These southwest style burgers get dressed up with creamy guacamole and a spicy, tangy chipotle sauce. They’re next level and Dean has declared them his new favorite on the burger rotation.
Burger tip! For the most tender burger, don’t mix it with flavorings in a bowl. This results in a tougher, more sausage-like burger texture rather than a more fluffy juicy burger. Simply form your patties and season them with salt and pepper. The less you work the meat, the better!
Ingredient highlight
Avocado! I eat a lot of avocado – on toast, in bowls, with chips, and straight out of the skin sprinkled with salt. This super versatile fruit is high in monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic acid), which may help lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation. They are also high in potassium, vitamin E, B vitamins, and fiber. One half of an avocado has up to 7 grams of fiber and 1 whole avocado has about double the amount of potassium in one banana.
PRO tip: the most nutrient-rich part of an avocado is the really green part close to the skin, so make sure you scrape them clean!
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 8 minutes Ingredients
For the burgers:
- 1 lb grass-fed ground beef*
- 4-8 slices pepper jack cheese
- 4 burger buns
- 1 ripe tomato, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
- Lettuce
For the guac:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
For the chipotle sauce:
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped (about 1-2 tbsp)**
- 2 tsp adobo sauce (from the can)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- *Easily sub with ground bison, chicken, or turkey
- **These are spicy, so use as many or as few as you want!
- Note: ~This chipotle sauce would be amazing on tacos (or taco bowls) and nachos.
Instructions
- Heat up the grill over high heat for at least 10 minutes (or cook the burgers in a skillet).
- Divide the beef into 4 (4 ounce) balls. Place them on a flat surface and press them into about a 5-inch diameter patty. Use your fingers to press a shallow, 2"- wide depression into the center of each patty to help it stay flat. Season generously with salt to coat on both sides (I just eyeball this, but it’s usually about 1-1.5 teaspoons salt total to season all of the patties).
- Grill or pan-fry for 3-5 minutes or until you have nice grill marks and/or browning. Flip, top each burger with cheese, and repeat. Toast your buns during the last couple of minutes.
- To make the guacamole, in a medium bowl, add the avocado and mash until slightly chunky. Stir in the lime juice, salt, and garlic powder until combined. Taste and add more salt or lime if needed.
- To make the chipotle sauce, in a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, chipotles, adobo, spices, and salt until combined.
- Assemble your burgers! Here is the order I recommend after trying it out many times: bottom bun > chipotle sauce > lettuce > tomato > pattie(s) > guacamole > more chipotle sauce > top bun. It’s definitely a messy burger with all of the toppings!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Make chipotle sauce
- Form patties
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, make my Ultimate Black Bean Burgers in place of a beef patty.
- To make vegan, see above + skip the cheese and use a dairy-free yogurt or sour cream alternative.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge:
- Cooked patties: up to 4 days
- Chipotle sauce: up to 7 days
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Make it a burger bowl! Have a base of lettuce and/or grains and top with burger, guac, tomato, and chipotle sauce (you can thin it out with a bit of water so it drizzles more easily).
- Make it a burger taco. Chop up the burger and put it into a tortilla with lettuce, tomato, guac, and chipotle sauce.
- Leftover chipotle sauce would be delicious on tacos, nachos, or with any cooked/grilled protein.
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