it was SO good!!
Everyone friggen loved them!!
I think personally it would be better to mash the avocado in only because I found the chunks were falling off the burger on the grill but other than that, yeeeeees! I will DEFINITELY make these again!
Omg these chicken burgers are absolutely delicious! I had been off AIP for months and I needed help planning my meal prep. These saved my whole week of wanting more. They have so much flavor you can’t tell they are healthy.
Aww, so glad you are enjoying!!
I made this the other night and it was amazing! The avocado mayo was a must have and I will definitely be making a big batch of that to save. Thanks!
Thank you!!
Made this with 93/7 ground Turkey (19 oz package). I used an air fryer and overcooked them, so they’re a bit dry, but the flavor is awesome and I will definitely make again, just won’t cook as long. I made 4 big patties and cooked at 375 for 10 minutes each side. The air fryer temp seemed good, but will probably start checking internal temp at around 15 minutes total next time.
What is AIP?
AIP stands for Autoimmune Protocol. You can read lots more about it here: https://unboundwellness.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-aip-diet/