Green Chile Elk Burgers
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Total Time
25 mins
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Servings
4 people
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Calories
615 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Green Chile Elk Burgers
Description
These burger patties use lean ground elk meat combined with roasted green chiles that have been peeled and seeded for a smoky, slightly spicy note. Forming the meat into uniform patties with a shallow indentation prevents the burgers from doming during cooking, ensuring even thickness and doneness. Salt enhances flavor, and including some fat (at least 5%, preferably 15%) in the meat prevents dryness and helps the burgers hold together.
Cook the burgers either on a hot grill or stovetop, flipping once after forming a crust. Serve on buttered burger buns topped with tomato slices, lettuce leaves, and melted cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. This creates a balanced savory sandwich combining tender meat with fresh and creamy elements.
Roasting and prepping the chiles ahead allows for easy assembly, and frozen or canned chiles can be substituted if needed. Allowing patties to rest at room temperature before cooking can aid even cooking and juiciness.
Ingredients
- 4 to 8 green chile such as Hatch, Poblano or Anaheim
- 1 1/4 pounds ground elk or other meat
- salt
- 4 tomato large slices
- 4 to 8 lettuce leaves
- 4 burger buns
- 2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
- 4 lices cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- If you are starting with fresh chiles, roast them, remove the skins and seeds, salt them and set aside. You can either keep them in fairly large pieces if they are well-roasted, or chop them roughly. Your call. This can be done a few days ahead of time, and of course you can use canned or frozen chiles.
- Make four burger patties. I prefer one-third pound burgers, but you can make them any size you want. Pro tips: Press the weighed out ground meat into a large circle mold for more even patties. Press a dimple about the diameter of a walnut in the center of each patty - this prevents them from balling up when cooked. Salt your patties well.
Cooking Options
- Grilling. Get your grill hot. Scrape down the grates well, and grill your burgers with the grill cover open. Leave them on the grates for at least 3 or 4 minutes so you get grill marks and a good crust. Flip and cook to order. Typically a medium burger will need another 3 minutes.
- Stovetop. Preheat oven to 200°F and set a rack over a baking sheet. Heat a cast iron pan or pan that can handle high heat over medium high heat. When it's hot, slick the pan with some canola or other high smoke point oil, like grapeseed or safflower. Set the patties down and press gently with a spatula to get good contact with the pan. Leave them for at least 3 or 4 minutes so you get a good crust. Flip and cook to order. Typically a medium burger will need another 3 minutes.
- No matter how you cook your burgers, when you flip them, lay the chiles over them, then cover with a slice of cheese. Close the grill cover or put a lid over the pan to melt the cheese.
- On the stovetop you usually have to cook in batches, so you will put each finished burger in the warm oven as you do the rest.
- When you are ready, paint your burger buns with the butter or oil and set them on the grill or pan to brown. Keep an eye on the buns so they don't burn. Set aside once browned to your liking.
- Build your burgers. I like to go bun, lettuce, tomato slice, patty, bun. But do whatever you like best. Enjoy!
Notes
- Roasting and preparing green chiles in advance improves flavor and convenience; canned or frozen chiles can be used if fresh are unavailable.
- Include at least 5% fat in elk patties to prevent dryness; 15% is preferred.
- Make a shallow indentation in the center of patties to avoid them swelling while cooking.
- Let patties rest at room temperature with salt sprinkled on before cooking to enhance flavor and cooking evenness.
- Prep time excludes chile roasting; plan accordingly.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 615 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 615kcal | 31% |
| Carbohydrates | 40g | 13% |
| Protein | 44g | 88% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Cholesterol | 123mg | 41% |
| Sodium | 1087mg | 45% |
| Potassium | 970mg | 21% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin A | 6635IU | 133% |
| Vitamin C | 50.6mg | 56% |
| Calcium | 331mg | 33% |
| Iron | 6.6mg | 37% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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