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Chorizo and Beef Burgers with Avocado Ranch Dressing (Real Food, Whole30, Paleo)

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Oh boy, I love a good burger!  But who really doesn't??  I need my burgers to be delicious, messy, filling, and flavorful.  But I quickly realized that a bun-less and dairy-free burger is basically a just ground beef salad, and really not that tasty.

At home, we tend to have burgers when I am too lazy tired to cook.  And my husband is always nice enough to grill our dinner outside on those days.  And if I learned anything from Rachel Ray, it is that burger options are endless because you can make a burger out of anything!

In this recipe, I combined a spicy chorizo along with ground beef, and then upped the flavor with an avocado ranch dressing for the topping.  I love chorizo but since cleaning up our diet, it has been hard to find a sausage that is both clean AND delicious.

A typical commercially available chorizo package has an ingredient list that looks like this:

Cacique Brand Beef Chorizo:  Beef (salivary glands, lymph nodes, fat (cheek and tongue), chorizo seasoning (paprika, salt, spices, mustard, garlic powder), vinegar, textured soy flour, sodium nitrite.

And while my family falls on the adventurous side when it comes to food, I don't get excited for a sausage that is comprised of salivary glands, lymph nodes, soy flour and nitrites.

I have tried a few clean chorizo blends but I was never blown away by the taste, until now.  I found Mulay's Sausage in my local Natural Grocer and I am truly impressed!  This chorizo is flavorful and just so you know, it makes an amazing chorizo con papas (breakfast chorizo and potato hash), killer chorizo tacos.

And the Mulay's ingredient list is awesome:

Pork, water, salt, paprika, spices, and garlic powder.

And that's it!

I keep a few packages of this sausage on hand for breakfasts skillets and now, these amazing burgers.


Chorizo and Beef Burgers with Avocado Ranch Dressing

 For the burgers:

  • l pound ground beef
  • 15 ounce package chorizo (I used this one, or you can make your own)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

For the dressing:
  • About 2 cups mayonnaise (I used my recipe - store bought will work well)
  • 1 small avocado, peeled and pitted
  • 3 tablespoons jalapeno brine (I used my recipe, or from a can of store bought jalapenos), plus sliced jalapenos for garnish (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/4 chopped cilantro
  • additional salt, to taste

For the burgers:  Preheat your grill to high.  In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chorizo, and salt.  Form into six patties.  Grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until done.  Set aside to rest.


In a food processor fitted with an S-blade, add the mayonnaise, avocado, jalapeno brine, dried parsley and dill - process until smooth.  Add the cilantro last, and pulse just a few times to combine.

Serve the burgers over your greens of choice.  Top with the dressing, and more jalapenos, if desired.


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