Spicy Chicken Burger (Indian Style)

If you feel that chicken burgers are boring, I am here to change that with these indian style spicy chicken burgers or masala chicken burgers. A juicy chicken patty with fresh herbs, green chillies, garam masala and touch of parmesan cheese. Spicy, flavorful, and incredibly juicy – it's everything you've ever desired in a burger, isn't it?

The game changer is making your own chicken keema (mince) mixture using chicken thighs, but you could very well use ground chicken!

Indian Burgers

Desi burgers or indian style burgers and sandwiches are truly a burst of indian flavors! The inclusion of hot & fragrant south asian spices like garam masala, coriander powder and cumin is the highlight giving the non vegetarian or veggie burger patties a distinct flavorful taste. 

The burger patties are either vegetarian (paneer or potato) or non vegetarian (chicken, mutton or lamb). For the sauce, usually we use green chutney or tamarind chutney or sauces made with dahi (yogurt). Sometimes, I use laadi pav( yeasty indian style dinner rolls) instead of buns.

My Chicken Keema Burger Recipe

• I make chicken patties by grinding boneless skinless chicken thighs at home. They are super flavorful and juicy!
• These indian style chicken patties are also so good on their own! You could eat them with a salad or tucked inside a wrap (cue - use parathas).
• For the sauce, I slather spicy green cilantro chutney on the buns. I also add sriracha mayo (made simply by mixing sriracha and mayonnaise). These are spicy!
• Chaat Masala- It wont be a true blue masala chicken burger unless some sort of masala (spice blend) goes in, right? I sprinkle chaat masala, hot & tangy spice blend- just the perfect final flourish.

Why Grind Your Own Chicken Keema

Up until a couple year ago, I used ground chicken to make chicken burgers. However, ever since I started grinding my own keema, I feel that my burgers started tasting better. "Keema" is anything minced- be it vegetables, chicken, mutton, lamb or paneer.

Chicken thighs have rich flavor and tender, juicy meat. They make the burger patties taste meaty and moist. They absorb the flavors of spices remarkably well and the burgers get amazing bold and complex flavors.

Roughly chop the skinless & boneless chicken thighs in 3-4 large pieces. Don't trim the fat. Fat = flavor. We want the fat, it will keep your chicken patties from turning dry . I use my food processor fitted with metal blade. You could use meat grinder if you own one.

That said, when you are in rush or don't want to grind the chicken, simply use a ground chicken from the store. It works just as beautifully.

Why I love this Recipe

• Makes delicious and incredibly juicy burgers
• Great texture of chicken patties -We grind our own keema and I dont make it too fine, the texture is amazing!
• Easy & Mess Free- The chicken patties mixture comes together in a food processor. You dont have to smush or mix using hands.
• Homemade burgers allow a lot of room for experimentation and I can add my favorite flavors. 
• Customizable to personal preference - Use ground turkey in this recipe. You could adjust the spices to your liking. If you want, use curry powder instead of garam masala for a curried chicken flavor. De seed the chillies or skip them.

Ingredients

• Boneless Chicken Thighs or Ground Chicken- I prefer using dark meat for the chicken patties, but you could use a mix of chicken breast and thighs for juicy burgers. Use ground chicken mix that has a good balance of lean meat and fat.
• Green Herbs - Scallions, Cilantro & Mint (if you wish)
• Spices - Red Chilli Flakes, Garam Masala Powder, cumin powder, and black pepper powder, salt
• Green Chilies - I use indian green chillies that are quite sharp! You could purchase them at most indian grocery stores. Else use serrano peppers.
• Egg - Acts as a binder and prevents patties from falling apart.
• Other Ingredients - Garlic, Ginger, Lemon Juice or lime juice
• Parmesan Cheese - Adds a wonderful salty tang and helps in keeping the chicken patties moist. If you dont have parmesan cheese, use cheddar or mozzarella cheese also tastes great!
• To cook - I use avocado or olive oil for frying the patties.
• To Assemble- Burger buns, red onion, tomato slices
• Sauces - Green Chutney and sriracha mayo (sharing recipe in recipe card)

For Sriracha Mayo

• Mayonnaise & Sriracha

How To Make Spicy Indian Chicken Burgers

Make The Chicken Keema Mixture

1. Add roughly chopped chicken thighs to a food processor fitted with metal blade. Process on low at first and then on high until the chicken is ground coarsely. Skip this step if using ground chicken or ground turkey from the store. Start at step 2.
2. Open the lid and now add rest of the ingredients - roughly chopped scallions, cilantro, green chillies, ginger & garlic, spices, salt, lemon juice, parmesan cheese and egg.
3. Process again until the greens are chopped in bits and you see white threads in the chicken keema. The white threads indicate that the mixture is just ground right and will not spread or fall apart during cooking.
4. Take the chicken mixture out using a spatula in a large bowl. It will be sticky! Apply oil to scoop out every last bit. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for about 30 minutes refrigerated for flavors to mingle. 

