Green Chile Burgers with Cilantro Lime Crema

It’s normal to crave Mexican/Latin flavors when it starts to get warm out, right? Lately, I’ve been dreaming of summer days when avocados are ripe and dark green, tomatoes make a fresh salsa, and tortillas can be heated on the grill.

Since it’s still dreary and cold here, making my dreams feel very far away, my plan is to visit local taco joints to devour all of the chips and guac I can. And when I run out of places, my plan B is to incorporate these flavors I’ve been craving into our weeknight meals.

To fill this void in my life, I made some green chile chicken burgers with a cilantro lime crema, and it was a meal all three of us loved. Chicken burgers are always a hit in our household because ground chicken always seems to be more juicy and flavorful than burgers made of ground beef. These burgers were packed with pepper jack cheese, green chiles (duh) and delicious seasonings, making it one of our favorite burgers to-date. What makes this burger so good is the cilantro lime crema – it’s so much more than a cherry on top! I also topped ours with lettuce and tomatoes.

I couldn’t not share this gem with you, so the recipe is below. You can thank me later alligators. If you end up making these burgers, don’t forget to tag your photos with #marinamakeseats!

Green Chile Chicken Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground chicken
• 1/2 cup of shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 4 oz. can of diced green chiles
• 4 whole wheat buns

Toppings

• Cilantro lime crema
  • 1/2 cup of sour cream
  • 1/2 cup of half and half
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
  • Juice of half of a lime
• Shredded lettuce
• Sliced tomato

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the ground chicken, pepper jack cheese, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder and green chiles until combined. Form meat into four patties, pressing a hole in the middle of each to allow the burgers to cook through evenly.

Heat your grill (or a frying pan with a tablespoon or two of canola oil) to medium heat. Wait for the grill to heat up for about five minutes. Place the burgers on the grill for about 6-8 minutes per side, turning only once.

While the burgers are cooking, make the cilantro lime crema by whisking all of the ingredients listed above together in a medium bowl.

To assemble the burger, place the patty on a whole grain bun and top with a few tablespoons of crema, tomatoes and lettuce.