Salsa Jalapeño Crunch Burger

A Salsa Jalapeño Crunch Burger is an easy way to upgrade your burger game! Using leftover salsa, jalapeños, and crunchy fried onions, these burgers are full of a variety of textures and flavors.

about this salsa jalapeño crunch burger

When I whipped up the homemade chunky salsa that I shared the other week, we ended up having some leftover that I wasn’t sure what to do with.

I’ve been deep in a grilling mode with clients lately, so I thought putting it on a burger would be a pretty good idea.

pretty good? actually, it’s EPIC.

Instead of a plain ol’ burger patty, I loaded these bad boys up with onion, jalapeño, and a few spices to make it stand out. Topped off with cheese, creamy avocado, and crunchy fried onions, it has plenty of textures to keep your mouth watering for the next flavor-packed bite!

It’s the easiest way to use up some leftover salsa, but more importantly, these are the salsa burgers to really wow your friends and family with! They’ll feel like they just sat down to a $20+ burger downtown!

ingredients

ground beef – I like to use 80/20 lean ground beef for these burgers. You want to use a ground beef with a decent percentage of fat so they are juicy and flavorful.

onion – yellow onion provides a lovely flavor, and I think it’s a lot less sharp than white onion.

jalapeño – I personally like to use two but you can also use three if you prefer! I don’t remove the seeds because they help bring the heat. Simply wash and slice them up. If you prefer to remove the seeds, I have a full guide on how to seed a jalapeño.

spices – I used a combination of chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in the patties.

avocado – the creamy avocado gives a lovely cooling element to the spicy burgers, a nice contrast to the crunch in there as well!

lime juice – I like to mix in lime juice into my avocado to give it a little burst of citrus!

cheese – pepper jack cheese is my go-to for these burgers and it goes great with the flavors in the burger and the salsa! You could also opt for a mild provolone if you prefer to make the whole burger a bit less spicy.

buns – brioche buns are the ones I reach for whenever I’m serving up a burger! I highly recommend it over the standard hamburger bun.

salsa – I personally love to use this chunky salsa because it’s packed with flavor! You can use whatever salsa you like, but I recommend making sure that it’s chunky. The restaurant style thin salsas won’t pile up on the burger in the right way! Be sure to check out my guide to the best tomatoes for salsa to make the best homemade salsa possible.

fried onions – these provide the crunch on top! I love having plenty of them so everyone can load up on them as they please.

this recipe’s must haves

To cut up all the veggies, you will need a chef’s knife and a cutting board.

You’ll need a couple bowls from your metal mixing bowls set to make the burger patties and avocado mixture.

My favorite grill is a Traeger grill because I can grill and smoke in it! I used Traeger grill signature pellets, but you can use any flavor you like.

grilling faves

Traeger grill

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Traeger grill signature pellets

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grill brush

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grill prep and serve trays

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grill tongs

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here’s how to make a salsa jalapeño crunch burger

make the patties

Mix together ground beef, onion, jalapeño, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. I like to use my hands to make sure the mixture really comes together.

Divide the mixture into four and form into patties. Make sure to make a dimple in the center of each patty so it holds its shape. Set aside.

grill

Over high heat, cook patties to desired temperature, about 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare.

In the last minute of cooking, top each patty with a slice of pepper jack cheese. Close the lid until the cheese melts.

assemble

Mash up the avocado in a small bowl and stir in lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste!

Divide the mashed avocado between the bottom halves of the buns. Place the cooked patties on top.

Top the burgers with salsa and fried onions. Serve immediately.

Don’t like it too spicy? Skip the cayenne pepper in the burger patties to bring down the overall heat a little bit.

tips for success

homemade salsa makes the difference. Making your salsa from scratch not only saves you money, it brings a ton of flavor to the party! You can play around with your favorite salsas to find the one you like best on this burger.

don’t overwork the meat. The less you handle the meat the better! Mix it just enough to incorporate the ingredients and then gently form the patties.

More yummy burgers to bite into: French Onion Burger | Miso Glazed Sriracha Burgers | Southwestern Guacamole Burger | Big ‘n Smoky Five Alarm Burger

is salsa good on hamburgers?

Of course it is! The zesty salsa on top of a juicy burger will have you instantly falling in love with this flavor combination.

how do I prep the jalapeños?

If you are unfamiliar with prepping jalapeños, start by halving the peppers and removing the seeds. Dice the jalapeño as finely as you can. Be sure to wash your hands before moving onto any next steps!

Need some more inspiration for sandwiches? Check out my sandwiches recipe page!

what to serve with a salsa jalapeño crunch burger?

These tasty burgers go with so many different things! They are perfect for your classic backyard BBQ sides, or change things up with something bold and new.

• When it comes to cocktails, I love a classic like this vodka strawberry lemonade! Of course a tasty limeade margarita is certainly another tasty option.
• For sides, I really like loaded bacon potato skewers, summer lemon pasta salad, sun dried tomato pasta salad, and/or spicy garlic cilantro fries.

If you are looking for another burger to chow down on, this pulled pork burger is a must-make.

how to store a grilled burger

If you don’t use up all your burgers, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days! I recommend storing the patties separate from anything else so that they stay as fresh as possible. Then you can store all the elements separately and assemble when you are ready to reheat.

To reheat the burgers, preheat your oven to 400˚F and place on a metal rack inside a baking sheet. Heat for a few minutes, flip and let warm up another 2 minutes, depending on the thickness it may need more time.