This Jalapeno Cheddar Burger is seriously good - like I want to eat five burgers good. It's packed with jalapenos, red onion, and cheddar cheese. It's packed full of flavor and tastes like something from a fancy burger place.
It's my favorite burger to serve to anyone who claims you can't make a good burger with lean ground meat. It always changes their mind since these burgers are flavorful, moist, and shockingly easy to make.
In terms of the burger itself, you can play around with how much spice you like. I usually make it with one fresh deveined jalapeno. It's just a touch spicy and palatable for everyone. Then I top it with some grilled jalapenos to crank up the heat and get it nice and spicy for me.
What You'll Need and Easy Swaps
Here's everything you will need to make these tasty jalapeno burgers.
- Lean ground beef: Make these burgers with any type of ground beef you like. Just remember that since these burgers have shredded cheese in the patty, they won't dry out as easily as a normally lean beef burger, so I use 90-95% lean ground beef. Ground chicken or turkey will work as well.
- Fresh jalapenos: Always opt for fresh jalapenos when you can but swap in pickled jalapenos if that's all you have on hand. Poblano peppers or bell pepper would also work.
- Cheddar Cheese: Any shredded cheese you have on hand can be used for these burgers including cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or gouda.
- Red onion: For some crunch and flavor, red onion is the perfect addition. If you don't like fresh onion, leave it out or swap in onion powder.
- Mustard: This acts as the seasoning blend in this burger and adds some moisture. Use whatever type of mustard you like to eat - yellow, Dijon, or whole grain.
- Worcestershire sauce: This is the other main seasoning agent in these burgers. It's salty and adds umami flavor to the burgers. Swap in some soy sauce or coconut aminos if you prefer.
Side Dishes for Jalapeno Cheddar Burgers
There are so many great side dishes for burgers from salads to fries to onion rings. Here are some favorites:
- French Fries: Serve these burgers with some baked zucchini fries, sweet potato fries, or butternut squash fries.
- Onion Rings: Try these delicious baked onion rings or Parmesan onion straws.
- Salads: Make this tasty Spring Mix Salad, Spinach Salad, or Corn Salad.
- Grilled vegetables: Cooking on the grill? Make some veggies on the side like this Grilled Broccoli, Grilled Corn, or Grilled Cabbage.
