I created this recipe while trying to recreate the best burger I had ever tasted at a restaurant in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. My family and I think these burgers are better! They are packed with flavor!
We LOVE this recipe and have even used it with ground turkey. I didn't follow the recipe exactly as I didn't have chipotle sauce or peppers. And, after the first time, I also decreased the liquid smoke to 1 tsp because it seemed to be a little strong. Amazing!
Read MoreJust a simple request for when people make suggestions for substitutions--please include amounts! I made these burgers tonight, and like one of the other reviewers, I had no chipotle peppers, but I did have the spice available. Unfortunately, I had no idea how much to substitute for the chipotle pepper, and ended up adding waaaaayyy too much spice to my burgers. They were blazing hot! I used 1 teaspoon of spice to 1 1/4 pound of ground sirloin (for four servings). So if anyone suggests a substitution, please also suggest a quantity to use. I know I would really appreciate the help, and maybe others would, too. I enjoyed the burgers, and I will give them another shot with either real chipotles or lower the amount of spice I use.
Read MoreJust a simple request for when people make suggestions for substitutions--please include amounts! I made these burgers tonight, and like one of the other reviewers, I had no chipotle peppers, but I did have the spice available. Unfortunately, I had no idea how much to substitute for the chipotle pepper, and ended up adding waaaaayyy too much spice to my burgers. They were blazing hot! I used 1 teaspoon of spice to 1 1/4 pound of ground sirloin (for four servings). So if anyone suggests a substitution, please also suggest a quantity to use. I know I would really appreciate the help, and maybe others would, too. I enjoyed the burgers, and I will give them another shot with either real chipotles or lower the amount of spice I use.
We LOVE this recipe and have even used it with ground turkey. I didn't follow the recipe exactly as I didn't have chipotle sauce or peppers. And, after the first time, I also decreased the liquid smoke to 1 tsp because it seemed to be a little strong. Amazing!
Yummy! Very good grilled burger. I used garlic powder instead of the minced garlic and did half and half gound beef and ground turkey. I also used pepper jack cheese. I will use this recipe again.
Tried these tonight- was going to make a meatloaf from the recipe as I didn't have any buns. The more I read the reviews, I realized that these would be at their peak from grilling. So, we had the burgers minus the buns and cheese. We got to taste the true flavor. Very, very tasty. I might use a teeny bit less chipotles in adobo next time. My word on that ingredient is this-buy a small can, put the remainder in an airtight container and keep it in the frig. I have been using the same container for about 6 months. Believe me, it keeps its flavor and kick! And, there's not really any great substitute when a recipe calls for it. One question for the others- what did they use as "grill seasoning?" I don't have any on hand, as we do most of our own combinations to make rubs, etc. I just used some paprika, chili powder and smoked salt. We really loved these. This recipe elevates burgers to "company" status. Yum.
I used all the seasoning as noted except for the chilies as we are wimps in that department. I topped the burgers with Gouda cheese the last few minutes on the grill. I really liked the flavors of this burger and will make it again.
This was great. It was nice to have a very tasty burger for a change. My boyfriend raved about these to all his friends.
These are wonderful tasting burgers! This is the 3rd time that I've used this recipe. The 2nd time I used ground turkey breast instead of beef. It was drier but still very good flavor. I've also combined all of the ingredients (except the beef) in a bowl and made a paste like out of it and rubbed it on some fish that I was going to saute. It too was pretty darned good! The smokiness and heat of the chipotles combined with the liquid smoke is quite a tasty combo. I really like your recipe. Thanks! I would have never thought of this on my own!
Incredible seasoning combination! I don't care for the heat of the chipotle peppers or adobo sauce, so I subbed about a teaspoon of smoked paprika. I think I used a little less worcestershire sauce as well. These might be the best burgers I have made. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
We really enjoyed these burgers. I used onion powder since I don't care for onion and McCormick hamburger seasoning for the grill seasoning, but it was too salty so next time I will make my own or use something else. I cut this in half for just the 3 of us. The canned chipotle peppers though barely had any adobo sauce so I scraped up what I could and used it. I used La Costena brand. I cooked this in a skillet/stovetop instead of grilling this time. Thanks Janine, these were good and we will be having these again.
