Can we just take a moment to collectively marvel at the fact that July is just days away?
Where is the time GOING?!
My goodness. I am shooketh.
When I plan out what recipes I want to share with you guys and when, I always try to build in some fun holiday recipes. July 4th is no exception. But this year, it totally snuck up on me!
Lucky for you, I got my act together enough to share this AMAZING Cubano burger with you today. It is epic.
One of my greatest loves is a good Cuban sandwich. Yes, really. They are one of my ultimate comfort foods.
Mojo pork, ham, cheese, mustard, and pickles. Pressed together on bread until crispy and gooey and hot. It’s so simple but so magical.
While I am certainly not Cuban and do not claim to have an authentic mojo recipe to share with you all (although I have tried in the past!), I do know good flavors. And I do my research when it comes to recipes like this. I always want to be respectful of the culture and tradition of recipes such as Cuban mojo. Being a white Irish girl, I certainly am not trying to step on any toes. Just trying to tell you about an amazing burger with some of my favorite Cuban flavors!
Hopefully I do the real thing justice.
For these burgers, we’re going to make a mojo seasoning to go into some ground pork. Succulent and juicy ground pork. No dry burgers here!
For this quick riff on mojo flavors, we’re adding lots of fresh citrus in the way of lemon and lime zest, along with a squeeze of fresh orange juice. Lots of garlic and onion. And dried oregano.
All of this goes into the pork. So. Much. Flavor. The pork burgers in and of themselves are fabulous.
But we’re not stopping there.
We have to add the rest of the must-haves for a good Cuban sandwich!
Ham, Swiss cheese, lots of pickles, and mustard. For my mustard component, I wanted to add a little flair and make a creamy, super tangy dill pickle mustard sauce.
Mayo, mustard, a touch of honey, and some dill pickle juice from the jar get whisked together until creamy. I dare you not to like it. It’s addictive. One of those condiments you could eat on just about anything savory.
I like to cook these burgers in a cast iron skillet, but you could certainly do them on the grill. Whatever floats your boat! It isn’t really July 4th without some grilling, right?
After the mojo pork burgers are cooked through, we top them with a few slices of ham and Swiss cheese. Toast the buns (a must!). Slather on the mustard sauce. Top the burger off with pickles (be generous) and some pickled red onions (totally optional but also amazing here).
And then all that’s left to do: go to town.
These have so much flavor and really mind me of the flavors found in a great cubano. Porky, savory, dill pickley.
Just damn good.
Print
Cubano Burgers
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
These Cubano Burgers are a riff on a classic Cubano sandwich! Mojo pork patties are topped with ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and a tangy mustard sauce! So much porky flavor!
Ingredients
For the Burgers:
- 1 lb ground pork
- Zest of 1 lime
- Zest of ½ a lemon
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Avocado oil, for searing the burgers
- 8 thin slices of deli honey ham
- 4 slices of Swiss cheese
For the Sauce:
- ¼ cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice from the jar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Black pepper, to taste
For Serving:
- Burger buns
- Dill pickles
- Pickled red onions
Instructions
For the Burgers:
- Preheat the grill or a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients (except the oil) and mix until incorporated.
- Form the mixture into four balls and then press into patties.
- If using the grill, brush the grates with a little oil. If using a pan, drizzle a little bit of oil in the pan.
- Add the burgers and cook for 5-7 minutes per side, or until a meat thermometer registers 160°F.
- During the last minute of cook time, top the burgers with the sliced ham and cheese (2 slices of ham and 1 slice of cheese per burger). Cover the grill or pan so that the cheese can melt.
For the Sauce:
While the burgers are cooking, whisk the ingredients for the sauce together in a small bowl. Season, to taste. I sometimes add another drizzle of honey if I want it a touch sweeter.
To Serve:
- Toast your burger buns (I do this right on the grill or in the hot pan with the cooking juices).
- Top each bun with a burger patty, dill pickles, pickled red onions, and a healthy schmear of the sauce.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
You can add any toppings you like to these, just like with any burger recipe. I keep things simple to really echo the sentiment of a classic Cuban sandwich. The must-haves for this: ham, swiss, mustard, and dill pickles.
- Category: burgers
Keywords: Cubano burgers, cubano-inspired burgers, mojo pork burgers
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
great burger! a great change for me from beef with ground pork and ham, so thank you!
★★★★★