Chili Cheeseburger

A thick, juicy burger patty, oozing cheese and a healthy dollop of sweet and spicy chili jam. This Chili Cheeseburger is for spice and cheese lovers alike and certainly packs a flavorful punch.

About this Chili Cheeseburger:

As you know, I love to add a spicy twist to so many classic favorites, whether its a cajun mac and cheese, masala chips or spicy vegetable spring rolls I know how a bit of spice can go a long way. This recipe takes one of my favorite meals, a classic cheeseburger, and ups the flavor with a sticky, sweet and spicy chili jam. This recipe will show you how to construct the perfect, oozy cheeseburger and how to make a super simple chili jam. You just have to make this Chili Cheeseburger!

Ingredients

• Sliced jalapeños
• Sliced red chili
• Chili crisp oil
• Brown sugar
• Butter
• Mayonnaise
• American cheese
• Seeded burger bun
• 160g beef patty
• Salt

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

1. Step 1: Into a pan on medium-low heat, add your butter and toast your buns until golden.

2. Step 2: Remove your buns, add your crispy chili oil and your sliced chilies and fry on a high heat until softened.

3. Step 3: Add your brown sugar, turn the heat to medium, add a pinch of salt and allow to caramelize. Stir continuously for about 3 minutes until you have a sticky chili jam.

4. Step 4: Remove your chili jam, wipe your pan clean, add some oil and fry your burger patty that is seasoned with salt. Cook for 5 minutes on each side.

What beef should I use for the patty?

The perfect burger patty needs to have a 70/30 meat to fat ratio. This allows the beef to remain succulent and juicy when cooked and adds a depth of flavor that low fat beef just can't match.

Which buns can I use for this recipe?

I have paired this burger with a simple burger bun, the easy recipe can be found here: Homemade Hamburger Buns.

Alternatively, you can definitely use a brioche burger bun, the recipe can be found here: Brioche Hamburger Buns recipe.

Substitutions

This Chili Cheeseburger has wonderfully balanced flavors of salty and spicy, pairing with a classic American slice of cheese. However, if you want to use up other items you have in your refrigerator then here are some ideas:

• Cheese - instead of using a slice of American cheese, an Aged cheddar will melt perfectly or a slice of Mozzarella.
• Bun - use gluten free buns instead of white bread buns to make this gluten free
• Vegetarian - the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian

Equipment

All you need to make this recipe perfect is a pan and pan lid. Instead of using a burger dome, simply use the lid for your pan to perfectly steam your buns and melt your cheese to perfection. You can easily fry your burgers in a pan, or be a star chef and grill on an iron skillet or griddle.

Storage

Store the wet ingredients (mayonnaise, cheese and chili jam) separately from the dry ingredients (buns) in the fridge, and recombine when ready. Good for 2-3 days.

Refrigeration: You can store your burger patties raw in the fridge for up to 2-3 days before you want to cook them. Always store in an airtight container and keep away from cooked meat products. You can store cooked patties in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container, keep away from any raw meat in your fridge.

Frozen: You can freeze your raw or cooked patties for up to 3 months, ensure they are separated by parchment paper so they don’t stick together and store in freezer bags to prevent freezer burn.

Reheating: To reheat your raw patties, simply thaw out overnight in the refrigerator and fry as instructed above. If you’re reheating cooked patties, heat them in a pan or skillet until they are heated through. Finally, recombine with your buns, mayonnaise, cheese and chili jam as instructed above.