Mexican Chorizo Burger

Loaded with creamy guacamole, pickled onions, and spicy cheese, this Mexican chorizo burger is dripping with flavor! The patties are crafted with a blend of beef and chorizo sausage and are perfect for topping with your favorite Mexican flavors.

What is chorizo?

Chorizo is a popular spicy sausage in Mexican and Spanish cuisines. Traditionally it is made of pork and heavily seasoned with paprika, which gives it the distinctive red color it is known for. You can find chorizo as raw sausage or semi-cured.

For this recipe, it is important to use raw sausage, as shown in the next photo. If you cannot find it in bulk packaging, buy raw chorizo sausage and cut the meat out of the casings. This can also be used to make my chorizo chili recipe!

How to make a chorizo burger patty

Chorizo burger patty ingredients are simply a mixture of beef and raw chorizo sausage with bread crumbs as a binder. Since the fresh chorizo sausage is so strongly flavored the beef is needed to ensure the sausage seasonings don't overwhelm the flavor of the burger. I find two parts beef to one part chorizo to be the ideal mixture. However, you could also substitute ground pork instead of beef.

When making gourmet burger patties, I never recommend mixing the beef, as it can make the burger patty tough. However, that is unavoidable when combining two forms of meat, or making blended burgers. To combat the toughness of an over-worked patty I add breadcrumbs... breaking another cardinal rule of burger making.

Typically, I would argue you are making a meatloaf sandwich when adding breadcrumbs to a meat mixture, but since there is no way around overworking the meat when combining the beef and chorizo, I find breadcrumbs to be an acceptable deviation to get the ideal tenderness back into the patty.

Form your patties by mixing the beef, chorizo, and breadcrumbs thoroughly, then press flat into four equal patties.

Chorizo Burger Toppings

Your chorizo burger patty is the perfect canvass to add your favorite South-of-the-border flavors on top of the burger. Lettuce, cheese, onion, and guacamole are great starts, but even this can be taken to the next level.

• Avocado - For simplicity, my recipe includes a basic guacamole-style mixture, but if you are feeling adventurous my roasted tomatillo guacamole would make this burger taste insane!
• Cheese - A spicy cheese, such as pepper jack is a great fit for this burger. My store sells a Ghost pepper cheese, which I think is even better!
• Onions - Using quick pickled onions adds a tangy crunch that cuts through the richness of the burger.
• Hot Sauce - This delicious burger doesn't need a condiment, but hot sauce would be a perfect upgrade.

You can get creative with any other toppings you wish to add. Pico de Gallo or even tomatillo salsa would each be a good fit. Combining tomatillo salsa with sour cream would transform it into a phenomenal sauce for this burger! Otherwise, keep it simply with a little fresh cilantro.

How to cook the burger patty

Since this burger patty includes pork sausage, say goodbye to rare burgers. Place burgers in a cast iron skillet set over medium heat and cook the chorizo patty for approximately 4 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

It is important to note that your cooking time and burner temperature will vary depending on your stove and cookware. I have one pan that conducts heat exceptionally well, requiring me to cook burgers on low. Other pans require medium-high heat. Whenever cooking raw meat, I recommend using a digital meat thermometer to ensure your food is a safe temperature.

Tip: Do NOT press the patty while it cooks. This will expel the flavorful juices and result in a dry burger!

Best bun for these burgers

There is nothing particularly Mexican about Pretzel buns, but these soft and chewy buns work perfectly with chorizo burgers. They are my top choice. Otherwise, brioche buns are always a great choice for any burger. This is a gourmet burger, so it deserves a fresh bakery bun, don't downgrade the sandwich with cheap packaged hamburger buns from the bread aisle.