Caprese chicken burgers

Name: Caprese chicken burgers
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 large sweet potatoes; olive oil; 2 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; 2 brioche or wholemeal buns; 1 ripe tomato; ½ a ball of mozzarella cheese; 4 leaves of soft round lettuce (80g); PESTO; ½ a bunch of fresh basil (15g); 20g blanched almonds; 10g Italian hard cheese

Homemade pesto & sweet potato chips

40 mins

Not Too Tricky

serves 2

About the recipe

I’m giving humble chicken thighs some love to turn them into a takeaway favourite, but with more of the good stuff. There’s a clever hack, too, which I’ve borrowed from the Italians – weighing them down with a pan creates more surface area, meaning they’ll cook more quickly and become super-crisp. Served with sweet potato chips for extra nutrition points, these burgers are colourful, optimistic and full of proper flavour.

nutrition per serving

Calories

43%

Fat

68%

Saturates

66%

Sugars

15%

Salt

40%

Protein

75%

Carbs

27%

Fibre

of an adult’s reference intake

Recipe From

Jamie's Feast For A Fiver

By Jamie Oliver

WATCH THE SHOW

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes

olive oil

2 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

2 brioche or wholemeal buns

1 ripe tomato

½ a ball of mozzarella cheese

4 leaves of soft round lettuce (80g)

PESTO

½ a bunch of fresh basil (15g)

20g blanched almonds

10g Italian hard cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6.
Scrub the sweet potatoes (there’s no need to peel them), then slice into 1cm-thick chips. Toss on a large baking tray with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, spread out into a single layer and bake for 35 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
Pull the skin off the chicken thighs and place it in a non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat.
Carefully run the tip of a sharp knife along the chicken thigh bones, then cut around the end of each bone to remove (don’t throw the bones away – see tip). Lightly score the meat to open it out slightly, then season with the paprika and a small pinch of salt and pepper.
Place the chicken thighs in the pan next to the skin, pop a large piece of greaseproof paper on top and weigh down with a heavy pan, pressing down to flatten them. Cook for 12 minutes, or until charred and cooked through, turning halfway and removing the skin once it’s brown and crispy. Halve and toast the buns in the residual heat.
For the pesto, pick the basil leaves into a pestle and mortar, reserving the stalks and a few nice baby leaves, and bash with a pinch of salt. Add the almonds and hard cheese, drizzle in 2 tablespoons of oil and bash to a smooth paste.
Slice the tomato into thin rounds. Finely slice the basil stalks and sprinkle over the tomato with a pinch of salt and a tiny drizzle of oil. Slice up the mozzarella.
Slice the chicken in half across the middle at an angle. Spread the pesto over the bases of the buns, then layer up the tomato, lettuce and chicken. Lay the mozzarella on top, slice and add the crispy chicken skin, then sprinkle over the reserved basil leaves and pop the lids on. Serve with the sweet potato chips and tuck in!

Homemade pesto is cheaper than the shop-bought stuff, and it tastes better, too! You can absolutely flex the recipe depending on what you have – use any fresh herb, any nut and any cheese.
I’ve spiced my chicken with smoked paprika, but feel free to get creative. Cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper… they’ll all be delicious!

Don’t throw away the chicken bones – pop them in a reusable bag or container and store in the freezer, ready to transform into the most delicious chicken stock that’s perfect for risottos, soup or ramen.

Remember to keep your fingers safe when cutting potatoes! Cut yourself 1 chip, then turn the potato onto the flat side to cut the rest.

Thighs and legs are often the best value when it comes to cuts of chicken. By buying them skin on and bone in, and deboning them yourself, you can save even more.

Tags

Budget-friendly Chicken Chicken thigh Burger Pesto Cheese Dinner for two Dinner Lunch

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