Harissa Spiced Chicken Burger
Just occasionally I hanker after junk food. The delight of warm fish finger sandwiches with tartar sauce, the melting butter making rivulets as it catches in the overly orange breadcrumbs. Frankfurters on toast, I know not the best meal. but they remind me of trips to the Wimpy Bar, way before McDonald’s was around and we had Bender Burgers. Frankfurters with little slits all along the length, deep fried so they curled and nestled perfectly in the circular bun. Topped with ketchup they were a child’s delight. Then there were chicken nuggets, crunchy on the outside, slightly greasy – in a good way, soft chicken inside. With a squeamish loathing of any kind of meat fat, these were the perfect substitute for the real thing. Now when I get that longing I have to play around with the flavours a bit. My Harissa Chicken Burger is made with free range chicken breast, cut into 4 fillets, brushed with Harissa paste and then wrapped in Ras Al Hanout spiced breadcrumbs. Its still Nuggets, but grown up style.
Butterfly a chicken breast (From my notebook)
- 100g Breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp Ras Al Hanout
- 2 Eggs beaten
- 3 tbsp Plain flour
- 350g Chicken breast (roughly 2 breasts)
- 50g Harissa paste
- 4 Brioche Buns
- 200g hummus
- 1 baby gem lettuce, leaves seperated
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- Whole sweet chillis to taste
- Set oven to 190c, 170c fan, Gas mark 3, 325f
- Spread the bread crumbs on a baking tray in a thin layer and bake for 5-7 minutes until just turning golden. Don't over cook as they will be toasted again when the chicken is baked.
- Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle over the Ras Al Hanout, stir to combine well and set aside to cool.
- Set up a production line on your work top, with the beaten eggs in a small bowl, the flour spread on a plate and the cooled bread crumbs on another plate.
- If using chicken breast cut each breast into four pieces. Cut from top to bottom through the middle, effectively butterflying them, giving you two long fillets, then cut each of these in two from top to bottom giving you four long fillets. Or buy chicken mini fillets, these are slightly more expensive.
- Spread one side of each fillet with aromatic harissa paste and then dip into the flour, into the beaten egg and then into the spiced breadcrumbs and place on a baking sheet.
- Repeat for all the pieces of chicken , then bake in the oven for about 20 mins. They should be cooked but still soft.
- Meanwhile cut the brioche buns in half and toast the 8 halves
- Spread the bottom half of each bun generously with hummus
- Place lettuce and tomato on each half bun and top with two pieces of chicken. To make it sweet and hot add sweet chillies to taste. Place the toasted bun top on the chicken and serve with slaw and baked sweet potato fries.
This sandwich has all of my favorites, love how you put this together GG!
Thanks Cheri, have a go at it, it’s so well worth it. GG
We are having this for dinner! My belly is so excited. 🙂
When you say you hanker for fish fingers, are they like the ones you get out of a box, that barely resemble fish, but most def a severed finger? HAha! Don’t get me wrong, I freakin love those *fo fishy treats, but wondered if you had a recipe for the real deal? I am always interested in how people make relatively simple dishes pop.
Anyways, wishing you a SUPER week lovely.
I meant the fake ones, there’s something about all that processing that’s just so delicious. I’m working on a recipe for a more grown up version. GG
Not very junky at all – GG – and very grown up – yum!
Great to eat, so full of flavour Rachel. GG
Such an amazing sandwich! I must try that harissa chicken filets!
Thanks Angie, it’s well worth making even if you just use the chicken as dippers into hummus. GG
What a great idea, I love those Moroccan flavours and a chicken breast in a bun sounds like a real treat.
They are so crunchy and delicious. The spices make them very moorish. GG
I hardly ever have fish fingers but every now and again they are food of the gods!
Me either, but that first bite after so long is truly delicious. GG
I love that drawing diagram GG! You are such a talented artist! 😀 And I have a total weakness for fried chicken at times 😀
Thanks Lorraine. I thought an illustration was better than lots of photos of unappetising raw chicken. GG
Love the recipe , especially the fact that it has crunch and not made with ground chicken. Ras el Hanout is one of my favorite spices, may I ask what kind of harissa you have used? The store bought ones are often a hit and miss hence I make my own, but would welcome recommendations!
I buy my Harissa from waitrose supermarket. It has plenty of flavour and is very reliable. GG
I’m a wee bit addicted to junk food too but only now and then! This is a great ‘junk food’ alternative. I love the flavours in the burger with the harissa and that Moroccan spice. And hummus is a great addition. What a tasty burger! xx
Sometimes it just has to be the real junk though. 😉 GG
That’s how I cut my chicken breasts too. I didn’t know it was official – I just thought it was easy. This is a perfect chicken burger if you ask me.
You’re right it is easy but I’m often asked how to do it. I thought a diagram would make it easy. GG
Oh, I often think of Wimpy! They were so good as far as junk food goes.
I often want a fish finger too…but my junk food weakness has got to be chips.
Luckily, I don’t get to eat them often because there isn’t one place here that makes the chips like I want them to be.
This burger looks awesome! I particularly like the Harissa and ras El hanout I love those flavours. Definetly a much better chicken nugget 🙂
Really good chips or really bad chip shop ones. Do you remember the Seashell in Liston Grove? They had fab fish and amazing chips. GG
All those goregous Mediterranean spices inside the burger and the breadcrumbs even must be really packing a punch of flavour !
The Glam Londoner wanted a bit more chilli, which would be good too. GG
Sounds great. I love all those spices….they also make the house smell wonderful when you cook inside. Sounds like a tasty and healthy burger. Thanks!!
These make great finger food without the bun too. GG