Restaurant Makeover – Red Robin Blackened Chicken Burger

This is one my favourite “burgers”. We don’t have a Red Robin in Toronto but whenever I am in Buffalo, it is my favourite place to stop for a quick, delicious and inexpensive lunch.

Their menu is so varied and they are so good about customizing.  I always order the Blackened Chicken Burger and substitute the onion/lettuce/tomato for hot and spicy salsa. It is so delicious and spicy. Sometimes my eyes tear up from the spiciness of it.  It clocks in at 18 points!!!

Today I decided to make my own, healthier, lower point version for lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless chicken breast (about 4 oz uncooked)
• 1 Arnold’s Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin
• 1/2 oz. low fat cheese, grated finely
• 1 tbsp bottled salsa
• 1 cup sliced onions
• cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt to taste
• 1 tsp olive oil

I started by rubbing the chicken breast with cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt and then putting it in the fridge for about 10 minutes for the rub to get into the meat. Then I cooked it in a non stick pan until cooked all the way through. I wanted to grill it but didn’t want to turn on the BBQ for one piece of meat.

While the chicken was cooking, I fried the onions in a non stick pan with 1 tsp of olive oil, more black pepper and cayenne pepper and salt.

When the chicken was done and the onions nice and carmelized, I put the chicken on the bottom half of the sandwich thin, then the onions, then the grated cheese and topped it with salsa, and then the top bun.

D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.

I wish I had thought to take a picture of it…I can’t seem to get in the habit of photographing my food!!

It came in at 7 points.  The only thing I will do differently next time is toast the sandwich thin as the salsa and onions made it a little soggy. It was a definite contender to the original and just as messily delicious.