Chili Burger
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Learn how to make the best traditional Chili Burger with cheese using this easy recipe! A delicious homemade chili sauce is spooned over perfectly seasoned grilled burger patties, topped with sharp cheddar cheese, to create an incredibly flavorful cheeseburger!
Table of contents
Growing up in Oklahoma, there were several restaurants that made chili burgers, but none better than Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler. On a recent trip home, I took my husband Kurt to get his first Johnnie’s chili burger and onion rings (their other claim to fame) and I had almost forgot just how delicious this burger tasted.
The key to a great chili burger is a flavorful chili with just the right consistency. Too runny and it will slide right off of your burger. Too thick and it’s basically just like eating a double cheeseburger.
It took me several attempts to make the perfect chili for this burger (that’s also great on fries and hot dogs!) but here we are today with the best chili sauce for a burger. It’s so flavorful, easy to make, with just a hint of spice, and the perfect texture to top a burger.
For this burger, I usually keep the toppings simple, or leave them off altogether. The juicy burger and flavorful chili is really all that you need, but if you want to pop a couple of pickled jalapenos on top or a handful of fried onion strings, I wouldn’t be mad about it!
Ingredients
- Ground beef – I recommend a ground beef that’s 80/20, meaning 80% lean and 20% fat. This will give you the perfect amount of fat to make tender, juicy burgers and flavorful chili.
- Chili seasoning – I always use my homemade chili seasoning. It’s easy to mix together in 5 minutes with pantry staples like chili powder, paprika, onion powder, and ground cumin, and it has the best flavor! You can also purchase pre-made chili seasoning packages at the grocery store in the spice aisle.
- Worcestershire sauce – my secret ingredient for adding a wonderful umami flavor to the burger patties and chili. If you don’t have any Worcestershire sauce in the kitchen, you can use soy sauce instead.
- Cheddar cheese – I like to use sharp cheddar cheese for these burgers, but you could also use slices of American cheese.
- Hamburger buns – I recommend brioche buns, as the buttery flavor is so delicious. But any burger bun will work.
- Vegetable oil – or another neutral-flavored oil, like canola oil or avocado oil.
- Onion – for this recipe you’ll need 1 cup of diced yellow onions for the chili. This will equal about half of a large onion.
- Garlic – I recommend fresh minced cloves for the best flavor.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – you’ll find these canned in the hispanic section of the grocery store. For this recipe, you’ll use two peppers from the can and a teaspoon of sauce from the can. These add mild-to-medium spice to the chili and add a great, smoky flavor.
- Salt – to season the chili.
- Crushed tomatoes – a can of crushed tomatoes will give you a delicious chili with a great texture that’s not too thick, or runny.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prepare the chili.
- Cook the ground beef. Cook onions and garlic in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, crumble and cook until browned, then drain any grease from the skillet.
- Season the ground beef and add tomatoes. Add diced chipotle chilis, adobo sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chili seasoning, salt, and a can of crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine everything, then simmer the chili for 15 minutes to thicken it.
Prepare and cook the burger patties while the chili is simmering.
- Combine ground beef, chili seasoning and worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Divide the mixture into four 4 ounce patties. Use your finger to press an indentation in the middle of the burger. This will help prevent the burgers from shrinking up as they cook.
- Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Once the grill is hot, add the burger patties to the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. During the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time, place a slice of cheese on top of each burger patty and close the lid on the grill. This will allow the cheese to melt over the burgers.
- Remove the burgers from the grill and place them on a cutting board to let them rest for 3-5 minutes. Place hamburger buns on the grill and lightly toast them before adding the burger patties and topping with the chili, and any other toppings of your choice.
Optional toppings
- Fried onion strings (pictured above) – like the kind you use on the green bean casserole at Thanksgiving. These are usually found in the grocery store on the aisle with the salad toppings, like croutons. They add a delicious crunch on top of the burgers.
- Caramelized onions – instead of onion strings, you can add caramelized onions to this burger. While caramelizing onions does take a little time, it’s super easy! You can make them ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to one week, or the freezer for 3 months. Click the link above for my easy step-by-step guide to caramelizing onions.
- Raw onions – if you don’t want to use fried onion strings, onion rings, or caramelized onions, you can simply add slices of raw onions to the burger.
- Pickled jalapenos – for an extra hint of spice and tang, with a crunch, add a few pickled jalapenos to the burger.
- Pickles – if you like the tang, but don’t want the spice, just add a couple of pickle slices to the burger. For extra credit, make homemade pickles to top these burgers!
- Mustard, mayonnaise or burger sauce – since the chili acts as a sauce over the burgers, I usually don’t add any additional sauce to the burgers, but if you’d like to spread some on the bottom bun, feel free!
- Lettuce and tomato – feel free to add these traditional burger toppings to the bottom bun before adding the burger. I recommend lettuce first, so that the tomato doesn’t make the bun soggy.
