The headline, "Imam beaten to death in sex grooming town", ran on Saturday following the death of Jalal Uddin, 64, in Rochdale on Thursday.
It is understood it was later changed to "Imam beaten to death in Rochdale".
Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said he was "appalled". Nobody from The Times was available for comment.
The chief constable has written an open letter to the newspaper stating: "The headline has no relevance to the horrific murder of a former Imam in Rochdale."
He added: "Your headline and its irrelevance to this case has the potential to cause community tensions.
"It is also offensive to the thousands of peaceful law-abiding Muslims and non-Muslims in Rochdale who are shocked by this murder."
Mr Hopkins concluded: "I would hope in the circumstances you issue an immediate apology and provide a response."
The victim was found with head injuries in a park in the Wardleworth area on Thursday night. He died in hospital.
A 31-year-old man being questioned has been released without charge and eliminated from investigations.

The 39-year-old died at the scene shortly after police had arrived at the house in Cheadle Road, Cheadle Hulme, at about 19:40 BST on Monday.
A man, 39, was later arrested on suspicion of murder and Greater Manchester Police said they were not looking for anyone else.
"Our thoughts go out to the family of the woman," Det Supt Tony Creely said.
He appealed for witnesses or anyone with "information which could help us with our investigation" to contact police.
"The investigation is in its very early stages, however, we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the murder," Det Supt Creely added.

Gladstone's Library in Hawarden said it had not been asked for permission.
Warden Peter Francis said it gave the impression the library was "supportive of UKIP and its policies".
UKIP has not apologised and claimed the party was "closest ideologically" to the Liberal Party Gladstone joined.
Formerly known as St Deiniol's Library, it was founded by the former prime minister whose home and estate were nearby, being renamed in his honour in 2010.
The UKIP manifesto for May's assembly election, launched in Newport on Friday, includes a photo on the page outlining local government policy.
"The policies and principles on which UKIP is based are far from the ideals of William Gladstone," Mr Francis said.
"Gladstone was an internationalist and profoundly believed that the 'sanctity of life in the hill villages of Afghanistan among the winter snows are as inviolable in the eye of Almighty God as can be your own'.
"That is to say he felt that the unity of human beings throughout the world was vitally important and 'not limited by the shores of this island.''
Mr Francis added the library "would like to reiterate that it supports no political party but upholds 'liberal values' wherever it sees them.
"To imply Gladstone's support for their cause, as this UKIP photo clearly does, is to devalue the memory and legacy of William Gladstone."
UKIP candidate Mark Reckless said the photo had been taken from the public highway by a photographer who had given the party permission to use it.
A spokesman added: "UKIP is a party founded on the principles of liberty and in particular self-governance and the protection of personal freedoms and is closest ideologically to the old Liberal Party that Gladstone joined as a Peelite.
"Gladstone was a great orator and believed strongly in holding public meetings, something that UKIP also firmly adheres to, and was a great advocate of preserving the UK's dominion.
"In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a modern day party more closely related to the principles of Gladstonian liberalism than UKIP.
"It's a shame that the people overseeing this great public library do not seem to understand anything about the politics of the great man who founded it."
The chief constable of Greater Manchester Police has urged the editor of the Times newspaper to apologise for an "offensive" murder report headline.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
A murder inquiry has begun after a woman was found with fatal stab wounds at a house in Greater Manchester.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
A Flintshire library dedicated to 19th Century Liberal Prime Minister William Gladstone has complained to UKIP after the party used a photo of it in its Welsh manifesto.