Mexican Burger with Queso Fresco

This juicy Mexican burger layered with poblano peppers and rich queso fresco sauce is the perfect update on a grilling classic. If you’re a fan of burgers, Tex-Mex flavors, or just delicious charred poblano peppers, you’ll agree that this is the absolute best Mexican burger recipe ever!

Plenty of restaurants toss a dollop of guacamole on a burger, and call it a Mexican Burger. That’s about as basic as it gets, and I’m not sure it should even be called a Mexican Burger. Hamburger with guac seems more fitting.

In any case, this burger is unbelievably delicious, offering a subtle bit of spice with a creamy queso fresco sauce.

And speaking of the sauce, I love the roasted poblanos on this Mexican burger, but the queso fresco is next level. It goes beautifully with poblano chiles, and it’s also great with chicken and shrimp.

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What Is A Mexican Burger?

As I mentioned earlier, plenty of restaurants will toss on a scoop of guacamole to a basic burger and deem it a “Mexican burger”. That seems a bit basic to me.

A true Mexican burger has to have more than just guac. For me, it’s combining the flavors you associate with authentic Mexican food into the ground beef.

Adding a crispy fried corn tortilla, some roasted poblano peppers, fresh pico, and of course that homemade queso fresco.

Variations For The Mexican Burger

Avocado: I love a thinly sliced, perfectly ripe avocado but on the burger the slices tend to push out of the bun when you take a bite. So, try smashing the avocado on the top bun before topping the burger with it.
Refried Beans: The creaminess of the refried beans go really will with this burger. Try smearing some on the crispy tortilla before topping them with the burger patty.
Jalapeno: For those that like a little extra heat, I like to finely mince up some jalapeno and mix it into the ground beef. the heat and texture they provide is really nice.

Tips For Making a Mexican Burger

• Hold off on seasoning the patties with salt until just before you grill them. Mixing the salt into the ground beef changes the texture of the burger.
• Don’t skip the fried tortilla. I prefer to fry the four inch corn tortillas, but you can also buy crispy tostada shells. The added crunch to the burger is nice.
• Don’t overwork the mixture when incorporating the spices into the meat. You want to handle it as little as possible.
• Form the patties as loosely as possible, the tighter the patty the tougher the bite will be.
• Grate your own cheese, the pre-shredded stuff doesn’t melt as well.

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Mexican Burgers with Queso Fresco

Serves: 4 | Prep time: 25 mins.| Cook time: 15 mins.

Ingredients
2 lbs ground chuck
1 tbsp kosher salt 
3 poblano peppers
1 cup fresh pico de gallo
4 tostada shells
4 buns

Meat Seasoning
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano

Queso Fresco Sauce
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
10 oz Queso Fresco cheese, crumbled
8 oz pepper jack cheese, grated
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
4 oz diced green chiles 

Step 1: Light your grill and set up for two zone cooking.

Step 2: While the grill is preheating, hand mix the ground beef with the meat seasoning. Be careful not to overwork the mixture. Form into four equal sized patties and set them aside.

Step 3: Rub the poblano peppers with olive oil and place them on the grill directly over high heat. Turn them often in order to char the entire surface of the pepper. Once charred, remove them from the grill and seal in a sealable plastic bag, allowing them to steam for ten minutes. Then, peel off the outer skin, slice and remove seeds.

Step 4: While poblano peppers are steaming, place a saucepan over medium heat (on the grill or stovetop) and melt the butter. Then, whisk in flour to make a roux, cooking over medium heat for three minutes. Add milk and cream, whisking for 2-3 more minutes until smooth and warmed through. Whisk in the remaining cheese sauce ingredients, and continue cooking until the mixture has melted smooth. About five minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Step 5: Season the Mexican burger patties with kosher salt, just before place them on the grill directly over medium heat. Cook 3-4 minutes per side until desired internal temperature is reached as indicated by a reliable quick read thermometer.

Step 6: Place a tostada shell on a bottom bun and top with a burger, roasted poblano pepper, queso fresco sauce, pico de gallo and fresh cilantro.