Mayo: Jalapeño Cheddar Burger + Charred Corn

It’s no secret that Worth keeping burgers. I have 11 burger recipes total on my blog already! I also live for playing with flavors and toppings to create a not-so-long-used burger. This time it was spicy jalapeno peppers meets melty sharp cheddar cheese meets charred corn mayo. A satisfying combo if you ask me.

I tested this method once a few weeks prior and well, two things were off. To start I first charred and blistered the jalapeno, painstakingly removed the skin and seeds before dicing and adding them to the ground beef. It was quite a process and when I finally mixed all the ingredients together, the patty texture was off because I overworked meat, which ended up resembling those sort of patties you might buy pre-made (you know the ones *shudder*). Needless to say we weren’t digging the final outcome and I couldn’t have a so-so burger for #BurgerWeek. SO I tried a different more simple approach and wouldn’t you know it, it worked. I skipped the whole roasting the jalapeno part and tried mixing with a fork, which truly works and keeps you from over-mixing… hooray!

Grilled to perfection, these spicy jalapeno and cheddar burgers were moist and dependable, a thumbs way up in the McNamara household. OH!!! And that grilled corn mayo? Seriously guys, I can only admit this to you… but I could {did?} eat it with a spoon!

Grill three ears of corn. You can do this directly on the grates over low heat. Once you notice the corn is a handsome bright yellow, go on and crank the heat up to medium-high, turning them as they char.

Set them off to the side to allow them to cool.

Meanwhile, roughly chop up a couple small cloves of garlic.

Add it right into a small food processor along with a half cup of mayonnaise. From-scratch mayo or store-bought is up to you.

Once cool, use a sharp knife and slice off the corn kernels.

Depending on the size of your ears of corn, it should yield about 2-3 cups of kernels.

Throw the kernels into the processor…

Season with kosher salt and black pepper…

I like mine chunky, but you can pulse until you’ve reached a desired consistency. There is NO wrong way to do this.

Throw the corn mayo into a bowl, cover and chill until you’re ready to build the burgers.

First, we need to discus how to handle jalapenos. It’s extremely helpful to wear gloves while prepping fresh jalapenos. I usually wash my hands 18 times because I’m usually juggling a camera while cooking, so washing in between shots is normal for me. But otherwise if you don’t… the juice {if you will} of the pepper will truly create a burning sensation wherever it’s came into contact with your skin and it only goes away with time. So save yourself from the searing pain and don a pair gloves before you trim, half and quarter the two small jalapenos.

Depending on how spicy you want these burgers to be, either leave in some seeds and ribs for some heat… or remove all for little to no spice. You have all the control here.

Dice up half of a medium yellow onion…

This should be about half a cup.

Grab a handful of fresh cilantro…

This turns out to be a couple of tablespoons when minced.

In a large bowl, break up about two pounds of ground chuck with your hands.

Next, add in the finely diced onion…

… finely diced jalapenos…

…cilantro…

… pour in two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce…

…season with 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of coarse ground black pepper…

… lastly, season with 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder {not salt!}.

Use a fork to gently stir all of those ingredients into the meat.

Divide the meat mixture into six equal portions.

Form into patties. And YES I do make the divot in the center… it truly helps to keep the burgers flat and not domed in the center. {Thanks Rachel Ray!}

This is how I like to grill my burgers: I always preheat my grill to high. Once hot, reduce the temperature to medium/medium-high. My temperature gauge has been broken for forever now, so sadly I don’t have precise degrees for you. Then I simply lay the burger patties onto the grill grates and cover.

I flip after about 5-6 minutes and cook for another 5-6 minutes. I like my burgers well done, but you can adjust the time to your preference of course! Top with slices of sharp cheddar cheese and close the lid to your grill until melted and dripping down the sides. Oh HECK yes!

Toppings are simple; lettuce, onion, tomato and that killer corn mayo I made earlier.

I’m using regular sesame seed buns and toasted them before grilling the burgers. Top with lettuce…

…and a spoonful of the corn mayo. I prefer to place this under the burgers… it’s less messy. You could even spread it below the lettuce (obviously).

Then I simply topped my jalapeño cheddar burger with thin slices of tomatoes and red onion. Bacon would be nice too. Bacon on anything is always… nice.

I actually inhaled this jalapeño cheddar burger in 2.57 seconds. I had corn mayo dripping down my hands and tomato seeds stuck to my face… that kind of inhale. So completely un-ladylike, but I’m okay with it.

The jalapenos and the sharp cheddar together -well, you know, they entirely rock. BUT when you add all of these flavors along with the charred corn mayonnaise it’s, it’s insane. (the good kind)

I hope you give this Jalapeño Cheddar Burger a shot! Because they’re SO darn good!

Enjoy! And if you give this Jalapeño Cheddar Burger recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

My cookbook: 120 Wholesome Kitchen-made Recipes Made Straightforward is now available! CLICK HERE for details and THANK YOU in advance!

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