Poblano Burgers with Pickled Red Onions and Chipotle Cream Sauce


Yes, you need to make all three of these items together in order to have a party in your mouth.  Poblano peppers are my favorite so naturally roasted and then placed in delicious burgers, topped with sweet and tangy pickled onions and finished off with an amazing chipotle cream sauce is sure to wow Dad this weekend and then all your friends when you make these again for July 4th.



Those who are weary of spice shouldn't fear here.  The poblano pepper has a nice smoky tone over spicy and especially once they've been roasted up they work out splendidly.



This was my first time having to cook anything to make pickled onions.  Usually I have mixed the vinegar and sugar and let them set.  This worked well though, especially with the addition of the jalapeno which your spice-loving friends can chop up and add to the top of their burgers.

This recipe hails from Cooking Light where it was insisted upon that we put a thumb print in the burgers so that they wouldn't shrink up while on the grill. We did this and I think it worked just fine.

These burgers will appear again this summer for us, and soon.  I think I'm really a sucker for the chipotle cream and pickled red onions and the poblano burgers are just the cherry on top for me.

Recipe thanks to and loosely adapted from Cooking Light

{Ingredients for the Burgers}
  • 2 poblano chiles
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 slice of bread, crust removed and torn into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound ground sirloin
{Ingredients for the Chipotle Cream Sauce}
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 14 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup light sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon minced onion
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1 can chipotle chiles in adobo
{Ingredients for Pickled Red Onions}
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 jalapeno, halved lengthwise
  • 2 1/2 cups sliced red onions
Make the red onions first so they'll have time to hang out and pickle.  Once you've made them you can throw them in the fridge too so they're nice and chilled for when you're ready to eat the burgers.  The onions will keep for a month in your fridge so don't worry if you have leftovers- they're great on tacos!



{How to Make Pickled Red Onions}
1. Combine the first 4 ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir until the sugar dissolves then add the onions and cover.  Remove from the heat and cool then place in the fridge.



{How to Make Poblano Burgers}
1.  Preheat the broiler.  Place the chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet and boil for 8 minutes, turning after 6 minutes.  They'll be blackened.  Place the peppers in a zip lock bag let them stand for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes open the bags, remove the peppers, and peel the skins.  They should come off easily now.  Remove the ribs and seeds and chop up the peppers.

2.  Combine the milk and bread and mash until it's pasty and smooth.  Add chiles, 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  Add in beef and combine with your hands then form into 4 patties gently.  You can refrigerate these until you're ready to use them.  When you're ready to grill just make sure they are well cooked about 3-5 minutes per side.



{How to Make Chipotle Cream Sauce}
1.  Combine cilantro, salt, pepper, sour cream, onion and juice.  Chop 1 chipotle chile and add it to the mix along with 2 teaspoons of the sauce from the can.  Stir everything together and set aside until the burgers are ready.

I think you're ready.  You're prepared to wow some people and have a party.  Right?

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