You really have no right reviewing this recipe if you didn't add the chipotle chile or adobo sauce. The amount of liquid smoke is perfect when you have the right ingredients to go with it. I make this recipe exactly how it's written and it's incredible. We've had these several times when having other couples over for a cookout and they are always a hit! I try to make them up ahead of time and let them sit for a while before grilling. Great recipe!!
The most juicy and tender homemade burger, ever! Very simple to make! Instead of fresh garlic, I used about 1 tsp. of garlic powder, because I wasn't keen on a strong garlic flavor inside the burger. I formed these into 1/3 to 1/2 lb. patties that were thick, and put them in the fridge for the next night. Grilled them up and they were delicious, but they may need more salt (according to my father and a couple of other guests) :) but I thought they were fine with whatever amount was in the grill seasoning and the rest of the ingredients.. but you can play with that according to your own tastes. The juiciness of these burgers is what won me over. I will look no further for a burger recipe. This is it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Great flavor and very juicy. This recipe is now at the top of my list for burgers!
Excellent flavor, the best plain burger I have ever had. I like fully dressed burgers with mustard, onions, chili, cheese, jalapeños, but this burger was great with only some cheese on top. The ingredients caramelized especially tasty on my charcoal grill. I grilled for about 18 minutes total instead of the normal 8-10 minutes for normal burgers due to the high moisture content. I also made this recipe as a meatloaf by adding one egg and 1/2 a cup of bread crumbs. I baked at 350F for an hour. The meatloaf version is less spicy tasting, but also very good. I am going to try the meatloaf version again but with a tomato based sauce on top to add that extra meatloaf flavor.
Just made these today. Scaled the recipe for 2 burgers. They were tasty and had a nice after bite from the chipotle. My husband said he liked it, but thought the texture was more like a meatloaf. Probably because of the liquids added that made the burger a bit loose. Probably would not make again.
These were great...I did use a little less liquid smoke and chipole cheddar cheese...the best BBQ'd burgers I have ever had
I did not care for this recipe. I like the taste of hamburger and I just like to enhance the burger taste. This recipe totally overcame all the taste of beef. I was very disappointed and will not use this recipe again.
These burgers have great flavor and spice! I doubled the chopped chili and loved it, H thought it was a little too spicy, so next time I'll only add extra to mine. The liquid smoke is just the right amount and not over powering. Thanks Janine :)
These were excellent! I made it per the recipe with the exception of only using half a chipotle pepper. I am used to very hot foods and this to me was only slightly warm. My wife felt that it was very hot and suggested only a 1/4th of the chipotle pepper for next time. So anyone making this, make it to your heat level. The flavor of the chipotle is outstanding in it and I wouldn't change a thing in the recipe for myself.
I halved the recipe and think next time I'll put the whole 1 chipotle pepper in for the 1lb of meat for more flavor. The smokiness in the burger is great! I'll try this again for sure. **Update: I made the halved recipe again and using 1 full chipotle pepper is the way to go. I use course salt and cracked pepper on the outside of my burgers. I've also made this recipe with ground turkey breast and let the burgers sit overnight prior to cooking in a pan and they were delicious! Yum!
Sooo delicious! Cut the recipe down to make 4 servings. I made my own grill seasoning since I didn't want to spend the 5 bucks for it. I couldn't find the canned chipotle peppers at the local grocer, so I used 1/4 cup apricot+mango chipotle sauce (it was all that I could find that would even come close?). I was afraid of using the real garlic, but went ahead anyways - couldn't taste it AND gets rid of that gross meat smell, I'm glad I did it. Topped them with mild cheddar or provolone slices, and ate them with wheat buns. We might try them "california western" style next time, you know, with onion rings and some sort of bbq sauce. Looove it! Thanks for the recipe!
Excellent recipe. Made really tasty and juicy burgers. I too didn't have the chipotle in adobo at home so subbed ground chipotle (1 teaspoon). This gave it a subtle kick without being too hot.
Fantabulous burger! I scaled it to one serving, and kept to the recipe other than leaving out the chipotle in adobo (I didn't want to open a whole can just for my one burger). The burger was then cooked on my cast iron grill pan, love that thing. Usually I like a lot of condiments but in this case it didn't need it and in fact I thought would counterbalance the highly flavored meat (except maybe fresh lettuce/tomato would work well). I did dress with some chili sauce to make up some of the spice I lost with skipping the chipotle, and also some grainy mustard. Next time I won't bother grating the onion and just top with slices as I usually do, and I'll add more grill seasoning (love the stuff, and I use Mrs Dash salt-free so you can add more without it becoming too salty). Those very minor quibbles aside I adored this!
These Burgers were just okay. I followed the recipe exactly and it had this sweet flavor that I didnt really like for a burger. It tasted more like meatloaf then a burger. Sorry, but I probably wont be making this again. Thanks for posting though.
This was the first time I used chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and man, those chiles were spicy. Next time, I would probably leave them out of this recipe as our mouths were on fire. I used organic ground beef so the burgers were moist and tender. Loved the smokiness of this burger!
These were really good. The only issue I had was there was really no adobo sauce in the can with the pepper. They were so tightly packed in there. I just added a bit more of the peppers to compensate. It worked out fine.
These burgers were excellent! I followed the recipe exactly and we loved them. They are a perfect combination of smokey and spicy. I can't say enough good things about them. We will be making them again very soon. Thanks, Janine!!!
Fabulous! Love the smokey, spicy flavour. I prefer this to chris's bay area burger. The flavour is great, and the recipe is straightforward. I did not quite know what "grill seasoning" was so I used Montreal Steak spice. I also used a whole small onion but sauteed it first to cut down on the sharpness of the onion. I used the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (can be bought at wal-mart, cheap) and took the whole can and threw it in the food processor. I used the mixture in the recipe (this mixture keeps for months in the fridge, and tastes awesome) Otherwise followed the recipe exactly, this will be my new go-to burger for this grilling season! Got raving reviews and many requests for the recipe!
It's a keeper! Kids and hubby loved them, me too! I've recommended this recipe to several on the Recipe Exchange.
these came out delicious! I'm not good in the hamburger department but do not like the ones on the market. I have a daughter that has Celiac's so since she has been diagnosed I have been making more on the gluten free menu. I did not use the whole Pablono pepper, I just used some of the sauce since I knew it would be too hot for some family members.Very tasty, next time I will use half ground beef and half ground turkey
Very good recipe for when you're sick of regular burgers! I halved the liquid smoke and worcestershire sauce. Everyone enjoyed them, even my beef purist husband.
These were absolutely GREAT!! First recipe I'm reviewing for a reason. Guys at the fire station LOVED it, they didn't even use mustard/ketchup. I only shared it with friends on a different department and it went over great for both of them as well. Only change was some pepper-jack cheese instead of cheddar.
I also lessened the amount of liquid smoke. I let the mixture sit overnight to meld the flavors before forming them into patties. Then I layered them with wax paper and stuck them in the freezer. I made 8 smaller patties out of 2 lbs of meat. They were a HIT!!!! My husband oohed and aahed! I also made Belle's Hamburger Buns to go with them. VERY, very good! Next time I will carmelize some onions and maybe saute some mushrooms to go on top!
AWESOME burger!!! It was smoky with light heat from the adobe chiles. I also added a slice of smoked gouda cheese to the center of the burgers before grilling and this enhanced the flavor. Served with baked beans and grilled veggies . Yum a definite keeper.
These burgers were delicious! It really jazzed up the normal boring burger recipe. I added a little bit more of the peppers because we like it spicy. I didn't use onions since my family won't eat them, and I tried substituting onion powder instead. Since I love onions, I felt that the onion flavor still wasn't enough. If I were making it for company, I'd definitely use the grated onion next time as this would make them perfect! Thanks for the great recipe!
These were OK. Pretty good, but not my standard "go to" burger (which I was hoping to find...). I scaled the recipe to yield 4 burgers (2 each for my bf and I). The burgers had some flavor, but nothing "over the top". Served on onion rolls with hicory smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and Bar-b-q sauce. Had I not served wtih the extras, I wouldn't have liked these very much. I might make these again, but not any time soon and probably not on a regular basis. Thanks anyways!
I get a lot of compliments from friends and family for the food I grill and smoke, so I never thought I would rate a BURGER on this website. My picky wife who doesn't like anything chipotle said this was the best burger I've ever fixed. What???? I followed this recipe exactly and 4 out of 4 thought it was fantastic. My fam did NOT think it was too spicy. In fact, we thought it could use just a little more heat. I made these burgers 4 hours before grilling to let all of the flavors get happy. To the reviewer that said this was more like meatloaf, hogwash! When mixing the ingredients you don't want to overwork the meat. Be gentle and use 80/20 ground beef. Gr8 recipe and my new go to burger.
I loved these, subtle flavor. My husband prefers the taste of just meat, but he did eat 3 :-) I will make again!
Well Janine, I don't know what the original burgers tasted like, but you sure must have done a great job because even with using ground turkey, these were delicious! I only used a pound but kept all the ingredients the same. Thank you so much!!
While I agree this is a good recipe, I do not think it a "great" recipe and the reason is mainly because I am not fond of Adobo flavoring. I have made several marinades using Adobo sauce and chipotle peppers and they have yet to turn out pleasing. I will say that I love spicy things and I love smokey, grilled food so this recipe is right up my alley. The bottom line, try it once and see how you like it, as they say: your mileage may vary.
My whole family liked this recipe. We did not put cheese on ours because we did not want to take away from the taste of the burger. My wife made a sauce with a half cup of mayo, one chipotle (finely chopped), and a teaspoon of the adobe sauce. This adds great flavor without using boring old ketchup and mustard.
09.18.16 ~ We really enjoyed this burger, along with 'Summer Potato Salad' from AR. I only used one pound of burger, so I cut the ingredients in half. The smokey flavor was nice, but I should have added the full amount of adobo sauce and an entire chipotle pepper. The burger had a great flavor, but not as much heat as I was hoping for. The next time, I'll just add additional sauce and pepper. We grilled this on a charcoal grill and the burger was the star of the meal. Thanks Janine, for sharing your creation.
Great taste! Loved it, it was a hit with my whole family too! Will continue to use this recipe for all burgers I make!!!
This was most enjoyable! I followed the recipe to a T and found the meat mixture a bit on the wet side. Next time I'll use less liquids but the same ingredients. Not sure if it was mentioned in other ratings but people who are not familiar with chipotle peppers in sauce in the can need to be warned that these guys are quite spicy. Thank you for sharing!
Very good change of pace from regular hamburgers. I used about 1/3 of the 7 oz can of chipolte peppers so mine were extra spicey. My two 20 year old son loved them.
Very tasty! I was a little nervous that the burgers would be too spicy with the the chipotle pepper and the sauce, but it was actually the perfect kick. We only grilled two then froze the rest of them.
First off, I love spicy food. I followed the recipe without any changes but it wasn't spicy for me at all and the chipotle flavor barely cut through. So I made it a second time and tripled the adobo sauce and chipotle peppers and was then able to taste the uniqueness of this burger. I also prefer to sprinkle the grill seasoning on the outside of the patty on both sides prior to grilling. Mixing the seasoning into the patty made it less flavorful in my opinion. After the changes, I feel it's a keeper.
These burgers are flavorful and juicy. I make a large recipe to freeze several patties and they are spectacular when reheated--be sure to pour a little of the cooked burger juice in each freezer baggie.
My burgers were so wet they fell apart. I should have added oatmeal or breadcrumbs (plain) as soon as I realized there was too much liquid. I think my meat might've been runnier than it should've been, it's not necessarily a problem with the recipe, but all the same I was flipping ruined burgers through no fault of my own so I'm going to have to dock this one for that so that I remember not to make this one again without revision. Sorry - the flavors were nice though. I used Penzey's "Mural of Flavor" for the grill seasoning since I didn't know what that was anyway and I like Mural. Thanks for sharing!
Perfect recipe for hamburgers. My mouth waters just thinking about them. I haven't tried the liquid smoke, we always grill & there's plenty of smokey flavor that comes from that. I keep chipotle hot sauce in a bottle on hand for recipes, because so many of the peppers in the can go to waste if you need just one. I think the chipotle hot sauce in a bottle is fine to give the burgers that flavor, but if you do want more heat, use the pepper.
Spicy, smoky, JOY! Many recipes claim to be the "best", but these burgers are better than that. Perfect flavor balance and excellent texture as written. I will be making these again and again.
These were the best burgers I've ever made! Thanks to the help in the recipe exchange, I topped them with caramelized onions, mayo and bacon.
Isn't it funny how people can have such a wide range of taste buds? I'm vegetarian so didn't eat these, but I made them for my meat eaters and followed the recipe exactly. Two teenagers didn't finish theirs and the others said they didn't taste like hamburgers and didn't really care for them. Hubby said they were ok. No one though they were too spicy, however.
I just really can't say anything bad about this recipe. These burgers were fantastic. put an extra raw batch in the freezer so they can be on hand next time we have people over.
These were good burgers but were too wet. I had to add bread crumbs to them. I think I will try these again and tweak them slightly.
These burgers are the real deal. Smokey, juicy, peppery...with a little kick.
I made this recipe exactly as written. I love smokey flavor but this was way too strong. If I make this recipe again I would cut the liquid smoke quantity in half.
Absolutely wonderful! Not having used liquid smoke often, I was unsure if that was too much, and my husband doesn't like SUPER spicy stuff - so I was worried about the amounts of adobo and chipotle, but these were spot on! My husband loved them as did I! Will not change a thing (unless I'd make for JUST ME - in which case I'd be ok with more garlic and chipotle...)
i've made this burger numerous times and it is now my favorite. i didnt tinker with the recipe because i felt it was just right
Very good! This is very similar to what I normally would make but this had the liquid smoke and chilis I did use 1/4 tsp of chipotle powder for 1 lb of meat. Mixed everything together and let it sit in the fridge for about a half hour to hour before forming patties. Thanks for not putting an egg into the recipe, it doesn't need it.
This recipe was a HIT with the family. It's too bad my husband was saving room for dessert because he 'just' ate two burgers. Even my teenage daughter liked them! We'll definitely be making these again.
These burgers are PHENOMENAL!!!! I didn't change a thing and they were outstanding. My boyfriend is picky about his burgers and he absolutely LOVED these!!! Huge hit!!!
'Got a reluctant "thumbs up" from the 15yr old boy child & an unprovoked "You should make again/" WOW! :D Wow. :) My ground beef package was two & a third pounds. I added 1/4t onion powder (since when adding raw onion before, it doesn't oook; just heats), 1t liquid smoke, 2T worcestershire, 1T minced garlic (just didn't feel like cutting more), 2T chipolte puree, 1/2t salt, 1/4t pepper. 'Surprisingly not so spicy - like at all. Really couldn't tell I'd added the peppers. With turkey, I'd use only 1T chipolte puree per pound. I'm not even sure any amount would be good with turkey. I do know that 2T was too much though! :D Chipolte puree: Just put the contents of the can in the blender & puree. Use 1T for one pepper. Easy, huh? ;) And freeze by the tablespoonfuls separately. Then once frozen, bag 'em. For me a "3," but since ... I'll rate a "4."
My husband and guests raved about these. I thought they were decent. I like it better when I make up my own concoction. But guess I have to give it a 5 because everyone else loved them.
I followed the recipe except for using ground chuck instead of sirloin. Wow. Very good. Thanks for sharing.
very tastey burger indeed! I loved them and have some in the freezer for another time. They were super juicy and moist and I really liked the flavour so much :)
Pretty good burger.
Soooo yummy! Wish I had used the liquid smoke but I didn't have any on hand and I can't imagine these tasting any better. I did use more chipotle pepper and adobe sauce then called for 'cause we like the Heat!
As I live alone, I made the burgers with 1 kilogram of pork mince, pureed fresh garlic, no salt as on a salt free diet, wasn't sure what grill seasoning or liquid smoke meant is as very rare in Australia. So added tabasco sauce and sweet chilli sauce. Froze the other burgers and buns for later use, and microwaved one today. Very nice with beetroot, cos lettuce and mayo.
Okay - I was skeptical about all of the smoke season - because its strong, but it definately needs it... they were tasty, but I would use amounts as listed - maybe even up them a bit. I'm trying again with more spice!!
Very tasty burger. I'm not sure what grill seasoning is so I used the Montreal Steak seasoning instead. I'll be using this recipe again.
Loved the garlic and onion; not so much the liquid smoke. I used Montreal steak seasoning and it was a bit strong.
These burgers were fabulous. Not sure where the sweetness came from but I approve! Can't wait to try one of the left overs. Next time I'll add a little heat but strongly recommend this recipe
Simple and delicious. Much better than the recipes I tried which added eggs and bread crumbs.
one of the most flavorful burger i've ever had. I didn't have the chipotle/adobo sauce or liquid smoke but I love them so I'd use it next time for sure. But in the mean time you can substitute smoked paprika about 1 tsp, chili powder about 1/2 tsp, and a touch of cayenne pepper and you get a similar flavor. I felt like the burger needed something a little sweet, so you could either add a bit of brown sugar or top with BBQ like we did. So yummy!
This was ok for me because when ever I eat a hamburger I want it pitch perfect. This was kind of tasteless for me.
my take on this recipe, filled them with smoked cheddar cheese, they were awesome
I made these last night and the family loved them. I did make a few small changes as I used only 1 TBS of Worcestershire Sauce, used 4 fresh garlic cloves, and 1 TBS of Montreal Steak seasoning. I made the patties up 4 hours ahead of time to let the flavors meld. They were amazing! I used a Kaiser Roll and although the buns where a bit larger then the patties it was still the best choice of bread to use. At the base of the burger I put pickles and Romaine lettuce, the burger with melted cheddar, a tomato, and two slices of crispy bacon. This burger oozes with flavor, will definitely make it again!
My family thought it was perfect. I followed the exact recipe because it was the first time. The burgers had lots of flavor! Ty:)
Fantastic recipe. Served with Cheese, Bacon and BBQ sauce,, these are the best homemade burgers I have ever tasted.
This recipe's title should be changed to "World's Best Burgers." Made it for the first time with company, and they loved it! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
These were superb. As other suggested, I used a little less of the liquid smoke. I also couldn't find the chipotle in adobo, so I used 3 tablespoons of a chipotle salsa and it turned out great.
So juicy and tasty! I tried a beef and a turkey version, and definitely prefer beef - the flavors were maybe a little overpowering for the turkey - but it was still good.
I made these as written and they had a lot of flavor. We tried to grill them and ran out of propane so I finished them on the stove. I think they dried out in that process but the flavor was wonderful.
Wow - great flavor. I was a little worried about the adobe & chipolte chile but it really added a nice flavor - not super spicey. I wrapped the burger in bacon - an idea from another recipe. This is a keeper!
Incredible! Even the most die-hard "picky" burger fans ate these and went back for more... these have so much flavor and remain moist on the grill. The cheese is an excellent touch with the recipe and I encouraged people who didn't care for cheeseburgers to try it; without exception, they loved it. They were eaten within minutes and I had so many requests for extras that my double recipe could have been quadrupled! The only thing I eliminated was the liquid smoke, since it tends to make most people I know, including my family, somewhat sick when they eat it. Otherwise, it is perfection exactly as is- thanks for such a wonderful recipe.
I prefer to add twice as much liquid smoke as Worcestershire sauce to keep the burgers from being too salty. Otherwise, this recipe rocks!
Thank you for a wonderful recipe! Brought it to a picnic and was happy to share the recipe with many. This will be our new go-to burger recipe. Forced to make adjustments based on what I had: subbed canned mild chillis and chipotle seasoning. Just note for those that are sensitive that this does result in a mild heat. Added an egg as another reviewer suggested to help hold it together. Yum!
