Poblano Gordita Burger

Poblano gordita burger made from roasted poblanos, ground beef served in a warm gordita and topped with avocado and pickled onions.

It’s burger night con un with a Mexican twist. Today I am revamping my burger by serving up my juicy patty inside a warm gordita.

Topped with avocado and plenty of pickled onions this burger was a hit with my familia.

A fun tasty alternative to regular burgers, my poblano gordita burgers are packed with roasted poblanos. Topped with fresh avocado, a bite from pickled onions and instead of a standard hamburger bun a warm gordita made from masa takes this burger to the next level.

WHAT ARE POBLANO CHILES?

Poblanos are a wide, dark green pepper that originated from Mexico’s Puebla state, hence the name poblanos. You may know them from one of Mexico’s signature dishes chiles rellenos, where they’re stuffed with cheese, battered, and fried and served with a mild tomato sauce.

A fun fact about poblanos, when dried their name becomes chiles anchos or wide chilies.

The poblano is a chile pepper that isn’t spicy — well most of the time that is, be-cause occasionally you’ll get some that are medium to medium-high spicy. There’s no way to know beforehand if the poblano will be spicy, other than if you’re cutting into it and after a few minutes your fingers begin to burn then you know it’s packing some heat!

To truly fully enjoy the amazing flavors of a poblano pepper you must char it either straight over an open flame or under the oven’s broiler setting, or also on top of a comal or griddle. As the poblano cooks it releases an extraordinary scent like nothing else, seriously it’ll make your mouth water it’s that good.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE POBLANO GORDITA BURGER

ground beef or ground turkey will work in this recipe

poblano chile

salt

pepper

vegetable oil

gorditas: you can make homemade gorditas, recipe below or grab a pack of store-bought gorditas. Many Latin markets carry pre-made gorditas now, how wonderful.

avocado

fresh lime juice

pickled onions: find a recipe for pickled onions here or mix it up topping your burger with hibiscus pickled onions.  

WHAT ARE GORDITAS?

Gorditas are made from fresh corn masa or masa harina, the dough is shaped into rounds and can be fried or cooked on a hot griddle until they puff up, which enables you to slice it open and fill it up. Latino stores offer frozen shaped gorditas ready to cook, they are sold by the bag, stacked between parchment paper.    

HOW TO MAKE A POBLANO GORDITA BURGER

Begin by roasting your poblano chile either directly over flame or on a baking sheet in oven.

Place poblano on a baking sheet. Roast under broiler until charred on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Place charred poblano in bowl covered with plastic wrap for about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes remove charred skin, stem, and seeds from the poblano. 

Slice into thin strips and return to bowl.

Add ground beef to poblano strips and mix.

Heat your griddle over medium-high heat.

Shape your patties using your gorditas as guide.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a napkin and wipe over griddle.

Place burgers on griddle and cook 3 minutes, flip and cook for another 4 minutes.

Slice avocado into slices, add the lime juice, stir to coat.

Place burger on bottom of gordita, top with avocado slices and pickled onions then top with remining half of gordita.

HOW TO MAKE GORDITAS

4 cups masa harina

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups hot but not boiling water

Place the masa harina and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and mix with your hands to make dough that comes together in a soft ball.

Continue mixing and kneading until the dough is elastic enough to hold together without cracking, about 3 minutes.

If you’re making the dough ahead for later use, wrap the whole ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Divide as needed.

Make a ball of masa a little larger than a tennis ball.  Flatten it to about a five-inch round.

Heat enough oil in large, deep-frying pan to fry two or three gorditas at a time or heat a comal over medium-high heat.

Slide the gorditas into the oil and allow them to fry until deep golden brown. If using a comal cook gordita on comal until it puffs up, turn and continue cooking, about 3 minutes on each side.

Remove the gorditas from the oil or comal. Place on paper towels.

Slice each gordita in half. Use to make burgers.

Print

Poblano Gordita Burger

Author: Vianney Rodriguez

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 poblano chile
• salt
• pepper
• vegetable oil
• 4 gorditas
• 1 avocado
• fresh lime juice
• pickled onions

Instructions

1. Place poblano on a baking sheet. Roast under broiler until charred on all side, about 5 minutes.
2. Place charred poblano in bowl covered with plastic wrap for about 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes remove charred skin, stem, and seeds from the poblano.
4. Slice into thin strips and return to bowl.
5. Add ground beef to poblano strips and mix.
6. Heat your griddle over medium-high heat.
7. Shape your patties using your gorditas as guide.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a napkin and wipe over griddle.
10. Place burgers on griddle and cook 3 minutes, flip and cook for another 4 minutes.
11. Slice avocado into slices, add the lime juice, stir to coat.
12. Place burger on bottom of gordita, top with avocado slice and pickled onions then top with remining half of gordita.

Recipe Notes

serves 4