Recipe tips
- Do not immediately place the burgers on the buns after removing them from the grill! This is a common mistake people make when preparing burgers. It’s one that I did for years. By placing the toasted buns and grilled burgers on separate plates, you allow the juices to redistribute throughout the burgers and not just soak right into the buns. I recommend waiting 5 minutes before assembling the burgers. Just like you rest a steak, resting burgers makes them more juicy and flavorful! And this process prevents your buns from getting soggy. It’s a win-win!
- Cooking a one inch thick burger for 4-5 minutes per side over medium high heat will result in a medium burger. If you’d like your burger medium-well, add 1 minute per side. If you’d like well-done burgers, cook them for 6-7 minutes per side.
- Always make sure your grill is hot before adding the burgers. Adding burgers (or any food for that matter) to a hot grill is important for cooking safety. It will also give you a beautiful sear on the outside, while keeping the burgers super juicy on the inside. The best temp to grill burgers is between 350-400 degrees fahrenheit. This will be medium-high heat on a standard grill.
- Never flatten the burgers with a spatula after they’re on the grill. This will release all of the juicy flavor in the middle of the burger, creating a hamburger that’s less flavorful and juicy.
- This recipe can be made on the stove. No grill? No problem! Simply cook the burgers on a grill pan, cast iron skillet, or the heaviest skillet you have available. Place the skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat and cook for the burgers for 4-5 minutes per side. Add sliced cheese on top during the last minute of cook time.
Make ahead, storage, and reheating
The chili can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to prepare the burgers.
To reheat the chili, place it back in a skillet on the stove over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. To reheat the chili in the microwave, place it in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and reheat for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through the time.
The burger patties can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to toss them in the grill. Cooked burger patties will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the burgers by searing them in a hot skillet on each side for 1-2 minutes, or by searing them on a hot grill for 1-2 minutes per side.
What to serve with the burgers
There are dozens of options for scrumptious sides to pair with these burgers. For an easy option, serve the chili burger with your favorite potato chips. To step up your side dish game, pair the burger with any of these recipes.
- Chili Cheese Fries
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Animal Style Fries
- Truffle Fries
- Air Fryer Tater Tots
- Air Fryer Onions Rings (coming soon!)
- BBQ Baked Beans
- Air Fryer Baked Potato
- Cheesy Grilled Potatoes
- Broccoli Slaw
- Corn on the Cob (Grilled, Boiled or Roasted)
- Grilled Zucchini
More burger recipes
Don’t miss these other delicious burger recipes, and be sure to check out my Top 10 Grilling Tips to become the master of your grill!
Chili Burger
Ingredients
Chili
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- 2 chipotle chiles, minced + 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the can
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
Burgers
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- 1 tablespoon chili seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 hamburger buns, recommended: brioche buns
Instructions
How To Make The Chili
- Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions, cook 4-5 minutes, add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the ground beef, crumble and cook through for 6-8 minutes, or until the beef is browned, then drain any grease from the skillet.
- Add the minced chipotle chilies, adobo sauce, worcestershire sauce, chili seasoning, salt, and crushed tomatoes.
- Reduce the heat on the stove to medium and simmer the chili for 15 minutes, or until it’s thickened. In the meantime, prepare and cook the burger patties.
How To Make The Burgers
- Combine the ground beef, chili seasoning and worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Form into four 4 ounce patties and use your finger to indent the middle of each patty.
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Once the grill is hot, add the burgers and grill for 4-5 minutes per side.
- During the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time, place a slice of cheddar cheese on each burger patty. Remove the burgers from the grill and place on a cutting board, or plate, to rest for 5 minutes.
- Place the buns on the grill to toast for 30-60 seconds. Remove the buns from the grill and assemble the chili burger.
- Place the burgers on the toasted buns, top with the chili, and add any other optional toppings of your choice.
Notes
- Cooking a one inch thick burger for 4-5 minutes per side over medium high heat will result in a medium burger. If you’d like your burger medium-well, add 1 minute per side. If you’d like well-done burgers, cook them for 6-7 minutes per side.
- Always make sure your grill is hot before adding the burgers. Adding burgers (or any food for that matter) to a hot grill is important for cooking safety.
- This recipe can be made on the stove. No grill? No problem! Simply cook the burgers on a grill pan, cast iron skillet, or the heaviest skillet you have available. Place the skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat and cook for the burgers for 4-5 minutes per side. Add sliced cheese on top during the last minute of cook time.
- The chili can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to prepare the burgers. To reheat the chili, place it back in a skillet on the stove over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. To reheat the chili in the microwave, place it in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and reheat for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through the time.
- The burger patties can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to toss them in the grill.
- Cooked burger patties will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the burgers by searing them in a hot skillet on each side for 1-2 minutes, or by searing them on a hot grill for 1-2 minutes per side.
Nutrition Facts
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