Name: Buffalo Chicken Burgers
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , plus 2 tablespoons melted and cooled, divided; 6 tablespoons hot sauce; 1 tablespoon molasses; ½ teaspoon cornstarch; 1½ pounds ground chicken; 1 large shallot , minced; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; ¼ teaspoon pepper; ½ teaspoon table salt; 2 teaspoons vegetable oil; 2 ounces mild blue cheese , crumbled (1/2 cup), room temperature; 4 leaves Bibb or Boston lettuce; 4 hamburger buns , toasted if desired; 1 celery rib , sliced thin on bias, plus 1/4 cup celery leaves

Why This Recipe Works

To translate the popular combination of chicken, Buffalo sauce, and celery into a great burger, we started off with ground chicken and then added some Worcestershire and shallot for umami; melted butter helped keep the patties moist during cooking. Conventional Buffalo sauce is comprised of some combination of butter and hot sauce. For a bold sauce that would be cohesive enough to cling to our patties, we added cornstarch and molasses to the mix. Piling the blue cheese on the burgers while they rested allowed enough time for the cheese to melt before serving. In a nod to the classic Buffalo accompaniment, we topped our burgers with thinly sliced celery along with the delicate leaves, which brought pleasing crispness and refreshing contrast.

Before You Begin

If the delicate leaves attached to the celery stalks are not available, you can omit them. We prefer a mild blue cheese, such as Gorgonzola, for this recipe.

Instructions

Microwave 4 tablespoons butter, hot sauce, molasses, and cornstarch in bowl, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes; cover to keep warm and set aside.

Break ground chicken into small pieces in large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter, shallot, Worcestershire, and pepper and gently knead with hands until well combined. Divide chicken mixture into 4 equal portions, then gently shape each portion into ¾‑inch-thick patty. Using your fingertips, press center of each patty down until about ½ inch thick, creating slight divot.

Season patties with salt. Heat oil in 12‑inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Transfer patties to skillet, divot side up, and cook until well browned on first side, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip patties, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers 160 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer burgers to platter, brush with half of Buffalo sauce, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Arrange lettuce on bun bottoms. Serve burgers on buns, topped with blue cheese, celery, and celery leaves, passing extra Buffalo sauce separately.