Jalapenos mellow out when cooked adding a nice, sweet heat to burgers
A long time ago, a few high-school friends and I decided that adding chopped jalapeños to burger meat was the best way to make a burger a little more “manly.” The result was much better than the joke deserved: a juicy burger with a smoky, savory flavor and just a hint of heat.
I’ve tweaked the recipe over the years, but the idea has stayed the same. These are easy to throw together for a cookout, and they’re much milder than people expect when they hear the word jalapeño. They’re usually gone before I get a chance to make a second trip to the grill.
How to Make Jalapeño “Man” Burgers
I typically use 85% lean ground beef, although 90% works if you prefer a leaner burger. Mix the beef with the remaining ingredients and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes so the flavors have time to come together. Form the mixture into patties and grill until the patties reach 160°F internally.
You can prepare the mixture a day ahead and keep it refrigerated. The patties also freeze well, which makes these an easy option to have ready for the next cookout.
- 1 pound of lean beef
- 1 small jalapeno, de-seeded and diced
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed and diced
- 2 tbs of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp of allspice (optional)
- 1 tsp of ground black pepper
- Combine all of the ingredients into a medium sized bowl and let marinate for 30 minutes
- Combine into patties about ¼ pound each
- Grill either on a stovetop or outside for 4 minutes on each side
- Serve with your favorite condiments and enjoy!