Fast food sandwiches are a young kid’s dream. This recipe for low carb spicy chicken patties combines the nostalgia of younger days with a healthy twist.

Low carb chicken burgers on a bed of snow peas

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What Type of Meat to Use

Although you can use basically any meat for patties or burgers, chicken seems to be the most widely used and versatile meat. Chicken is also more familiar in other cuisines and less likely to be “off limits” due to religious or spiritual reasons.

For the recipe below, I use ground chicken. This makes it more like a “chicken burger” than a typical crispy chicken sandwich like you might find at a fast food restaurant.

Many recipes I found online simply use a chicken breast dipped in an egg mixture and either almond meal or pork rinds. I am not a fan of pork rinds, but this can help to amp up the crunchiness. If you do like pork rinds, you can add some crushed rinds into the recipe below and it would still work wonderfully.

What Type of Spices to Use

I make this recipe quite often and I always change up the spices. In this version, I use a Mexican Tajin style spice blend. Many of the recipes I saw online called for Frank’s Hot Sauce or other similar sauces. For me, using those sauces takes away from the subtle flavor of the spice mix.

How to Serve Low Carb Spicy Chicken Patties

My parents would tell you to “slap the chicken on the plate and call it good.” I’ll pass on that for now though, thanks. I think sometimes parents can go overboard with the presentation (making cute animal faces out of pancakes, for example) as well, though. I typically eat these chicken patties with whatever sauces I have in the fridge at the time and a frozen vegetable. Here’s some additional ideas that would be great with this recipe:

Simply with pickles on the side
Shaved Brussel sprouts Caesar salad
Baked beans and coleslaw
Additional spice powder or hot sauce

Other Serving Suggestions

For some kids, and especially those who have experienced trauma, food is all about texture. If your child isn’t a fan of the texture of a ground chicken patty, maybe try breaking the meat up into more of a “bowl” style dish. If your child is from another country, maybe try adding spices from that country or using sauces from the region.

Another great idea is making smaller patties or “rounds” of the mixture and turning the patty into a slider or nugget. If these patties are too spicy for your child, topping with sour cream or Greek yogurt can help to cut the spiciness down.

These low carb spicy chicken patties are also a great protein for a BBQ party. You could lay out some different buns, vegetables and sauces, along with these patties and everyone could have their own DIY chicken burger.

I’m hungry now!