There’s an amazing torta shop in Denver that we make a point of visiting when we’re in that part of town. We live fairly far from it now, so opportunities are few and far between. We were inspired by our favorite tortas when creating this burger on the Traeger. Laden with expected torta ingredients and amped up with a juicy burger patty, these torta burgers on the Traeger made for an epic dinner worth trying yourself.
WHAT IS A TORTA?
A traditional Mexican torta is built on a soft roll and filled with a variety of meats and cheeses. Most tortas are slathered in refried beans, hot sauce and mayo and tomato, sliced onion and avocado are loaded in too. I think what sets a great torta apart is the amazing bread and the tasty variety of fillings. When I have the chance, I always opt for one that has breaded pork loin, steak and cheese. Super delicious.
When we were thinking about how to create a torta-inspired burger, we decided that some distinct elements of a torta had to be included in our burger creation. That included a great bun, creamy refried beans, avocado and something spicy.
INSPIRED BY OUR RECENT TRIP
Having recently traveled to Mexico, we tried out the “gordo burger” at our resort, which was another twist on this theme. They served the sandwich with gloves because it was so sloppy– and we decided that our burger needed to be a fork-and-knife kind of creation.
We used prepared enchilada sauce to soak the buns for this sandwich, which added a new level of flavor. And for spicy elements, we added chopped green chilis, sweet and spicy pickled jalapenos and some homemade guacamole.
The burger was drizzled in crema and sprinkled with cotija cheese. And it had some lettuce, for good measure!
PRIMARY INGREDIENTS
- Good-quality buns (hamburger or sandwich)
- Enchilada sauce
- Ground beef
- Seasoning of your choice (we used my Garlic Junkie)
- Cheese
- Lettuce
- Refried beans
- Guacamole
- Green chilis and jalapenos
- Sliced white onion
- Crema or diluted sour cream
- Cotija cheese
WHY COOKING TORTA BURGERS ON THE TRAEGER WORKS
I love cooking everything on the Traeger– from burgers and steaks to cakes and casseroles, the Traeger is the perfect outdoor cooking vessel. The wood-fired heat is strong and consistent, lacks “hot spots” like other grills may have, and the wood pellet fuel provides a little touch of wood-fired flavor that imbues what you cook.
For burgers, I like to use my Traeger Ranger grill, which is small and mighty. With the built-in cast iron griddle and the small overall size, the Ranger gets very hot, very quickly. It’s the perfect tool for hot and fast cooks– like searing the burger for our Torta Burgers.
We also used the cast iron griddle to toast the buns, which makes it possible to do nearly this entire burger on the Traeger. Pretty perfect for a summer evening and a great meal.
STEP-BY-STEP
- Preheat the Traeger grill to high.
- Form the ground beef into ½ pound patties, then season them with salt and pepper or the rub of your choice.
- Slice the onions, make the guacamole, chop the lettuce, and open the can of refried beans. Get all your ingredients prepared.
- Pour the enchilada sauce in a shallow bowl.
- When the grill is hot, place the beef patties on the griddle and cook until desired temperature is achieved. Top with cheese and allow it to melt.
- Transfer the cooked patties to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
- Scrape the griddle clean and then apply a thin coating of oil or nonstick spray.
- Dip the hamburger buns in the enchilada sauce and place them, cut side down, on the oiled griddle.
- Cook until the bun is hot and toasted.
- While you cook the buns, warm up the beans in a pan or the microwave.
- Assemble the burger:
- On the bottom bun, spread refried beans.
- Top the beans with sliced onion and chopped lettuce.
- Put the burger patty atop the lettuce.
- To the top bun, spread guacamole.
- Top the guacamole with chopped green chilis and jalapenos.
- Drizzle the burger with crema/sour cream and sprinkle with cotija cheese.
- Place top bun on the burger and serve with a knife and fork.
Burgers formed with the press Burgers on the Traeger Ranger Dipped buns Torta burgers being assembled
RECIPES SIMILAR TO TORTA BURGERS TO TRY ON THE TRAEGER
We love cooking burgers on the Traeger, because they come out delicious and there are so many ways to make a delicious meal.
Some of the favorites we’ve shared so far include:
- Pimento Cheese Stuffed Burger
- Ultimate BBQ Cheeseburger
- Bison Sliders
- Also check out my cookbook for other great burger ideas.
Products used in this cook:
- Traeger Ranger grill
- Snake River Farms ground beef
- Burger press
- My Spiceology Garlic Junkie seasoning
Give this burger recipe a try. You can totally customize it to your preferences (flavors, level of spice, etc). Get creative because burger night in the backyard is a great thing!
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know how it turned out!
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Torta Burgers on the Traeger
Equipment
- Traeger Ranger with cast iron griddle or cast iron pan and any other Traeger grill
- Burger press
Ingredients
- 2 hamburger or sandwich buns
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- Seasoning of your choice
- 4 slices of cheese
- 1 cup chopped lettuce
- 1 cup prepared refried beans
- ½ cup guacamole
- ¼ cup each green chilis and jalapenos
- 1 sliced white onion
- ¼ cup crema or diluted sour cream
- ¼ cup Cotija cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your Traeger Ranger to high with the cast iron griddle insert. Alternately, put a cast iron pan or griddle inside any other Traeger grill, on high
- Using a burger press, create two patties from the pound of beef
- Season the burgers all over with Garlic Junkie or the rub of your choice
- While the grill preheats, prepare the rest of your ingredients
- Pour the enchilada sauce in a shallow bowl
- Wash and chop the lettuce
- Slice the onion thinly
- Make the guacamole
- Heat the refried beans in a pan or the microwave
- Crumble the Cotija cheese
- Prepare the green chilis and jalapenos and set aside
- When the grill is hot, cook the burgers about 5 minutes per side, until you reach your desired doneness
- Top the patties with cheese and allow it to melt
- Once melted, remove the burgers from the grill and tent with foil while you prepare the buns
- Add a bit of oil or nonstick spray to the scraped griddle
- Dip each bun in the enchilada sauce and then place cut side down on the hot griddle
- Cook until toasted and warmed through
- Assemble the burgers
- On the bottom bun, spread refried beans
- Top the beans with sliced onion and chopped lettuce
- Put the burger patty atop the lettuce
- To the top bun, spread guacamole
- Top the guacamole with chopped green chilis and jalapenos
- Drizzle the burger with crema/sour cream and sprinkle with cotija cheese
- Put top bun on the burger and serve with a knife and fork
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