The Grilling Season

Memorial Day is just around the corner, and my brand-new outdoor kitchen is ready, just in time to kick off the summer grilling season! We had been looking to upgrade our outdoor kitchen for a while, and I’ve been eager to hone my outdoor grilling skills, so I couldn’t be more excited! Memorial Day is one of the top three most popular days for outdoor grilling in the US, and I’ve got a super easy recipe for everyone’s favorite grilled food: burgers! These are not just any burgers, but they are deliciously spicy and mouthwatering, Masala Chicken Burgers!

My Easy Recipe for Indian-style Masala Chicken Burgers 

My Indian-style chicken burger recipe uses simple off-the-shelf and refrigerator ingredients – basic Indian spices, aromatic herbs and free from any fillers like egg or breadcrumbs. I personally prefer dark meat for poultry and hence I use ground chicken thigh meat in my recipe, but you can also opt for breast meat if you prefer. This recipe is versatile, allowing you to use various types of ground meat, such as turkey, lamb, beef, or pork. For the toppings, I like to keep it pretty simple, nothing too fancy with just sliced tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, jalapeños (for extra heat) along with some lettuce and simple condiments like regular or spicy ketchup and some cilantro-mint mayo (if I have time on hand). I just set it as a bar for people to help themselves, thus making it a fuss-free choice for my big family gatherings or summer entertaining.

its all about the bun

As for burger buns, we enjoy whole grain ones topped with an abundance of seeds and grains, but feel free to use your favorite kind – whether it’s plain old white, whole wheat, or the classic sesame seed-topped variety – all of them work equally well. Feel free to ditch the buns all together and use butter lettuce cups or top the grilled burgers with mixed greens, onions, tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper and turn it into a burger salad for a low carb option. 

Fire up the grill and make these juicy and deliciously spicy grilled Masala Chicken Burgers for a Memorial Day weekend or any summer weekend cookout, filled with flavors everyone will enjoy! I have outlined step-by-step details below that you can follow or watch the short video that I have put together for you to easily whip up this signature concoction in your own kitchen.

Masala Chicken Burgers

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• Author: Vasanti

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Ingredients

Scale 1/2x1x2x3x

For the Masala Chicken Patties

• 1 lb (454 g) ground chicken thigh meat (see Variations)
• 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 6–8 sprigs of cilantro/coriander, leaves and tender parts of stem, minced
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• salt, to taste
• fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 small lemon/lime, juiced

For the Burgers

• 4 slices of cheese, like havarti, cheddar or any other per your preference, optional
• 4 burger buns
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 1/2 medium red onion, sliced
• 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
• Butter lettuce leaves
• Ketchup or Maggi Hot & Sweet Tomato Chili Sauce

For the Cilantro-Mint Mayo (optional)

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Thai/bird-eye chili (optional)
• a handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
• a handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar

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Instructions

• Place all the ingredients for the burger patties in a medium bowl. Mix till everything is combined together well, but please do not over mix.
• Let the mixture rest on the counter for about 20-30 minutes (see Notes).
• In the meantime, prepare the Cilantro-Mint Mayo, if using, by processing all the ingredients for it in a mini food processor or a blender. Adjust seasonings and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat the grill (outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat) and brush or spray it with cooking oil.
• Divide the meat mixture into equal portions.
• Lightly oil your hands to prevent sticking, then shape each portion into a patty about ½ inch thick and roughly 4 inches in diameter.
• Grill the patties on the preheated grill for 5–6 minutes on the first side, until the bottoms are no longer translucent and have good grill marks.
• Flip and cook the other side for another 5–6 minutes, or until the patties are cooked through.
• Optional: Add a slice of Havarti, cheddar, or your preferred cheese on top of each patty during the last minute of cooking. At the same time, toast the burger buns on the grill.
• Check for doneness: The internal temperature of the patties should reach 160°F (71°C) when measured with a meat thermometer.
• Transfer the patties to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let them rest for 2–3 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
• Assemble the burgers: Spread the bottom buns with condiments—cilantro-mint chutney, ketchup, or Maggi Hot & Sweet Sauce. Add the rested patties, then top with tomato, cucumber, onion slices, lettuce, and the top bun.