Pulled Tandoori Chicken Burger
Tandoori chicken is the epitome of a Bengali gathering. Every time a wedding rolls around, or a sporadic visit from a distant relative pops up, out comes a tray of succulent, maroon-tinted. Today's recipe is a remodelling of the traditional chicken as a) I don't have a tandoor oven and b) it's nice to switch things up sometimes! The DIY tandoori masala I made is free from all the artificial dyes and other nasties you'd find packaged in shop-bought jars and is enough to last you two meals.
Prep+cooking time: 1 hour
Servings: 7-8 burgers
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken breasts (approx. 4 medium pieces)
- DIY tandoori masala (post here)
- 1 cup water
- Brioche buns
- Mixed salad (I chose rocket, red cabbage, carrot and pomegranate)
- Tamarind sauce
Instructions
1) Pre-heat the oven to 200C/ 400F/ Gas Mark 6.
2) Make the tandoori masala (I have a post on it already) and leave aside. Wash and cut chicken breasts in half so they fit better in an oven tray. We will be pulling them to shreds anyway so precision isn't important!
2) Pour all the tandoori masala along with a cup of water, making sure to coat the chicken well.
3) Place the chicken in the oven for at least 30 minutes. Turn the chicken occasionally so that the chicken cooks through evenly. Some singing is a good sign. Because of the enormous amount of marinade, the chicken will not dry out if you cook for longer than 30 minutes.
4) After 30 minutes to an hour, remove the tray and place on a heatproof surface. With a knife and fork, begin to shred the chicken. Do not drain the tandoori masala. You'll notice that the pulled chicken begins to absorb all the excess marinade as you're pulling.
5) Toast or grill the buns you're using to make your pulled burgers before layers before filling with chicken as well as salad and sauces of your choice!
