Caprese Stuffed Chicken Burgers

Slice the mozzarella ball into slices that are about 1/4 inch thick (or, if you have shredded mozzarella, use about 1 Tablespoon in place of each slice).

Chop the tomato and the basil and add to a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, tossing to combine. Set aside.

In a bowl, add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic powder and bread crumbs, mix until combined. One at a time, make 8 patties about 4 inches across and about 1/2 inch high. Place patties on parchment paper or an oiled surface so they do not stick.

On top of 4 of the patties, add 1 slice of cheese (or one Tablespoon of shredded) and 1 Tablespoon of the tomato/basil mixture, making sure to keep it in the middle, avoiding the edges.

One at a time, add the remaining 4 patties to the tops of the filled patties, sealing the edges. Make sure that none of the filling is visible through the meat.

Spray the inside of a skillet (use one with a lid) with cooking spray and heat the pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the patties (don’t crowd the pan – cook in two batches if needed) and cook on one side for 4 minutes or until the bottom has browned. Flip the patties and allow to cook for 2 more minutes.

Then, add the chicken stock into the pan until the broth comes about half way up the patties, but does not submerge them completely. Make sure the top of the patty is above the broth. Cover pan with a lid. Allow patties to simmer in the broth for 8 minutes. This method of cooking chicken burger is the secret to juicy chicken burgers. The brilliance is that even an over cooked patty is still moist and full of flavor.

Remove patties from pan and allow to drain on paper towels before serving on a bun.