Green Chile Caramelized Onion Smashburger
A good smashburger is built around hard griddle contact, browned beef, and crisp edges. This version adds another layer of texture by pressing the beef directly into diced white onions that have already softened and caramelized in beef tallow. The onions become part of the patty instead of sitting on top as another loose topping.
The green chile flavor comes from Revolution Barbecue Green Chile Seasoning, not a pile of roasted peppers. Using the seasoning in the aioli, onions, and beef builds that flavor throughout the burger without covering up the griddle crust. The onions bring sweetness, the Monterey Jack melts into the browned surface, and the aioli adds a cool, creamy finish with just enough lime to brighten it.
A thick slice of beefsteak tomato has a purpose here. It cuts through the richness of the 80/20 beef, tallow, cheese, and mayonnaise while adding moisture and a fresh bite. There is no lettuce, no pickle, and no extra green chile competing for space. The finished burger stays focused on deeply browned beef, caramelized onion, melted cheese, and three distinct applications of green chile flavor.
Green Chile Smashburgers with Caramelized White Onions
Glenn Connaughton
4
15 minutes
15 minutes
790
American
Main DIsh
The crust is the most important part of a smashburger. Cold beef needs firm contact with a hot griddle and enough undisturbed cooking time for deep browning to develop. Moving the patties too early leaves that flavor stuck to the cooking surface instead of attached to the burger.
Caramelizing the diced white onion before smashing changes how it behaves against the beef. The onion has already released much of its moisture, allowing it to press into the meat without steaming the surface. Its sweetness works against the savory beef and the mild heat of Revolution Barbecue Green Chile Seasoning.
The seasoning appears in three different places, but each application does a different job. It seasons the cool aioli, builds flavor into the caramelized onions, and forms part of the browned crust on the beef. Monterey Jack melts smoothly over the onion-covered patties, while the beefsteak tomato adds enough acidity and moisture to keep the burger from eating heavy. The goal is a thin burger with crisp edges, well-browned onions, melted cheese, and green chile flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
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1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Revolution Barbecue Green Chile Seasoning
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
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1 large white onion, diced
1 tablespoon beef tallow
1 teaspoon Revolution Barbecue Green Chile Seasoning
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1 pound 80/20 ground beef, divided into 4 equal 4-ounce balls
1 tablespoon Revolution Barbecue Green Chile Seasoning
4 slices Monterey Jack cheese
4 soft hamburger buns
4 thick slices beefsteak tomato
Directions
- Make The Green Chile Aioli: Combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, and Revolution Barbecue Green Chile Seasoning in a small bowl. Stir until evenly blended, then refrigerate until the burgers are ready to assemble.
- Prepare The Beef: Divide the ground beef into 4 equal 4-ounce portions. Gently roll each portion into a loose ball without compacting the meat. Keep the beef cold until it goes onto the griddle.
- Heat The Griddle: Preheat a flat-top griddle over medium-high to high heat.
- Caramelize The Onions: Add the beef tallow to the hot griddle, followed by the diced white onion. Season the onion evenly with Revolution Barbecue Green Chile Seasoning. Cook while stirring and turning the onions until they are soft, browned, and caramelized.
- Form The Onion Rounds: Divide the caramelized onions into 4 equal portions directly on the griddle. Spread each portion into a flat round roughly the size of a finished burger patty.
- Smash The Burgers: Place 1 cold beef ball directly on top of each onion round. Using a burger press or sturdy spatula, firmly smash the beef into the caramelized onions to create a thin patty. Season the exposed beef evenly with Revolution Barbecue Green Chile Seasoning.
- Build The Crust: Cook the patties without moving them for 2 to 3 minutes. The beef should develop a dark brown crust and release cleanly when scraped from the griddle.
- Flip And Add The Cheese: Slide a sturdy spatula firmly underneath each burger, scraping against the griddle to preserve the crust and onions. Flip each patty onion-side up and immediately add 1 slice of Monterey Jack cheese.
- Melt The Cheese: Cover the patties with a melting dome and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the Monterey Jack has melted and the second side has developed a browned crust.
- Toast The Buns: Place the hamburger buns cut-side down on the griddle in the residual beef fat. Toast until lightly browned.
- Build The Burgers: Spread Green Chile Aioli over each bottom bun. Add 1 caramelized onion smashburger, followed by 1 thick slice of beefsteak tomato and the top bun. Serve immediately while the crust is hot and the cheese is melted.
