Burger and Fries Friday: Salsa Ranch Burgers

It’s been a long time since I did a Burger and Fries Friday post, but I’m finally bringing the feature back with a really great burger recipe. I found this one on Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi. I knew these salsa ranch burgers would be good, but I was still surprised by just how much we all actually liked them. The addition of salsa to the meat mixture itself gives the burgers incredible flavor and makes them really moist. And then there are the little pockets of melty cheese running through the burgers. And then there’s the tangy, slightly spicy sauce, composed simply of salsa and ranch dressing (as you can see, I went a little crazy with the sauce on my burger -- can you blame me?!). These burgers are a beefy, chessy, spicy treat!

Salsa Ranch Burgers
adapted from Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi

1 pound ground chuck
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Shredded cheese, salsa and ranch dressing for topping

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground chuck, 1/2 cup salsa, shredded colby-jack, cumin, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Mix with hands and form into 4 patties.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray it with cooking spray. Carefully lay the patties in the skillet and cook over medium heat for several minutes on each side, until done.

3. Combine equal parts salsa and ranch dressing. Place burger on bun and top with shredded cheese and the salsa/ranch dressing sauce.