GRIND-YOUR-OWN CHICKEN SHAWARMA BURGERS

Grind-Your-Own Chicken Shawarma Burgers image

Provided by Jeff Mauro, host of Sandwich King

Time 1h

Yield 4 burgers

Number Of Ingredients 21

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling
Butter, for buttering the rolls
4 sesame seed kaiser rolls, split
4 romaine lettuce leaves
1 cup giardiniera, chopped
Lemon Tahini Sauce, recipe follows
1/4 cup tahini sauce
Zest of 1 lemon plus 1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Put the chicken cubes on a baking sheet and put in the freezer until very firm, about 30 minutes. Put the blade and bowl of a food processor in the freezer as well.
Meanwhile, mix together the cumin, paprika, turmeric, garlic, allspice, chili, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon salt in a bowl. Mix in the olive oil to make a paste.
Working in 2 batches, put the firm, almost-frozen chicken into the cold food processor and pulse 10 to 15 times until coarsely chopped. Transfer the chopped meat to a bowl and repeat with the remaining chicken cubes. Add the spice blend paste to the meat and mix to gently combine. Divide the meat into 4 balls and flatten into 3/4-inch-thick patties.
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Clean and oil the grates. Brush each patty with some oil, then season with a bit of salt and pepper. Grill until the inside of the patties registers 160 degrees F, about 5 minutes per side. Let the burgers rest for 5 minutes. Butter and toast the rolls.
Burger Build: On each roll bottom, place 1 leaf of romaine, then a burger and some giardiniera. Add a nice schmear of the Lemon Tahini sauce on each roll top.
Vigorously whisk the tahini, lemon zest and juice, honey, olive oil and 2 tablespoons water together in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.