Chorizo and Romesco Burgers with Manchego Cheese
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Burgers are always a hit in this house. Not only are they endlessly adaptable, but they’re incredibly quick to make, which is a working mom’s (or at least this working mom’s) priority. In fact, today is Zachary’s birthday (how did my kid turn THREE?) and he asked for burgers for dinner, which is sort of unexpected and crazy, if you’re aware of his love for quesadillas—the kind of love that has him ordering a quesadilla immediately upon sitting down at a restaurant, to the busser who brings out water.
These Spanish-style burgers are a great change-up from your typical burger, and really don’t take much more time to make. Chorizo is mixed into the patties, giving them tons of flavor, and then they’re topped with one of my favorite cheese ever and a fresh romesco sauce. The romesco takes just a minute to make, especially if you used jarred peppers, and your food processor does all the work for you. Dinner is on the table in 15 minutes (particularly if you’re like me and mail it in with store bought chips :)). And, of course, the best part is that we all really enjoyed dinner!
Chorizo and Romesco Burgers with Manchego Cheese
Adapted from Honest Cooking
Romesco:
4 roasted red peppers, skins removed, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. water
salt and pepper to taste
Burgers:
1/2 lb. chorizo, casings removed*
1 lb. ground beef
salt and pepper
1 cup shredded or thinly sliced manchego cheese
4 rolls or buns, split
To make the romesco, combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. It should have the consistency of a thick pesto. If it’s too thick, add a little bit more water.
Combine the chorizo, beef, and salt (about 1 tsp.) and pepper.* (see note) Form the mixture into 4 patties. Preheat a grill or pan (or broiler) to medium-high. If using a pan, add a small amount of oil (or cooking spray). Cook the burgers until desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. During the last minute of cooking, place an equal amount of cheese on each patty and melt.
Serve the burgers on the buns with the romesco sauce on top.
*Note: You can use fully cooked or raw chorizo. If using fully cooked, remove the casings and dice into small pieces before combining with the beef. If using raw chorizo then remove from the casing (if necessary) and brown in a skillet. Drain the fat and combine with the ground beef.
Such a cool birthday present !!! I wish I had a nice burger like that.
Happy birthday to Z! And what a fabulous way to celebrate!
What a great combination of flavors!! We just love Chorizo and Machego cheese!!!
I love chorizo – using it in a burger is maybe the most genius thing I have seen today.
Kate, check out the queso fundido burgers (currently in the sidebar for this week’s menu). They have chorizo in them too and we looove them.
Happy birthday to Zachary!! TIme really does fly…
I love the idea of putting romesco sauce on a burger…it’s almost like a pizza burger but with a Spanish twist!
Go Zach! This is an awesome birthday for a 30 year old, much less a 3 year old! Can’t go wrong with this combo. Love Spanish food!
These sound so absolutely wonderful, and I just happened to see Manchego cheese turn up in my local store. I think it’s an omen! 🙂
I wish I had this as a b’day present when I was growing up! Love the chorizo flavoues and romesco Elly!
Made this last week after seeing it and it was amazing!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Awesome, glad you liked the burgers, Kristy!
This sounds amazing! I haven’t ever cooked with chorizo before, so I have a question. Why does it need to be cooked before the beef? Thank you.
Beth, I tend to like my pork more fully cooked than burgers, so I just like making sure it’s totally cooked before mixing it in.