Nicholas Gavin is the Culinary Creative Director of ChefSteps, where he develops recipes and is responsible for making all the food look beautiful. Nick has worked at ChefSteps for over a decade; he and ChefSteps co-founder Grant Crilly worked together at Modernist Cuisine. Nick has worked in professional kitchens both in the United States and abroad, most notably at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.

Nicholas Gavin

<a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/tsukune">Tsukune</a> might just be the best chicken meatballs in the world—so why not turn them into the best chicken burgers in the world?Tsukune are delicious because they directly address the fact that ground chicken preparations can be lean and dry. By using thigh and leg meat—already rich with fat and connective tissue—and supplementing the meat with ground up chicken skin, yakitori cooks imbue the meat mixture with extra fat and <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/decoding-tough-and-tender-cuts">collagen</a>, which will convert to silky gelatin as the meatballs cook.These burgers take the same tack, incorporating skin and (if you like) cartilage into the patties. A three-stage cooking and glazing process, starting with low, smoky heat and ending with a ripping sear, nets you a deeply savory patty that’s complemented perfectly by a nest of raw, shredded cabbage and a soft and squishy bun.

Tsukune Chicken Burgers