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Tex Mex Burgers

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on June 18, 2008

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Tex Mex Burgers

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef, broken into pieces2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo ½ teaspoon ground cumin Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 thick slices pepper Jack cheese 1 small red onion, sliced thin1 poblano chile, seeded and sliced thin (see note)1 teaspoon chili powder 4 hamburger rolls, split

Before You Begin

Poblanos are large, blackish green chiles with a mild heat. If you can’t find them, you can substitute a green bell pepper. If food safety is your primary concern, you may want to cook your burger to a higher internal temperature. To learn more, check out this guide.

Instructions

  1. Using hands, gently knead beef, chipotle, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl until combined. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and lightly pack into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Press a shallow divot in the center of each patty (see tip).
  2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Add patties and cook until well browned and cooked to desired doneness, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer burgers to plate, top with cheese, and tent with foil.
  3. Add onion, poblano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Arrange burgers on rolls and top with onion mixture. Serve.
Tex Mex Burgers

Tex Mex Burgers

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef, broken into pieces
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 thick slices pepper Jack cheese
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1 poblano chile, seeded and sliced thin (see note)
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 hamburger rolls, split

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef, broken into pieces
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 thick slices pepper Jack cheese
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1 poblano chile, seeded and sliced thin (see note)
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 hamburger rolls, split

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef, broken into pieces
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 thick slices pepper Jack cheese
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1 poblano chile, seeded and sliced thin (see note)
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 hamburger rolls, split

Why This Recipe Works

It was important to be gentle when handling the beef mixture for our Tex Mex Burgers —overworking yielded tough, dense burgers. Chipotle chiles added a smoky, spicy depth, while poblano chiles lent a mild kick. When the vegetables were tender, we added the chili powder and let the spice bloom in the hot pan to intensify its flavor.

To ensure a dark, flavorful crust on the exterior of our Tex Mex Burgers, it was important to heat our pan until the oil just started to smoke. When the meat was placed in the pan too early, the resulting burgers were pale and not as flavorful.

Before You Begin

Poblanos are large, blackish green chiles with a mild heat. If you can’t find them, you can substitute a green bell pepper. If food safety is your primary concern, you may want to cook your burger to a higher internal temperature. To learn more, check out this guide.

Instructions

  1. Using hands, gently knead beef, chipotle, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl until combined. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and lightly pack into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Press a shallow divot in the center of each patty (see tip).
  2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Add patties and cook until well browned and cooked to desired doneness, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer burgers to plate, top with cheese, and tent with foil.
  3. Add onion, poblano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Arrange burgers on rolls and top with onion mixture. Serve.

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