Colombian Comida Rapida Burger Recipe

The Colombian Burger is probably something you’re not very familiar with if you’re not Colombian or from South Florida. It is another one of the important Regional Burger Styles found in the United States.

Years ago, a friend introduced me to the addictive world of Colombian fast food, aka comida rapida. Three particular menu items fascinated me: burgers, hot dogs, and maicitos (corn).

Crushed potato chips, sauces, and melted cheese smother the three dishes. I had never seen anything like this before, so naturally, I ate at every Colombian fast food joint I could find!

There were slight variations of the restaurants’ burgers, like the bread, chips, cheeses, and sauces. However, the commonalities outweighed the differences. This reminds me of the similarity between frita cubanas.

It’s not common for folks to make these burgers at home, so the recipes are scarce. I can find a Colombian burger in Miami rather easily, but I can imagine they are way harder to come by in the Midwest.

Here’s a Colombian burger recipe for my friends far from this great regional burger style. If you’re a burger purist, I must warn you that this burger has seasoning and bread crumbs in it. It’s more akin to a slug burger or a meatloaf.

If you can get past that, you’ll be fine. And I’ll be expecting pictures if you make this.

Please make me proud and tag me, @burgerbeast.

Ingredients

Burger Ingredients

• 4 tsp bread crumbs
• 1 tsp cumin (ground)
• 1 tsp garlic (chopped)
• 1 onion (coarsely chopped)
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 lbs ground beef (chuck)
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Salsa Rosada Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes

Pineapple Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 juice of a lime
• 1 cup pineapple (canned)
• 1 tbsp sugar

Cilantro Sauce Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 2 garlic cloves (diced)
• 1/2 cup green onion (chopped)
• 1 juice of a lime
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup water

Burger Topping Ingredients

• 4 tsp butter (for toasting buns)
• 4 hamburger buns
• 2 cups kettle potato chips (crushed)
• 4 slices provolone cheese

Burger Patty

1. Combine the bread crumbs, cumin, garlic, onions, pepper, and salt in a food processor until all the ingredients are chopped.
2. Take the mixture and, using your hands, incorporate it into the ground beef.
3. Separate the seasoned meat into 4 balls and flatten into 1-inch thick patties.

Cilantro Sauce

• Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor. Don’t overdo it; you want the cilantro bits to be visible.

Pineapple Sauce

• Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend well, but don’t overdo it. You still want some texture.

Salsa Rosada

• Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend well until a pink hue.

Cooking the Burgers

1. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. If using a cast iron skillet, skip the next step.
2. Add the olive oil.
3. Place the burger patties in your chosen cooking vessel. Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side or to your desired temp.
4. While the burgers are cooking, lightly butter and toast the buns on a separate pan on the stovetop.
5. Just as the burgers are ready, top with provolone cheese and let melt.

Assembling the Burgers

1. Transfer the burgers with melted cheese to the buns.
2. Slather or drizzle the top of the burgers with cilantro sauce, pineapple sauce, and salsa rosada.
3. Top the sauce with the crushed potato chips then the top bun.

Download the recipe HERE so you can print it out.