Chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. These ingredients make up Sriracha, the infamous hot sauce that doesn’t advertise, yet maintains a cult following that surprises even David Tran, the owner of Sriracha and Huy Fong Foods. Sriracha recently made the news when its factory in Irwindale, California was forced to limit production and withhold all shipments of Sriracha for 30 days on account of numerous neighborhood complaints concerning the intense smell that the factory gave off while grinding its peppers. However, the hold has since been lifted, much to the elation of Sriracha-lovers nationwide. To celebrate, here’s a recipe that infuses the hot sauce into a burger, giving it just the right amount of kick. Show some love for the rooster-bottle and get cooking!
Sriracha Burger
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
3 pounds ground beef
¼ cup soy sauce
10 tablespoons Sriracha
4 teaspoons pepper
4 cloves garlic
4 slices bacon
2 large sweet onions
8 slices Swiss cheese
1-2 tomatoes, depending on size
3 cups of mushrooms
¾ cup of ranch dressing
8 buns
Directions:
1. Chop the onions by dicing or slicing; slice mushrooms.
Photo by Kirby Barth
2. Mince the cloves of garlic.
Photo by Kirby Barth
3. Combine half of the amount of Sriracha sauce, soy sauce, minced garlic, pepper and beef in a large mixing bowl.
Photo by Kirby Barth
4. Form mixture into nine patties. To prevent patties from sticking to the pan, knead a small amount of olive oil onto each patty and reform each burger. Set patties aside when finished.
Photo by Kirby Barth
5. Heat skillet, and cook the bacon. Once done (and slightly crispy), place bacon on paper towel to drain.
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6. Cut cooked bacon into small bits – this will serve as a topping to the burger.
Photo by Kirby Barth
7. Caramelize onions on low heat on the skillet. Caramelization is a gradual process, but it can be sped up by sprinkling some sugar onto the onions.
Photo by Kirby Barth
8. In a separate skillet, sauté the mushrooms in olive oil.
Photo by Kirby Barth
9. Preheat a pan for the burgers. Once you hear a satisfying sizzle, place patties onto pan.
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10. Cook the burgers, flipping once, roughly 4 minutes a side for medium-rare.
11. Cook for an extra 2 minutes, and then place a slice of Swiss cheese on top.
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12. While burgers are cooking, mix remaining Sriracha with ranch dressing. Taste-test the heat of the mixture – you may want to add more hot sauce or ranch, depending on your preference for spice.
Photo by Kirby Barth
13. As a finishing touch, toast the buns on the frying pan before serving.
Photo by Kirby Barth
14. Add mushrooms, onions, bacon, sliced tomato and the Sriracha-ranch sauce to the burger. Serve and enjoy!
Photo by Kirby Barth