Recipes

Crispy tandoori chicken burger

This crispy tandoori chicken burger combines two favourites: the crunch of a fried chicken burger with the bold, aromatic flavours of tandoori chicken.

The chicken breast is marinated overnight in natural yoghurt, tandoori masala, garam masala and fresh lemon juice, helping it stay juicy and giving the spices plenty of time to work their magic. It’s then coated in a seasoned flour mixture, fried until crisp, and finished in the oven.

Serve it in a soft burger bun with rich, buttery tandoori onions and curry mayonnaise for a seriously flavour-packed burger.

Ingredients

For the tandoori chicken

Chicken breast
100ml natural yoghurt
50g tandoori masala
5g salt
5g garam masala
Juice of 1 lemon

For the crispy tandoori coating

300g cornflour
300g plain flour
50g tandoori masala
15g salt
5g garam masala

For the tandoori onions

2 large white onions, sliced into large rings
100g ghee
2 tbsp tandoori masala
1 tsp salt

For the curry mayonnaise

The video also serves the burger with a simple spiced curry mayonnaise. Exact quantities aren’t specified, so adjust these ingredients to taste:

Mayonnaise
Chaat masala
Amchoor (mango powder)
Curry powder

To serve

Burger buns
Vegetable oil, for frying

Method

1. Marinate the chicken

Place the chicken breast in a bowl with the natural yoghurt, 50g tandoori masala, 5g salt, lemon juice and 5g garam masala.

Mix thoroughly until the chicken is completely coated.

Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight. If you’re short on time, the chef recommends at least two hours, but a longer marinade will give you more flavour.

The natural yoghurt isn’t just there for flavour. It also helps to tenderise the chicken and keep it juicy as it cooks.

2. Make the crispy tandoori coating

In a large bowl, combine the cornflour, plain flour, remaining 50g tandoori masala, 15g salt and 5g garam masala.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and dip each piece into the flour mixture, making sure it is completely and generously coated.

Transfer the coated chicken to a wire rack and leave for 2 hours, or overnight, to help the coating crisp up during cooking.

3. Fry the chicken

Heat the frying oil to 180°C.

Carefully add the chicken and fry until the coating has crisped and browned.

The tandoori spices mean the coating may look different from a traditional golden fried chicken crust, so look for a crisp exterior rather than relying on colour alone.

4. Finish in the oven

Transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack and place in an oven preheated to 170°C.

Cook until the chicken is completely cooked through. In the video, the chef cooks the chicken for approximately 18 minutes, but the exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your chicken breast.

5. Make the tandoori onions

Add the sliced onion rings, ghee, tandoori masala and salt to a frying pan.

Cook over a high heat, continually basting the onions with the melted, spiced ghee.

Cook until the onions are approximately 70% cooked. You want them softened and rich with the tandoori-spiced ghee while still retaining some structure.

6. Make the curry mayonnaise

Combine mayonnaise with a little chaat masala, mango powder and curry powder.

Mix well and adjust to taste. The result should be creamy and spiced with a sweet-and-sour flavour that cuts through the richness of the chicken.

7. Build your tandoori chicken burger

Slice your burger bun and add the tandoori onions to the base.

Top with the crispy tandoori chicken, followed by the curry mayonnaise.

Add the top of the bun and serve immediately.

Chef's tip

Don’t rush the marinade or the coating.

Marinating the chicken overnight gives the tandoori flavours time to develop, while the natural yoghurt helps tenderise the meat and keep it juicy.

Once coated, resting the chicken on a wire rack for at least two hours helps create that all-important crispy exterior when it hits the hot oil.

Why tandoori works so well with a chicken burger

Tandoori cooking is all about bold flavour and intense heat, which makes those spices a natural match for crispy chicken.

Here, the classic tandoori flavours are taken in a different direction, pairing juicy, crispy chicken with buttery spiced onions and a tangy curry mayonnaise.

It’s everything you want from a Friday-night burger, with a tandoori twist.