At this point in the summer, it’s likely you’ve done your fair share of grilling. You’ve made ribs, steaks, chicken, sausages and hot dogs. Beyond all of those there’s one summertime staple you may be sick of by now: cheeseburgers. There’s only so many times you can top a grilled ground beef patty with American cheese, ketchup, mustard, onion, tomato and lettuce and still be satisfied. If you want to shape up your burger, allow us to introduce you to your new summertime fav: the green chile and avocado cheeseburger.
If you like smoky flavors, this is the burger recipe for you.
It all starts with the hatch chiles. A beloved regional ingredient from Hatch Valley, New Mexico, hatch chiles aren’t especially spicy; they’re mild and have that signature smoky pepper flavor, not unlike a poblano. Thus, they are a versatile ingredient that’s great in salsa, soups, dips and, of course, for topping burgers and other favorite summertime sandwiches.
The best way to serve these is by roasting them directly over a heat source, be it a grill or gas burner on the stove. This amps up the smokiness. Roast your chiles, turning them often, until the skins are charred on all sides. Then, remove the chiles, cover them with a towel and let them stand until they’re cool enough to handle. Gently slip the charred skin off the chiles, as these will taste quite bitter. Finally, cut the chiles open, remove the ribs and seeds (if desired for less heat), and chop the chiles.
Though hatch chiles are ideal here, if you can’t find fresh chiles in your area, you can easily use poblanos, Anaheim chiles or Cubanelles.
After prepping your chiles, it’s time to grill the burgers. Mix a little cumin and salt into your meat for an extra kick of flavor. Let the spices soak into the meat as you cook an onion in a cast iron skillet. Finally, grill your burger until your desired doneness and top it with Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese. Finally, assemble it all together with sauteed onions, avocado and chiles and be prepared to have a restaurant-worthy burger at home.
Once you make this, you'll realize that burgers can be so much more than your standard fare. Keep the good times and experiments going with our 50 best burger recipes.
Green Chile and Avocado Cheeseburger on Brioche
This recipe by JeanMarie Brownson originally appeared in The Chicago Tribune.
Ingredients:For the Roasted Green Chiles:
