Beef Fajita Burgers

Several posts ago I warned you that more beef-containing recipes were on their way. Well, I kept my promise and here is #2. What is the most classic use for ground beef? A burger, of course! But this is no ordinary burger. It's packed full of yummy tidbits that make it intensely flavorful and fresh. It's a fajita burger! The fajita is in the fillings (onion, cilantro, garlic, chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano) and on top (sizzling peppers and onions)!

While I was assembling these burgers I kept wanting to reach for a slice of cheese. I'm a cheeseburger gal. Actually, I pretty much put cheese on everything. But after exerting a substantial amount of self-restraint, I withheld the cheese. And I'm grateful I did, because these burgers don't need it. It might even do them harm. So save your cheese for something else.

These cheeseless fajitas on a bun were awesome! Better than I'd imagined! The beef patties were juicy and so dang flavorful and the peppers and onions added zip on top. And I'll even share a secret with you: I cheated. I don't wimp out and turn "semi-homemade" very often, but this time I did. I bought a bag of frozen fajita mix. It came from Trader Joe's and contained pre-sliced onions and tri-color peppers. I added some red onion and garlic of my own. I justified it because peppers are expensive right now and I saved myself a few bucks (and a few minutes of rinsing and slicing).

INGREDIENTS
For the burgers:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 Tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

For the fajita topping:
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.

2. Place beef, 1/4 cup cilantro, onion, scallions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Gently combine, without over mixing, until evenly incorporated. Form into 4 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick and oval-shaped to match the hamburger buns.

3. Preheat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for several minutes until it starts to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the peppers and saute until the onions start to caramelize and the peppers are soft and cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Grill the burgers until they are no longer pink in the center (the time will vary according to what type of grill you are using and the thickness of the patties). Place the patties on the hamburger buns and top will a generous spoonful of hot peppers and onions.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Eating Well)