Jalapeño Pepper Jack Burger with Fresh Guacamole
A burger with pepper jack cheese, grilled jalapeños, and fresh guacamole on a toasted brioche bun.
- Prep
- 18min
- Cook
- 14min
- Total
- 32min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 1040per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Charring the jalapeños changes their heat. A few minutes in a hot pan softens the slices and rounds off the raw, grassy bite, so they land as warmth rather than a sharp sting. That, plus a thick 170 g patty seasoned with cumin and chili powder, is what separates this from a pickled-jalapeño smash burger.
Guacamole goes on the bottom bun as the cooling layer, and crushed tortilla chips go on top for crunch. Press plastic wrap directly onto the guacamole while the rest cooks so it stays green.
Jalapeño Pepper Jack Burger with Fresh Guacamole
Prep 18 min, cook 14 min, total 32 min. About 1040 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/jalapeno-pepper-jack-burger-guacamole
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Make guacamole: combine mashed avocados, diced tomato, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 oz cilantro, half the diced red onion, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Toss jalapeño slices with 1 tbsp olive oil and grill or sauté in a hot pan for 3-4 minutes until charred and slightly softened. Set aside.
Season ground beef with 5 g cumin, 3 g chili powder, salt, and pepper, then form into 4 equal patties.
Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook patties for 4-5 minutes per side until an instant-read thermometer in the center of a patty reads 160°F (71°C).
During the last minute of cooking, top each patty with pepper jack cheese slices and cover to melt.
Toast brioche buns until golden.
Assemble burgers: spread guacamole on bottom buns, place beef patties with melted cheese, top with grilled jalapeños, remaining diced red onion, and crushed tortilla chips for crunch, then crown with top buns.
Tips
- For more heat, slice the jalapeños with their seeds in; for less, scrape the seeds out first. Charring softens the heat but doesn't remove it.
- Press a shallow dimple into the center of each patty. At 170 g they're thick, and the dimple keeps them flat as they cook.
- Cover the pan once the pepper jack goes on. A thick patty needs the trapped steam to melt the cheese within a minute.
- Crush the tortilla chips coarsely and add them just before the top bun so they stay crisp.
Substitutions
- Store-bought guacamole saves time; stir in fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro to brighten it.
- Poblano strips instead of jalapeños: milder and smokier once charred.
- Gluten-free: use a gluten-free bun and check the tortilla chip label; most corn chips are gluten-free.
Make ahead & storage
Guacamole browns within a few hours; press plastic wrap onto the surface and eat leftovers within a day. Charred jalapeños keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Cooked patties keep 3 to 4 days; reheat in a skillet to 165°F (74°C).
