Spicy Mexican-inspired beef burger served with a simple salsa fresca (pico de gallo), pickled jalapenos and a delicious chipotle mayonnaise.
This burger will take around 40 minutes to make from scratch, but all of the elements can be made in advance, leaving just 10 minutes of cooking time.
Spicy Beef Burger with Chipotle Mayonnaise
My sire is no stranger to the occasional burger, and my choice of meat, or even vegetables and their accompanying flavours, is broad to say the least.
I've got everything from venison burgers with blue cheese and gin-cooked peaches to onion bhaji burgers with mint raita and even a duck burger with a cherry salsa... to name a few.
What I don't have is a beef burger. I've been doing this for 11 years, and many burgers later, this is my first beef burger.
But what an entrance this Mexican-influenced beef burger makes! Patties flavoured with smoked paprika, cumin, oregano and pickled jalapenos.
It is topped with a fantastic chipotle and lime mayonnaise that turns the heat level up... just a little, maybe.
It is joined by an equally simple salsa fresca (pico de gallo) and a little lettuce, because green stuff matters too!
This burger will take you around 45 minutes to prepare and cook, but all of the preparation can be done hours and even days in advance. This leaves you with around 10 minutes of cooking time when you are ready to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best way to form the burgers?
I roll my burgers into a ball, then flatten with the palm of my hand between a couple of sheets of baking parchment.
I quite like the sides to split a little for this recipe, because you get some lovely crispy bits on the sides when you fry the burger.
Can I make the burgers in advance?
Yes, the burger patties will be fine in the fridge for two or three days. If you sandwich them between parchment paper, they will freeze for up to 3 months.
I prefer to defrost my burgers before cooking them.
Can I use chipotle in adobo?
Yes, of course, they are often tricky to find in the UK unless you rely on a delivery service, which is not part of my normal shopping routine. Whereas most of the major supermarkets have chipotle paste on the shelves.
Chop up 1-2 chillies and add some of the sauce to your mayonnaise to taste.
Can I add cheese?
You can, but most cheese will get lost with the bold spicy flavours in this recipe.
Some mild feta cheese crumbled over the top would be quite nice and offer cooling influences and a little salty, acidic seasoning.
Serving Suggestions
As far as I am concerned, a burger needs some form of potato side... and this Mexican-inspired beef burger is no different.
I have served mine with some air fryer French fries seasoned with smoked paprika, oregano and salt.
But you could just as easily go for some potato wedges, chip shop style chips or even sweet potato fries.
If you wanted to swerve the "chips", then how about some wonderful roasted spiced corn on the cob?
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Large Frying Pan.
- Spatula for flipping the burger.
- Mixing bowls.
- Stirring spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
Spicy Mexican Beef Burger Recipe
Ingredients
For the Burger Patties:
- 300 g Minced Beef 11oz
- 3 tablespoon Pickled Jalapeno Chilli Peppers
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For the Salsa Fresca:
- 1 Small Onion 75g
- 3-4 Small-Medium Tomatoes 250g
- 1 Jalapeno Chilli Pepper
- 2-3 tablespoon Fresh Coriander (Chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Lime Juice
- 1 Pinch Salt
For the Chipotle Mayonnaise:
- 6 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- 1-2 teaspoon Chipotle Paste
- 1 teaspoon Lime Juice
- 2-3 tablespoon Fresh Coriander (Chopped)
For the Burger:
- 2 Burger Buns
- 1 Handful Iceberg Lettuce
- 2-3 tablespoon Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
- 1 teaspoon Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Place the minced beef in a large mixing bowl.
- Finely chop the pickled chillies for the burger patty and add them to the bowl, along with the dried oregano, smoked paprika, ground cumin and salt. Mix well to combine and form the mix into 2 patties.Set them aside whilst you make the rest of the toppings
- Cut the onion in half for the salsa fresca, peel it and then dice it into a 2-3mm (⅛") dice and add it to a bowl.
- Chop the tomatoes for the salsa fresca (aim for a similar size to the onions) and add them to the bowl with the onions.
- Finely chop the jalapeno chilli and chuck it into the bowl.
- Finely chop the coriander, add it to the bowl, add the lime juice, and give it a stir, adding salt to taste, then set this aside.
- Mix all of the ingredients for the chipotle mayonnaise, adding both the chipotle paste and lime juice to taste, in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat a large frying pan (use two pans if your burgers are too large for a single pan) over a high heat, and whilst it is heating up, brush the burgers with the cooking oil.
- Add the burgers to the pan and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side (depending on how thick you have made your burgers).
- Whilst the burgers are cooking, slice your buns.
- Remove the burgers from the pan and set aside; I like to toast the burger buns for a minute or so in the fat from the burgers.
- Then, build your burger. I start with some shredded iceberg lettuce, then some salsa fresca and some pickled jalapeno peppers. Then on with the burger, some of the chiptle mayonnaise, more salsa fresca and pickled jalapenos, and off you go!