Southwest Chipotle Burgers

This recipe comes from Our Best Bites. Very delicious, we just had them for dinner tonight! Here are their step by step instructions with photos.

Burger
1 1/2 lb ground chuck or ground sirloin (I used hamburger instead)
1-1/2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce
1 1/2 T adobo sauce (from the chipotle chili can)
1/4 C grated onion
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cumin
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t pepper

Chipotle-lime Mayo
1/2 C Mayo
2 t lime juice
1 1/2 t adobo sauce (from the canned chipotle chilis)
2T chopped fresh cilantro

4-6 good quality buns
1 tomato
1-2 avocado
lettuce
optional: jack, cotija, or queso fresco cheese

Place mayo, adobo sauce, lime juice and cilantro in a small bowl. Now this is the hard part. Stir it all together. Do you like how I included 3 pictures for this process? Don't ask me why I did that... Cover it and set in the fridge. You can make this part up to a day ahead of time if you want to. And it's seriously so good I could dip anything in it. Fries, chips, my fingers... I actually usually double it so I can serve extra on the table.

Now place the beef in a bowl and gently crumble with your fingers. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, grated onion, garlic powder, cumin, kosher salt, and pepper. Use your hands (yes, your hands!) to gently mix things together. If you go crazy and over-work ground beef it gets a yucky texture. Just mix it enough to distribute the ingredients and call it good.

Divide into 4 patties (or 6 little ones) and place on a preheated grill, indoor grill pan, or skillet.If you want to top with cheese, do so in the last few minutes of grilling. I'd use jack (not pepperjack), cotija, or even some queso fresco. While the burgers are cooking, toast buns and spread chipotle-lime sauce generously on each side of each bun.

When the burgers are done to your liking let them stand for 5 minutes off the grill/pan and then pop onto your prepared buns. Top with tomato slices, avocado slices, and a crisp piece of lettuce. If you made extra sauce, serve it on the table so people can slather it on every bite. Just wait until you sink your teeth into this baby!

Tiff's Tips: You can also make these with ground beef. Make a double batch and freeze some for later!