Chicken Tikka Masala Burger
A chicken burger with tikka-spiced patties, a quick tomato masala sauce and cucumber raita on warm naan or a ciabatta bun.
- Prep
- 20min
- Cook
- 15min
- Total
- 50min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 690per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Thick yogurt worked into the meat, just 2 tablespoons, is the tikka part of this burger. It keeps ground chicken, which dries out easily, tender, and carries the garam masala, turmeric, cumin and ginger through every bite. Ground chicken is already soft, so more yogurt would make a mix too loose to shape; the 15-minute chill firms it.
The masala is a quick sauce of passata, garlic, garam masala and cream, simmered while the patties cook and spooned over them. Cook the chicken over medium, not high, so the spiced crust doesn't scorch before the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Cool raita underneath and raw red onion on top keep it from feeling heavy.
Chicken Tikka Masala Burger
Prep 20 min, cook 15 min, total 50 min. About 690 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/indian-tikka-masala-burger
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Mix ground chicken with 2 tbsp Greek yogurt, 2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp grated ginger, salt, and pepper, just until evenly combined. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Form into 4 equal patties.
Make the masala sauce: melt 1 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tsp garam masala and stir for 30 seconds. Add ¾ cup tomato passata and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until thick. Stir in ¼ cup heavy cream, season with salt, and keep warm over low heat.
Make cucumber raita by mixing ½ cup plain yogurt with grated, squeezed cucumber and a pinch of salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken patties for 5-6 minutes per side until an instant-read thermometer in the center of a patty reads 165°F (74°C) and patties are golden brown.
Warm naan breads or toast ciabatta buns lightly.
Assemble burgers: spread cucumber raita on bottom breads, add tikka-spiced chicken patties, spoon the masala sauce over them, top with red onion slices and fresh cilantro, then complete with top breads.
Tips
- Shape the patties with wet hands and set them on parchment. The soft mix sticks to dry palms and tears.
- Simmer the sauce until a spoon dragged through it leaves a trail. Thin sauce runs off the patty and soaks the bread.
- Squeeze the grated cucumber in a clean towel until almost no liquid comes out, or the raita turns thin.
- Warm the naan in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds a side so it folds around the patty without cracking.
Substitutions
- Mango chutney instead of the masala sauce: quicker and sweeter. Spoon about 15 ml onto each patty.
- Ground turkey instead of chicken: the same method and the same 165°F (74°C) target, with slightly firmer patties.
- Tikka masala paste (about 30 ml) can replace the separate spices in the patties; cut back on salt, since most pastes are salted.
- Gluten-free: use a gluten-free bun or lettuce wraps in place of the naan.
Make ahead & storage
Make the raita up to a day ahead and stir it before serving, since the cucumber releases water. The masala sauce keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; rewarm it until it bubbles. Cooked patties keep 3 to 4 days; reheat in a covered skillet to 165°F (74°C). Cook the patties fully in one go; never partially cook them to finish later.
