Chili Cheese Smash Burgers
 Everyone loves a good burger, but some people like to take it to an extreme. These Chili Cheese Smash Burgers is a beast of a burger. Smoky and meaty chili cooked over the flames topped onto a cheesy smash patty with onions. Then it’s served with some jalapeños and Fritos for a nice crunch! These juicy burgers are better than anything at your local fast food chain! Perfect for kids and families. This is a messy recipe, so don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty! Why You’ll Love Chili Cheese Smash Burgers Chili Cheese Smash Burgers are a delicious and hearty meal that will satisfy your hunger and cravings. The combination of a juicy burger patty, melted cheese, and spicy chili sauce creates a flavor explosion in every bite. Plus, the spicy chili adds a richness and depth of flavor that elevates the humble burger to a new level. The toppings can be customized to your liking, so you can add your favorite veggies, condiments, and sauces to create a truly personal burger. Whether you’re looking for a quick lunchtime meal or a hearty dinner option, Chili Cheese Smash Burgers are sure to become a new favorite. How to Make Chili-Cheese Smash Burgers Recipe Chili Cheese Smash Burger Ingredients Beef Chili: Lean Ground BeefWhole White Onion cubedTomatoesLight BeerBeef BrothMinced GarlicHot SauceChili PowderGround CuminGarlic PowderBlack PepperKosher Salt Lean Ground Beef Whole White Onion cubed Tomatoes Light Beer Beef Broth Minced Garlic Hot Sauce Chili Powder Ground Cumin Garlic Powder Black Pepper Kosher Salt Burger Patty: Ground BeefThinly Sliced OnionsKosher SaltBlack PepperGarlic Powder Ground Beef Thinly Sliced Onions Kosher Salt Black Pepper Garlic Powder Burgers: Burger BunsSliced JalapeñosMayonnaiseCheddar CheeseFrito Chips Burger Buns Sliced Jalapeños Mayonnaise Cheddar Cheese Frito Chips Let’s Get Cooking Pro tip: Make the chili for these Chili Cheese Smash Burgers beforehand and keep it warm while you make the burgers so that you don’t have to think about two “recipes” at the same time. Start Chili Preheat a medium-heat fire to around 350 degrees Fahrenheit for direct cooking. Place a dutch oven over the heat and add vegetable oil and ground beef for the chili. Brown the beef for 2.5 to 3 minutes, then set it aside. Add an empty dutch oven to the grill, and then toss in the chopped white onion and minced garlic. Brown for two minutes, then add guajillo chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and kosher salt. Cook for one minute while stirring so that the vegetables get an even coating of the seasoning. Add beef, broth, chipotle puree, chopped tomatoes, and the previously browned ground beef to the dutch oven. Stir the ingredients and cover the pot. Lower the heat to 300-325 degrees Fahrenheit and let the chili simmer until it thickens, about 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. If the chili gets too thick, add more beef broth. Making the Cheese Smash Burgers Heat a medium-high fire to 375-400 degrees Fahrenheit and place a cast iron skillet or plancha over the fire for two minutes so that it can preheat. Form 6-8 balls of ground beef, each weighing about 1/4 pound, and then add them to the skillet. Top each ball with thinly sliced onions and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place a piece of parchment paper over one ball and press down firmly with a spatula to flatten it into a burger patty. Repeat this for each ball, then cook for one to two minutes. Flip the burgers over, season the new side with salt, pepper, and garlic, and then top each burger with a slice of cheese. Let the cheese melt for one to two minutes, then remove the burgers from the heat and rest them. Finally, toast the hamburger buns. Serve Assemble the burgers by spreading mayonnaise on