The Cuban Burger: A Twist On The Traditional Recipe

Cuban Recipes and Traditions

I can remember, as a very young girl, standing in my grandfather’s corner grocery store while his giant press smashed the outside of my sandwich. I knew the goodness that awaited me, so I remained patient. Eventually, I would devour that wonderful Cuban Sandwich in a few minutes. Tops.

This was before the panini press was cool or Cuban recipes were all the rave. So when Walmart asked me to share how we did burgers – a quintessential American cuisine – I decided to add my Latina flair with a twist on the traditional Cuban Sandwich.

The Cuban Burger

If you didn’t know it already, Walmart has some seriously good beef at very good prices. Last year, I had the privilege of meeting with one of their top meat buyers (I can’t remember his name though, sorry!) and he was every bit of what you would expect a cattle guy to be. Tall, strong, with a plaid shirt and southern accent, this guy loved his beef. Seriously, he spoke so highly of the quality that the next weekend I went to my local store and bought a few steaks and ground beef to test.

Wowza, was he was right! Where have I been? Walmart carries top grade quality beef at great prices. It’s the only place we buy our steaks from now.

But for these Cuban burgers, here’s all the stuff you’ll need:

– 1 lb ground beef chuck, 80% lean*

– 1/2 lb ground pork

– garlic, finely minced

– onion, grated or finely chopped

– salt/pepper, to taste

– 2 Swiss cheese slices

– 1/2 cup sandwich ham, thinly sliced

– 1 tablespoon yellow mustard

– Dill pickles

– Traditional burger buns

*I like to use ground beef that has a little more fat than usual (80%/20%) when grilling burgers.

Cuban Recipes and New Food Traditions

To make your Cuban Burgers, first create the patties by combining the beef, pork, garlic, onion and salt/pepper. Once the ingredients are well combined, form your burger patties to your desired thickness. Just remember that the patties will shrink as you cook them! Add the patties to the grill or stove-top pan until fully cooked.

As the patties cook, you can begin to assemble your Cuban burgers. It might help to check out my Traditional Cuban Sandwich post for the order the layers are typically arranged, but you’ll want to add the Swiss cheese slices, yellow mustard, ham slices and picked to the bun. Once cooked, add the patties.

Using the same pan (if you cooked the burgers on stove-top), place the burger in the pan. Using the bottom of another pan weighted down by something heavy, flatten the burger just like you would with a traditional Cuban sandwich. If you have a panini press, even better! Cook on both sides until bun is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Cuban recipes that have been passed down through the generations – like this one for Cuban Arroz con Pollo – are staples in our home, but sometimes I like to mix it up a bit. Hopefully you’ll love this Cuban Burger recipe as much as we did!

For more grilling and cooking tips, be sure to check out Walmart’s Burger Bar Checklist and website for Entertaining and Celebrations!

Traditional Cuban Summer Recipes

Looking for summer time favorites with a Cuban theme? Try the traditional Cuban Sandwich alongside this traditional Cuban Smoothie Recipe, or Cuban Batida (milkshake) made with fresh mango and papaya for a refreshing, exotic flavor. The kids love it as is, but it makes for a great adult beverage base too!