Green Chili Burger

This classic Burger recipe is a famous in the Southeast, particularly in New Mexico where the famed Green (and Red) Chilis are the kings of culinary cuisine. The amazing flavors and aromas of this Green Chili Burger really need to be seen, smelt, and tasted, to believe! The Rich sweetness and subtle spice of the Green Chilis pair perfectly with a perfectly cooked fatty Beef Burger. Finished with Onion, Lettuce, and Tomato, it’s a hearty meal upon itself, and one we highly recommend you check out!

What Chilis can you use in a Green Chili Burger?

What sets this Burger apart from the rest is how it highlights the sweet and spicy flavors of Green Chili. The traditional Chili to use are Hatch Chilis, famously grown in New Mexico from the Hatch Valley. They have an earthy, slightly sweet flavor with a touch of spice, not too much

You can get Hatch Chilis canned across most of the US, but outside of the US they might be a lot more difficult to find. For our Green Chili Burger we recommend that you roast your own Green Chilis at home, with the most appropriate Chili you can get your hands on

We opted for Poblano Chilis / Peppers. They are beautifully flavored Green Chili that’s not all that spicy but packed full of flavor. Other Chilis that you can use are Jalapenos, or even Green Bell Peppers. It really depends on what level of spice you want. Poblanos are a nice middle ground between the almost non-existent spice of Bell Peppers, and the hot Jalapenos

How to prepare the Green Chilis

There’s no better way to extract flavor from Chilis than roasting them. This method will highlight the naturally rich, sweet flavor of the Chilis and introduce some charred, smoky elements. Roasting Chili’s is also super-easy!

All you need to do is scatter the Chilis in a sheet pan and season them well with Olive Oil and Salt. For this recipe we’re using about 4 Poblano Peppers for each Burger. So, 8 Poblanos in total for 2 Burgers. Once the Peppers are seasoned, whack them into the oven and roast them at 375F for about 30 minutes

The timing may take a little less or a little more depending on your oven. The key is to keep your eye on them and watch their color. You want the Chilis to be charred to the point where most of the surface area is starting to turn black. Don’t worry, we don’t eat the burnt bits!

A trick for peeling skin off Roast Peppers

The simple way to peel away the skin is to immediately place the hot roasted Peppers into a bowl and cover it with cling film. Steam from the residual heat will help to remove the skin from the flesh. Leave them in the bowl for about half an hour and they’ll be so easy to peel away! Remove the skin, seeds, and core, then roughly chop the Peppers and they’re ready

Use Ground Beef with around 30% fat content for the best Burger

This is an absolute mandatory requirement when making Burgers. Simply put, low fat Burgers taste terrible. High fat Burgers taste great! That’s really all there is to it. We recommend aiming for about a 70/30 meat to fat ratio with your Ground Beef, and if possible aim for Chuck from the Shoulder of the Cow. This meat is the most flavorful, and when mixed with that wonderfully high fat percentage, the flavors will be out of this world!

A great technique for perfectly smashing the Burgers every time

Ever made a Smash Burger at home and the Beef has stuck to your spatula when you’ve smashed it? Yeah, us too! To avoid this there’s a simple little trick. What you need to do is fry one side of the Burger for about 5 seconds while it’s still in a ball

Then, flip it over and smash it on that side. The brief time the Beef was spent facing the heat of the pan will cook it just enough to avoid it sticking to your spatula, or whatever device you’re using to smash the Burger. It’s a simple little technique that’s going to help you perfect your Smash Burger!

Other than the Beef, our Green Chili Burger has some additional mandatory ingredients. This is the classic way this famous Burger is served

Tomatoes

Sometimes a polarizing ingredient in the Burger world, the humble Tomato is right at home in a Green Chili Burger. Try to avoid using Cherry Tomatoes and stick to big, hearty Tomatoes like Beefsteak Tomatoes or Heirloom. Or just use regular Tomatoes from the grocery store. They’re at their peak in the Summer, but these days you can get nice tasting Tomatoes all year round

Lettuce

Personally, I prefer Romaine Lettuce on my Burgers. It’s got a great texture that holds its shape under the weight of the Burger and doesn’t taste half bad either. Try to avoid anything too fancy like Chicories or Frisee and definitely avoid Iceberg! Lettuce also helps to protect the Bun from getting soggy from the juice of the Beef, so place it near the bottom when you build your Burger

Onion

This is perhaps the most controversial traditional ingredient in a Green Chili Burger. Raw Onion can be quite polarizing to many, but it does work great in this Burger. The sharpness of the Red Onion is going to counteract the heavy, fatty flavors of the Beef. It also adds a delicious crunch!

