Forget about all those tandoori recipes in food magazines and blogs! This will be your favourite version: a tandoori chicken burger served on naan with a mint yogurt sauce and topped with cucumber, cilantro, and red onion. Easy to make, super fast, and pretty darn tasty!
Why You Will LOVE This Recipe //
I was a bit surprised at the reaction at my dinner table when I presented this to my husband. I did not think that he would be into tandoori chicken. So wrong I was. He loved it. If he likes it, anyone will love it. He can be hard to impress sometimes.
As my daughter would say, “grub, grub”. This easy Tandoori Chicken Burger is going to be pretty popular on your summer grill rotation. You can thank me later. 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground chicken breast
- 4 green onions
- 3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- naan bread
- cucumber
- cilantro
- red onion, sliced thinly
The Yogurt
- 1 small container fat free plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp fresh mint chopped
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper
How To – The Steps
Step 1: Put the chicken and all of the spices in a bowl and mix well. Form into 6 patties.
Step 2: Mix the yogurt sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: Slice some cucumbers, red onions, and cilantro.
Step 4: Cook the tandoori chicken burgers on a preheated grill over medium-medium high grill. About 3 minutes a side. Throw the naan bread on the grill for the last few minutes.
Step 5: Top the burgers with a few sliced cucumbers, red onion, and a generous handful of cilantro.
Step 6: Add the yogurt sauce and there you have it — the easiest and freshest-tasting burger ever.
Tips & Tricks
- While I know it’s hard to add salt and pepper and adjust for taste when dealing with raw meat, you could cook up a small bit and experiment on it. Then scale for the rest of the portion.
- One follower, Kristin, made these into meatballs (adding an egg and some breadcrumbs to make sure they wouldn’t crumble in the oven). They also subbed in ground turkey for chicken, as that was all they had on hand. They were really pleased with the results! Perhaps something to try next time.
- Another follower, Hanan, only added garlic to chicken and a tsp. of garam masala. They also made them into kababs instead of patties.
What To Serve With Tandoori Chicken Burgers
How exotic do you want to go? While you can play it safe and have this with french fries (sweet or regular works) or a side salad (lettuce, tomato, and onion should suffice) with a ginger-flavored dressing, there are a number of Indian-inspired sides and condiments you can add. Chutney, a condiment made from fruits and vegetables, can be sweet or savory. Thinly sliced pickled onions that have been marinated in vinegar and spices would add that tang and crunch.
FAQs
My meal was dry, then I realized I had forgotten the ginger. Would that have made a difference?
The ginger is wet, like an onion, so it would probably have helped. Sorry they were dry! Try them again with the ginger and let me know.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes, just substitute chickpea for chicken.
If I was making 12 of these burgers, would I just triple the ingredients?
That sounds about right.
How To Store Tandoori Chicken Burgers
If you plan on storing them uncooked, make the patties and assemble them on a plate or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. If they have been cooked, the burgers should wrapped in plastic or foil and then placed in a resealable bag or airtight container before being stored in the freezer, where they will last for 3 months. You can then reheat them in the oven (wrapped in foil) at 350 F for 15-20 minutes.
Tandoori Chicken Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken breast
- 4 green onions
- 3 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- Naan bread
- cucumber
- cilantro
- red onion sliced thinly
To make the Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 small container fat free plain Greek yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon fresh mint chopped
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Put the chicken and all of the spices in a bowl and mix well. Form into 6 patties..
- Mix the yogurt sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Slice some cucumbers, red onions, and cilantro.
- Cook the tandoori chicken burgers on a preheated grill over medium-medium high grill. About 3 minutes a side. Throw the naan bread on the grill for the last few minutes.
- Top the burgers with a few sliced cucumbers, red onion, and a generous handful of cilantro.
- Add the yogurt sauce and there you have it — the easiest and freshest-tasting burger ever.
Video
Nutrition
Small container of yogurt? 8oz?
Hi Nicole, yes 8oz is fine. Hope you like the recipe!
What about baking or frying in a pan? How long? What temp?
Hi Nicole, Yes both should work:
– Baking in the oven is a great healthier option. Preheat your oven to 375-400F and place the burgers on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the burgers reaches 165F.
– For frying on the stovetop, heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken burgers to the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Make sure it is cooked through, the internal temperature of the burgers should also reach 165F.
Family raved. Had to use ground turkey but worked just fine. Thank you.
So glad you all liked it!
chopped green onions?
That;s right Beth, you can see them on the Step 1 picture. Hope you like this burger!
Omggg I’ve made these with sliced, grilled chicken breasts (couldn’t find ground chicken) and they turned out great as well! Butttt as a vegetarian option, portobello mushrooms are the way to go!!!! Holy cow those were AMAZING!!!! Better than the chicken if you ask me💕 Thank you so much! Can’t wait to make these again!
I am so happy to read this Tiana! You are welcome!
Ive to change my lifestyle due to high cholestrol. I made these for my family as new lifestyle choices. Used nutmeg & wholemeal pitta. Broke up the ‘burgers’ wen cooked & made into kebabs. The sauce was great & food was full of flavour. Took 2 hours as ive never been a ‘cook’ but really enjoyed making these & the fragrance.
FYI: the kids added a ‘little’ ketchup to the sauce & oh myyyy god…amazeballs.
Thanks !
Hi Stuart – So glad to hear you and your family enjoyed the burgers and love the idea of making kebabs!
These sandwiches are really delicious–used the lb of gr chicken I brought home this morning (I’ll need more for my fave snack, chicken meatballs) and did these for lunch. A couple of alterations–chopped up the cilantro stems and added to the gr meat mix, along with 2 tsp grated garlic. For the sauce, I used whole milk plain yogurt–makes a huge taste difference, and if one is in control over the amount of sauce, not much difference in calories. I actually used about 4 oz, or half an 8oz container. My newly sprouted mint was appreciated–this great herb is perennial and comes up every spring, although I recommend keeping it in a planter or large pot as it will happily take over your whole yard. Recipe is a real keeper!
Thanks Jammaus, love your tweaks, especially the yogurt swap and fresh mint touch!