Green Chile Tequila Cheeseburger
Our take on the Southwest classic — a juicy patty under a blanket of melted cheese and roasted green chiles, with crisped green chile tequila salami and a lime burger sauce.
The green chile cheeseburger is one of the few truly regional American burgers, a Southwest icon built on roasted green chiles under a blanket of melted cheese. Being a Colorado outfit, we love it with Pueblo chiles — but any roasted green chile does the job.
Our Green Chile Tequila salami is the natural upgrade: it already tastes of roasted chile, lime, and a whisper of tequila, so crisped on top it makes the whole burger taste like more of itself.
Smoky, spicy, cheesy, and messy in the best way.
Ingredients
For the Burgers
1 lb ground beef (80/20)
3 oz Green Chile Tequila salami, thinly sliced
1 cup roasted green chiles (Hatch, Pueblo, or Anaheim)
4 slices white American cheese or pepper jack
kosher salt and black pepper
2 to 4 burger buns, toasted
For the Lime Burger Sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon lime juice
Optional Toppings
lettuce, onion, tomato
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Instructions
Stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, and lime juice to make the burger sauce. Set aside.
If using whole roasted chiles, peel, seed, and roughly chop them. Warm them in a small pan or microwave.
Form the beef into 2 to 4 patties slightly wider than your buns. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in a hot skillet or on the grill, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
In the last minute, crisp the green chile tequila salami in the pan.
Pile chopped green chiles onto each patty, lay the crisped salami over, then top with cheese. Cover briefly so the cheese melts into a blanket.
Toast the buns, spread with burger sauce, add the patties and any lettuce, onion, or tomato. Close and serve immediately.
Chef Notes
The trick to a green chile cheeseburger is the order: pile the roasted chiles on the patty first, then melt the cheese over the top so it holds everything together. Cover the pan for a few seconds to get that gooey blanket.
Use roasted Hatch, Pueblo, or Anaheim chiles — fresh-roasted if you can, but good jarred or frozen green chile works year-round. Crisp the salami so it adds a savory, browned layer on top.
Substitutions & Tips
No green chile tequila salami? Diablo or Dry Chorizo both bring a fitting Southwest kick. Sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack can stand in for the cheese.
Love this salami? Try our Green Chile Tequila Breakfast Tacos or Queso Dip.
Serving & Storage
Serve immediately, while the cheese is molten and the chiles are warm.
Roasted green chiles keep for up to a week in the fridge and freeze beautifully, so roast a big batch in season. The burger sauce keeps for up to 5 days.
Published
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