Thursday, July 21, 2011

TraderJoe's Spotlight: Chile Lime Chicken Burgers

Last week while in Trader Joe's, I specifically looked for a product that had been mentioned to me by a co-worker - their Chile Lime Chicken burgers. These are in the frozen section - 4 patties to a box.



 As I examined the nutrition label to determine if they are clean ( and they are - even if the chicken is not labeled as organic, this is minimally processed and all recognizable ingredients  - ingredients are ground chicken, onions, bell peppers, garlic, cilantro, "natural flavor", salt, lime juice concentrate, and red pepper flakes. ) , a woman came up to me and remarked "Those are SO yummy!" So, I bought the box. 

For my first serving, I put 2 burgers onto my trusty George Foreman grill and cooked them. They looked so amazing - they grilled to a nice crispy texture, with lovely scorch marks and they looked really appetizing. I had mine on a Nature's Choice whole grain bun. And...

Not good! The texture was gross - like a thin layer of dense foam. They had a remarkable rubbery consistency I didn't care for at all. The taste was ok - it was the consistency I found off putting. 

As Andrew Zimmern says, always try foods twice - so last night, I grilled the other two patties in the exact same manner, but this time chopped them up and put them in my salad for dinner. I used and olive oil and vinegar dressing. I have to say, in a salad...the consistency took a back seat and the added flavor and protein were welcome. 

I can't say I will buy these again. As a burger, the consistency leaves a lot to be desired. There are a lot of other foods I'd rather eat in their place - specifically, turkey or salmon burgers. Why these are so well liked is a little beyond me...

Do you like these? Did I cook them incorrectly??