“A unique burger topped with a blend of Mexican cheeses, enhanced by earthy spices and crushed lime tortilla chips and topped with salsa that is bound to delight those who enjoy biting into things a bit South of the Border.”
OK, Florida. I’m about sick of your crap.
Being a native, I’m used to your yo-yo weather, but these past couple of months have just been ridiculous, even for you.
Going from a 60 degree to and 82 degree high in the span of a day makes no sense at all. No wonder I’ve been sick three times already this year. You and your cold fronts and your torrential rain and your undying pollen straight from hell.
Thank goodness you’re getting your act together. I’ve been checking up on the weather forecast. I’m alright with a solid schedule of 80 degree days. I mean, it’s not my favorite temperature range, but it does mean one very important time is approaching.
Grilling time!
Forget being excited about summer, I’m excited about firing up the grill and making some amazing backyard, get together food! And I think this Gnarly Mexican Burger is a great way to start Grilling Season!
This past Christmas, I bought Mr. Crumby an amazing grill to replace the old one we had. It’s half gas, half charcoal, with smoking capabilities and a side burner. Lara and I hauled it home in her boyfriend’s big Ram 1500, and somehow managed to get it out of the bed and in to my living room.
Then I had the pleasure of trying to wrap the 140+ pound box all by myself. That was a fun evening.
It is now April. These burgers christened that new grill.
Now, for the record, Mr. Crumby is the resident grillmaster in our home. He has the grilling apron, I have the cupcake apron, and we know our kitchen roles. But, from time to time, we like to switch it up. He comes up with amazing ideas for savory food at the drop of a hat, but I sometimes need a bit of inspiration.
I recently picked up the GrillJunkie Burger-A-Day Cookbook from GrillJunkieGuy.com, a site I admittedly frequent during the summer (they have a free grilling guide I refer to a LOT.) I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount and variety of recipes in the book. It has everything grilling & burger in it, from beef to seafood to pork to even lamb recipes! Plus, as a nice bonus, they even threw in some recipes for sides, marinades, and rubs!
There are even a couple of grilled dessert recipes in there. Sigh. The way to my heart.
And the creativity loaded in this book just blows me away. Not only are there a ton of recipes, but the names that pair with the ingredients are awesome! You’ll find recipes in there like The Topless Wino (no top bun, smothered in a red wine & mustard sauce), The Angel of Breath (garlic & onion loaded), The Buffalo Soldier (made with bison), Herb & Tom Get Married (a turkey and herb blend), and Porky’s Vengeance (spicy).
Arnie Tomaino and his team truly put together a great book, and I feel it’s going to be worth every penny!
I mean…this Gnarly Mexican Burger already caught my attention!
Lime flavored tortilla chips often make an appearance in our home already – I don’t even need salsa to snack on them, they’re so good. The idea of using them in a burger intrigued me, and did not disappoint.
Somehow, in spite of the juiciness of the ground beef, they managed to retain their delightful crunch! Topping it all off with some shredded cheese and our favorite fresh salsa was the perfect complement.
And even though I grilled them longer than we like, they were amazing and made a perfect date night dinner.
During which, we finally caught up on The Walking Dead.
Damn you, AMC. Damn you.
But kudos to you, Arnie! I’m looking forward to trying more of those recipes!
Gnarly Mexican Burger
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef 80% lean
- 1 cup Four Cheese Mexican blend
- ½ cup salsa divided
- ¼ cup lime flavored tortilla chips crushed
- ¼ cup scallions thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ sweet onion sliced
- 1 small tomato sliced
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce
- 4 hamburger buns split
Instructions
- In a large bowl, gently combine ground beef, ¼ cup of the Mexican cheese blend, ¼ cup salsa, crushed tortilla chips, scallions, cumin and garlic, being careful not to overwork the meat.
- Gently divide the meat into four equal portions. Each patty should consist of approximately 6 ounces of ground meat.
- Carefully and loosely form each divided portion into a patty that is ¾ -1 inch thick and about 4 & ½ inches in diameter, again being careful to not overwork the meat.
- Make a deep depression in the center of each of the meat patties with your thumb.
- Once formed, place patties on a clean plate, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and coat grill grates with cooking oil so as to prevent patties from sticking.
- Remove patties from refrigeration, brush the burgers with light olive or canola oil, and place the patties on the hot grill grates.
- Grill and sear patties over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness, being sure they are cooked through and have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. F.
- Remove grilled patties from grill and let them rest for 2-3 minutes.
- To serve, stack each burger on one half of a hamburger bun, top with remaining ¼ cup salsa, sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato and top with upper bun.
Nutrition
What is your favorite burger of all time made of?
Make the #GRILLJUNKIE in your life happy!
Be sure to pick up a copy of Arnie’s e-cookbook! With over 365 recipes, you’ll never run out of unique and delicious options for burger night!
aimee fauci says
These so delicious and amazing and something I know my husband would eat up! I love love your pictures!
Betsy @ BPhotoArt.com says
These sound really tasty… love cheese with a good burger :).
Also, I had to smile at your comments about the weather. My in-laws live in FL and their opinion of the 50-80 yo-yo is similar to yours. Up here in Michigan, all those temperatures sound good to me — and any would be grilling weather! ๐
Betsy @ BPhotoArt.com says
(oh, and I’m pinning this recipe!)
Fi Nรญ Neachtรกin says
I’ve been wanting to have a burger all week and your post hasn’t helped matters! Those burgers look so delicious, I really love the look of the bun ๐
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
I am an Ohio native, so I expect yo-yo weather there–but not in Georgia where I live now. I am so ready for flip-flop and grilling season. This burger looks like just the thing I want to make first.
Chene Atkins- Whittington says
Oh my freaking burger lover! This my husband’s kind of burger. I wonder if I can make this same thing as a black bean burger?
Tammilee Tips says
Oh my gosh my husband would love this burger!! I love to make gourmet burgers at home on the grill!
Sarah - High Heels and Grills says
These photos are beautiful!
Chubskulit Rose says
Yumminess! We had burgers for dinner tonight as well. My husband love burgers but me and the kids not so much. We can only eat half of a burger.
Esther of Local Adventurer says
these burgers look amazing!! i love how you styled and photographed them too! ๐
Rosey says
Ha! I just told my son tonight that hamburgers could not be Mexican. He’ll be delighted to see this post. Bookmarking it. ๐
Franc Ramon says
That’s a crazy weather you have. The Gnarly mexican burger looks like a delight to your taste bud. I can just feel the taste and crisp of the burger while you were describing it.
Reginia Cordell says
I’m such a burger fan. I love trying all types of burgers so this recipe is a winner for me…. and it’s grilled. ๐
Rebecca Swenor says
This Mexican burger sounds and totally looks delicious indeed. I will have to try this recipe because we just totally love love tacos. Thanks for sharing.
ourfamilyworld says
What a great twist on burgers. I would love to give it a try. Your pictures are so mouthwatering
Briton says
My mouth is WATERING! We love grilling and are so happy the weather is starting to turn around! We will have to try this awesome burger out this season!
Amber @ Slim Pickin's Kitchen says
I fricking love those dang lime tortilla chips!!!! Holy crap and crushed up in a burger?!? #dead
Lauren says
What an amazing looking burger!! I’m all for a juicy burger, and this one looks amazing!
CourtneyLynne says
ong this burger looks amazing!!!! It’s finally getting to nicer outside here in NY and I cannot wait to break out the grill!!!! Best time of year food wise ,-)