the bottom bun, then place the patties one or two at a time. Follow that with the chili, then sliced jalapeños, and a small handful of crunchy corn chips of Fritos on top of the patty. Enjoy! For more burger recipes, check out my Smoked Pizza Burgers, Beef Stroganoff Burgers, and Steakhouse Smash Burgers! What to Serve with Chili Cheese Smash Burgers There are many tasty options for what to serve with chili cheeseburgers. A classic choice is to serve the burgers with a side of crispy french fries or potato chips. Alternatively, you could opt for a refreshing side of coleslaw or a simple green salad. If you’re looking for something a bit heartier, you could also serve the burgers with a side of baked beans, mac, and cheese, or even warm cornbread. Lastly, for a truly indulgent meal, you could even serve the burgers with a side of onion rings or fried pickles. No matter what you choose, be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand to enjoy your delicious Chili Cheese Smash Burgers to the fullest. If you’d like to make some homemade fries, you can follow my fries recipe in Grilled Ribeye with Beef Tallow Fries or Peppercorn Crusted Steaks with Duck Fat Fries. If you’d like to try your hand at onion rings, you can follow my process in the Western BBQ Burger recipe! Storage It is important to store Chili Cheese Smash Burgers properly so that they stay fresh and food safe. If you have leftover burgers, the best way to store them is to wrap them individually in foil or plastic wrap and then place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will help keep the burgers moist and prevent them from drying out. Alternatively, you can freeze the burgers by wrapping them in foil or plastic wrap and placing them in a freezer bag. Reheating/leftovers To reheat the burgers, remove them from the foil or plastic wrap and place them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Be sure to check the internal temperature of the burgers with a food thermometer to ensure that they are cooked to a safe temperature before serving. These Chili Cheese Smash Burgers are a fun twist on classic cheeseburgers. They pack a lot of flavor and are also pretty easy to make! If you give this recipe a go, let us know how it turned out in the comments! For more delicious recipes, check out my second cookbook Flavor X Fire or my first cookbook Food X Fire! Needing more spice in your life? My spice line can help with that. Check them out here. Beef Chili: ▢ 2 lbs Ground Beef▢ 1 Whole White Onion cubed▢ 28 oz Tomatoes peeled and chopped▢ 6 oz Light Beer▢ 2 cups Beef Broth▢ 2.5 tbsp Minced Garlic▢ 2 tbsp Hot Sauce▢ 2 tbsp Chili Powder▢ 1.5 tbsp Ground Cumin▢ 1.5 tbsp Garlic Powder▢ 1 tbsp Black Pepper▢ 1 tbsp Kosher Salt ▢ 2 lbs Ground Beef ▢ 1 Whole White Onion cubed ▢ 28 oz Tomatoes peeled and chopped ▢ 6 oz Light Beer ▢ 2 cups Beef Broth ▢ 2.5 tbsp Minced Garlic ▢ 2 tbsp Hot Sauce ▢ 2 tbsp Chili Powder ▢ 1.5 tbsp Ground Cumin ▢ 1.5 tbsp Garlic Powder ▢ 1 tbsp Black Pepper ▢ 1 tbsp Kosher Salt Burger Patty: ▢ 1 lb of Ground Beef made into balls▢ 1 cup Thinly Sliced Onions▢ 1 tbsp Kosher Salt▢ 1 tbsp Black Pepper▢ 1 tbsp Garlic Powder ▢ 1 lb of Ground Beef made into balls ▢ 1 cup Thinly Sliced Onions ▢ 1 tbsp Kosher Salt ▢ 1 tbsp Black Pepper ▢ 1 tbsp Garlic Powder Burgers: ▢ 5-6 Burger Buns toasted▢ Sliced Jalapeños for garnish▢ Mayonnaise for serving▢ Cheddar Cheese sliced▢ Frito Chips for garnish ▢ 5-6 Burger Buns toasted ▢ Sliced Jalapeños for garnish ▢ Mayonnaise for serving ▢ Cheddar Cheese sliced ▢ Frito Chips for garnish Preheat a medium heat fire for direct cooking (around 350F).Add a dutch oven over the heat to preheat for 2 minutes with some oil. Next, add your ground beef for the chili and let brown for about 2.5-3 minutes. Once browned, pull off and set aside. