Name: Queso Fundido Burgers
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef; Salt and pepper; 4 ounces fresh Mexican-style chorizo sausage , casings removed; 1 cup water; 1 poblano chile , stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin; 1 small onion , halved and sliced thin; 4 ounces Colby Jack cheese , shredded (1 cup); 4 hamburger buns , toasted and buttered; 1 1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce; 1/4 cup jarred sliced jalapeños

Why This Recipe Works

Frying the chorizo, poblano, and onion directly into the burger creates a boldly flavored, caramelized crust.

Before You Begin

If you don’t have a tight-fitting lid for your skillet, pay attention to make sure all the water doesn’t evaporate early in step 1, or the vegetables may scorch. Add more water if necessary. 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

Shape beef into four 3/4-inch-thick patties and make shallow indentation in center of each. Season with salt and pepper. Combine chorizo, water, poblano, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch nonstick skillet and cook, covered, over high heat until chorizo is cooked through and vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes, uncovering occasionally to break meat into small pieces with spoon. Uncover and cook until water is completely evaporated and mixture begins to brown, 1 to 3 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and divide chorizo mixture into 4 even piles in skillet. Press 1 beef patty, indentation side down, firmly into each pile. Cook until well browned, about 4 minutes. Flip patties and cook until beef registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), about 2 minutes. Top burgers with Colby Jack, cover, and cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Place burgers on buns and top with lettuce and jalapeños. Serve.