Green Chile Burgers

Green Chile Burgers

Green Chile Burgers
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chili power
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely mined onion (I used red onion)
2 tablespoons diced green chiles from a can (drained well in a fine mesh sieve)

Directions

Mist a large skillet (or grill pan) with cooking spray and preheat over medium high heat.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Mix gently with hands to distribute the ingredients and shape into 4 equal patties, less than 1/2 inch think.  Add patties to preheated skillet (or grill pan), reduce heat to medium, and cook until bottoms are deep golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Flip and cook until patties are firm to the touch and cooked through (no pink remains), about 4 to 5 minutes more. I like my beef patties prepared medium well; of course, feel free to prepare your Green Chile Burgers to your desired doneness (rare, medium, well done, etc.)

I did not intend to go on a burger frenzy, but it seems as if I have.  I've been wanting to make turkey burgers with different flavor profiles, but the other day I found that I needed to use up some ground beef.  I had let it thaw in the refrigerator and never made what I had intended to make.  I also had some green chiles (from a can) in the freezer (leftover from another recipe), so I decided to make up some Green Chile Burgers; I added in my favorite Mexican or Southwestern spices.

Zach came home while I was making these burgers.  He was starving after playing tennis all day long.  He had a Green Chile Burger on a bun and said it was really flavorful.  Zach topped his burger with grated sharp cheddar cheese.  He went on to say I should make these again.  So there you go!

Above you can see my burger; I had it with a salad of baby arugula and diced tomatoes (dressed with a little extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar).  I added a dollop of plain lowfat yogurt to my burger (kind of like having sour cream on a taco).  Speaking of which... these Green Chile Burgers taste a lot like tacos, as the seasonings in these burgers are some of the seasonings you'd find in packaged taco seasoning. 

Helpful Hint:  If you ever have left over diced green chiles from a can, don't let them go to waste.  Just place them in a plastic baggie and place them in the freezer for use in a future recipe.