Optional toppings you can consider

The classic Green Chili Burger consists of Tomatoes, Lettuce, Onion, along with the Beef and Green Chili. However, there are some optional toppings that you’ll probably want to consider, and we’d highly recommend adding them to your burger

Pickles

Not traditional, but simply mandatory in a Burger. The briny, delightful flavor of some beautiful Bread and Butter Pickles slices just complete a Burger in my opinion

Cheese

Surprisingly, a traditional Green Chili Burger doesn’t have any Cheese in it. We’re kind of on the fence with this one, because just like Bacon, everything is better with Cheese (actually then if that’s the case why not add Bacon?). WE kept it off the Burger, but if you need your Cheese fix then naturally add a slice of American Cheese to the Burger while its cooking for that wonderful melty cheesy goodness

Tomato and Ketchup

Look, I understand in some parts of the world the idea of putting Ketchup and Mustard on a Burger is frowned upon. However, I don’t really care and am here to say that all Burgers should include both. No need for anything fancy, just go for the classic Heinz Ketchup and Mustard and everything will be ok!

Green Chili Burger Recipe

Ingredients

• 10 oz / 280 grams Ground Beef (30% Fat)
• 8 Poblano Chili Peppers
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 20 oz / 560 grams Ground Beef (30% Fat)
• 2 Hamburger Buns (Potato Rolls or Brioche recommended)
• 2 Large Tomatoes, cut into slices
• 4 Lettuce Leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ Red Onion, cut into rings
• 8 Dill Pickle or Bread and Butter Pickle Slices
• Ketchup and Mustard
• Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Place the Poblano Peppers on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil and season with Olive Oil and 1 tsp. of Salt. Roast at 375F for 30 minutes, or until the skin begins to blister and turn black
2. Remove Peppers from Oven and place in a bowl. Cover with cling film and allow to cool (about 30 minutes). Peel and discard the skin, core, and seeds then roughly chop the remaining flesh
3. Prepare the Tomatoes, Lettuce, and Red Onions then set aside. Form the Beef into 5 oz. patties in the shape of a ball somewhere between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball
4. Heat a large frying pan over high heat until smoking. Place the formed Beef Patties on the pan, then flip over after 5 seconds. Press down on the Balls to Smash them using a flat object like a large spatula or bottom of a Saucepan
5. Season the Burgers then cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Flip once charred and brown on the underside. Season the other side then top each burger with the chopped Poblanos. Place the top of the Burger Bun on top and cook for 3 minutes
6. Add Ketchup and Mustard to the bottom bun then top with Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, and Pickles. Using a spatula, slide the cooked Burger off the pan and place straight onto the Bun and enjoy!
   
   

Recipe Notes

• This recipe provides enough ingredients for 2 large Green Chili Burgers. Adjust the quantity of ingredients if you want to make more or less
• Searing the raw Burger for 5 seconds before flipping and smashing is a great technique to avoid the Beef from sticking to your spatula as you smash it
• You can adjust the toppings to your liking, even adding a slice of American Cheese if you prefer
  
  

Our delicious recipe for amazing Green Chili Burgers tastes so good! The sweetness of the roasted Poblano Peppers pair perfectly with the beautifully cooked piece of Beef and those fresh Tomatoes and Lettuce. The whole Burger is a perfectly balanced bite of food!

For more amazing Burger dishes, check out these delicious recipes:

• Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger
• French Onion Burger
• Authentic Juicy Lucy Burger
• Classic Smash Burger
  
  

Happy Cooking!