Burger with Roasted Bell Peppers, Onions, Pepper Jack Cheese, and Chipotle Sauce
Juicy burgers topped with sweet roasted peppers and onions, spicy pepper jack cheese, and a creamy and smokey chipotle sauce make for a delicious south of the border spin on the American classic. I like to serve these on a bed of lettuce, avocado, and a generous sprinkling of flaky salt.
Servings 6
Calories 815kcal
Ingredients
Peppers
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 red bell pepper sliced thin
- 1 red onion sliced thin
- salt and pepper to taste
Burger
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork or more beef, if desired
- 1 pound ground lamb or more beef, if desired
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 garlic clove minced
To Serve
- 1 head butter lettuce separated into leaves
- 6 slices pepperjack cheese
- 1 avocado sliced thin
- chipotle sauce see below
Chipotle Sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream or mayonnaise for dairy-free
- 1 chipotle with 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice 1/2 lime
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4-1/2 teaspoon, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron pan over high heat. Add the avocado oil and when the oil is shimmering, add the peppers and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened and lightly charred in spots, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer cooked peppers to a bowl and set aside. Do not clean the pan.
- While peppers cook, prepare the chipotle sauce, if using: Add all ingredients to a blender (start with 1/4 teaspoon salt). Process until completely smooth. Taste and add more salt, if desired.
- For the burgers, cook the shallots in the now empty pan in a tablespoon of avocado oil until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one more minute. Set aside to cool.
- Combine all meats and egg and add cooked shallot and garlic mixture. Mix to combine and then divide into 6 patties. Shape patties into rounds, flattening them down and press a large dimple into the middle of the patty (this will prevent it from bowing up in the center when cooked).
- Season with salt and pepper just before cooking (helps prevent texture changes from the salt exposure).
- Cook in the now empty pan with a touch more avocado oil, if needed over high heat, about 3-5 minutes per side (160ºF internal), or to your liking. You can also prepare the peppers ahead and grill the burgers.
- Just before the last minute of cooking, divide pepper mixture evenly over the burgers and add one slice of cheese to the top of each, if desired to allow it to melt.
- To serve, place a couple of butter lettuce leaves on a plate. Top with the burger. Add avocado then drizzle with the chipotle sauce before serving.
Notes
I like to puree the chipotle in adobos with the liquid from the can. Seeds can be strained out if you like a smooth paste. Anything you don’t use for the recipe can be frozen in a ziplock bag (if you freeze it in a sheet, you can simply snap off what you want for the next use) or in ice cube trays (transfer frozen cubes to a freezer safe container for freshness) for easy future use.
Nutrition
Calories: 815kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Cholesterol: 192mg | Sodium: 369mg | Potassium: 929mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1851IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 4mg