Pakistani Bun Kebab (Garlic Lime Beef Patty Sandwich)

About This Recipe

Bun kebab is Karachi's answer to the burger: a spiced, griddled beef or chicken patty piled into a soft bun with tamarind chutney, a fried egg, and a scatter of onions dressed in chaat masala and lime juice. Street stalls across Pakistan sell thousands of these daily, and the appeal is the contrast — a rich, well-spiced patty against sharp, tangy toppings. The patty itself is where the garlic and lime really live: minced beef gets mixed with garlic paste, garam masala, and a hit of lime juice before being formed and pan-fried in a generous amount of oil until deeply crusted on both sides. The bun is buttered and toasted on the same griddle so it soaks up a little of the patty's flavor. This is fast food built for eating standing up on a street corner, and it holds up just as well made at home for a weeknight dinner that's faster than delivery.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gground beef
• 3 clovesgarlic(grated)
• 1 tspgaram masala
• 1 tspcumin powder
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbsplime juice
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 4soft burger buns
• 2 tbspbutter(softened)
• 4eggs
• 0.25 cuptamarind chutney
• 1red onion(thinly sliced)
• 1 tspchaat masala
• 1lime(cut into wedges)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix and form patties

   Combine ground beef, garlic, garam masala, cumin, salt and lime juice. Mix well and form into 4 thin, wide patties.

2. 2

   Fry the patties

   Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry patties 4 minutes per side until deeply browned and cooked through.

3. 3

   Toast the buns

   Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them cut-side down in the same skillet, 1 minute, until golden.

4. 4

   Fry the eggs

   In the remaining oil, fry eggs sunny-side up until the whites are set but yolks stay runny, about 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Toss the onions

   Toss sliced onion with chaat masala and a squeeze of lime juice.

6. 6

   Assemble

   Spread tamarind chutney on the bottom bun, add the patty, fried egg and dressed onions. Close with the top bun and serve immediately with extra lime wedges.

Variations

• •

  Chicken bun kebab: swap ground beef for ground chicken thigh and add an extra teaspoon of garam masala.

• •

  Add a slice of processed cheese on the hot patty before assembling for a Karachi cheese bun kebab.

• •

  Skip the egg for a lighter version, or add a smear of mint-yogurt chutney alongside the tamarind.

Storage

Cooked patties keep refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat in a hot skillet, not the microwave, to keep the crust. Assemble sandwiches fresh — the bun goes soggy if stored pre-built.

Frequently Asked Questions