Chipotle Burger with Caramelized Red Onions

Americans eat an average of 13 billion hamburgers per year total.  According to The Economist, that's 150 hamburgers per person each year! Why not add this Chipotle Burger with Caramelized Red Onions to your list.  

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce give these burgers a distinctive warm and smoky flavor that deliciously counters the sweet red onions.  A great match for a gourmet 4th of July burger! I love using chipotle when making turkey burgers to give the mildly flavored poultry a bolder taste.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, halved, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2-1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey

4 chipotle peppers with adobo sauce from a can, minced

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon grated lime zest

Generous pinch of salt

A few grinds black pepper

8 slices Monterey Jack cheese

8 whole grain hamburger buns, toasted

Mayonnaise or other condiments of your choice

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until onions are golden brown. Drizzle with vinegar and stir to combine. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, combine beef or turkey, chipotle, cilantro, garlic, lime zest, salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix well. Form beef into eight patties.

Oil the grill grate and grill burgers for five minutes, flip, and grill for another four minutes. Lay slices of cheese over burgers and cook for another one to two minutes or until burgers are cooked through.

Slather buns with mayonnaise and/or other condiments. Place burgers on the bottoms of the buns and top with caramelized onions.