Shape The Chicken Patties

5. Flatten the burger mix evenly using a spatula. Divide the mixture into 6 portions (see images 4 & 5). Take a ⅓ cup size measuring cup and oil it from inside. Fill it up with one portion of the chicken mixture. This ensure that all your chicken patties will be even size. (image 6 & 7)
6. Since we oiled them, the chicken mixture will slide out pretty easily. Slide the mixture on to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and press lightly and shape using the back of the measuring cup into rounds(image 8). This way you won't have to touch the chicken mixture and the entire process becomes mess free. Shape all 6 patties in a similar way.

Tip #1 - Shape the patties keeping in mind that they will slightly shrink in size and become thicker when you cook them.

Tip #2 - Once you have shaped the patties, if you want you can freeze them for later use. Freeze the patties individually on the parchment for 5-6 hours. Once frozen, peel off the parchment and store in a ziplock bag for a month.

Cook Chicken Patties

7. Heat up a frying pan (I use a 12 inch pan) or a grill pan on medium heat.
8. Brush the pan with 1-2 tablespoon oil. Place the burger patty a few at a time on the hot pan.
9. Don't touch. Let them get a nice sear for 3-4 minutes.
10. Flip patties using a spatula and let brown on the other side for 2-3 minutes.

Tip #3 - To check if the patties are done you could use a instant-read thermometer. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Or slightly press the patties in the center using your finger, they will feel soft & firm and the juices will run clear.

11. Once cooked, transfer the chicken patties on a plate and let rest.

Tip #4 Resting allows the juices to redistribute within the chicken patty, resulting in a juicier burger.

12. While the patties are resting, without wiping the pan, add some butter and toast both halves of the burger bun.

Grilling Chicken Patties

Preheat the gas grill to preheat it to medium-high heat (around 375-400°F or 190-204°C). Carefully place the chicken patties directly onto the preheated grill grates. Grill the chicken patties for about 4-6 minutes on the first side. Flip them when they release easily from the grates. Grill for an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side.

Assemble Chicken Burgers

13. To assemble, place bottom burger buns on a plate. Slather with ½ to 1 tablespoon of green coriander chutney.
14. Place the cooked chicken patty. Add onion slices.
15. Sprinkle chaat masala on top of the onion. Place a tomato slice. You could add some lettuce or cucumber slices if you wish.
16. Spread 1 tablespoon of sriracha mayo on the other toasted bun. Place on top of the assembled burger. Serve with french fries or potato chips.

Sriracha Mayo

To make sriracha mayo, simply mix mayonnaise, sugar, garlic powder and sriracha sauce in a small bowl. 

Recipe Tips

• Avoid Using Lean Chicken - Best thing is to grind chicken thighs however, if buying, dark meat ground chicken yields a juicer burger.
• Chill the Chicken Keema Mixture- After mixing , let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This helps the flavors meld and cold mixture is easier to shape into patties.
• Pre heat the Pan - This makes sure that the patties get a nice sear. If you add the patties on a relatively cold pan, they will steam, lose juices and turn dry.
• Use Curry Powder - If you want a pronounced curried chicken flavor, instead of garam masala add 1.5-2 teaspoon of curry powder to the chicken mixture.
• Choose Sauces and Toppings as you like - I am sharing how I like to build chicken burgers, however you can use hot sauce or chutneys (like mango chutney or yogurt sauce) and vegetables (baby spinach, avocados, or lettuce) to your liking.
• Make It Cheesy by adding pepper jack cheese or american cheese slices.
• Crispy Chicken Burger - To make crispy chicken burgers, coat the chicken patty on both sides in panko breadcrumbs and shallow fry on a pan or cook in air fryer at 375 F for 8-10 minutes, flipping midway.