The chilli cheeseburger is American excess at its most glorious — a thick beef patty smothered in a ladleful of rich, deep, slow-cooked beef chilli, covered in molten cheddar, topped with pickled jalapeños and a cooling dollop of sour cream. It is the kind of burger that makes you question every previous burger you have ever eaten. It is completely, unashamedly, magnificently over the top.

The chilli is the centrepiece and it deserves the same attention as any standalone bowl of chilli. This is a Texas-style chilli — made with chunks of beef rather than mince, dried chillies rather than chilli powder, and no beans (this is a theological matter in Texas). The dried chillies — ancho, guajillo, and chipotle — are toasted, rehydrated, and blended into a sauce of extraordinary depth that forms the backbone of the chilli. The beef is cut into small cubes, browned deeply, and simmered in this sauce for 45 minutes until tender and deeply flavoured. The combination of the chilli on top of the burger creates a structural challenge that must be addressed. The burger must be eaten immediately before the bottom bun absorbs too much of the chilli sauce. This is not a burger for the timid or the slow — it requires commitment and a full complement of napkins

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 830 kcal   |   Protein: 50g   |   Carbs: 52g   |   Fat: 44g   |   Fiber: 6g

Chilli Cheese Burger

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: Burgers

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

830

kcal

Ingredients

• •t600g beef mince (20% fat) for patties

• •tFor Texas chilli: 600g beef chuck, cut into 1cm cubes

• •tFor Texas chilli: 3 dried ancho chillies

• •tFor Texas chilli: 2 dried guajillo chillies

• •tFor Texas chilli: 1 dried chipotle chile

• •tFor Texas chilli: 1 large onion, diced

• •tFor Texas chilli: 5 garlic cloves, minced

• •tFor Texas chilli: 1 tsp cumin

• •tFor Texas chilli: 1 tsp dried oregano

• •tFor Texas chilli: 300ml beef stock

• •tFor Texas chilli: salt and pepper

• •tFor Texas chilli: 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• •t160g aged cheddar, grated

• •t4 brioche buns, toasted

• •t4 tbsp sour cream

• •tPickled jalapeños

• •tShredded iceberg lettuce

• •tSalt and pepper

Directions

• Make Texas chilli: Toast dried chillies in a dry pan for 1 minute per side. Remove stems and seeds. Soak in hot water for 20 minutes. Blend with 200ml beef stock until smooth.
• Brown beef chuck in batches in vegetable oil over high heat until deeply seared on all sides. Remove and set aside. Cook onion in the same pot for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin. Cook 1 minute. Add the blended chilli sauce, remaining stock, and browned beef. Add oregano and season. Simmer covered for 45 minutes until beef is tender and sauce is thick and rich. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Shape beef mince into 4 patties of approximately 150g each. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Cook patties on a hot griddle for 3 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.
• Reheat chilli until piping hot. Build burgers: add lettuce to the bottom bun. Place patty on top. Ladle a generous portion of hot chilli over the patty. Cover immediately with grated cheddar — the heat of the chilli will melt it. Add pickled jalapeños and a spoonful of sour cream.
• Serve immediately — speed is essential.

Notes

• The Texas chilli can and should be made well in advance — it improves dramatically with time and freezes perfectly for up to 3 months.
  The chilli must be piping hot when it goes on the burger — it needs to be hot enough to melt the cheddar immediately.
  Eat immediately. The bottom bun begins absorbing chilli moisture within 2-3 minutes. This is a burger for immediate consumption.
  Add a fried egg on top of the sour cream if you want to take this even further — the broken yolk adds another layer of richness to the already extraordinary combination.

Storage

Texas chilli keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days and is arguably better on day 2 and 3. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Cooked beef patties keep for 2 days. Assemble and serve immediately — do not store assembled burgers.

Serving Tips

Serve immediately with thick cut chips or onion rings. This is maximum-impact burger territory — cold American lager, a Texas bourbon and cola, or a glass of ice water are all appropriate accompaniments. No wine. This burger does not need wine — it needs hunger, commitment, and a large stack of napkins.

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