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Chicken-Bacon Smash Burgers

5.0

(3)

Chicken burgers on buns with bacon and jalapenos
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua

The chicken burgers from Ali Slagle’s cookbook I Dream of Dinner (So You Don’t Have To) have a little secret—they’re cooked in bacon fat, which adds flavor and moisture to the ground meat. And that’s not all: The chicken meatballs are smashed into a thin layer and topped with thinly sliced onion and jalapeño, yielding browned, juicy burgers juxtaposed with the sweetness and heat of the charred vegetables. Layer it all onto a toasty bun with the crispy bacon and as much ketchup as you please, then wonder how only a handful of ingredients brought such big flavor.

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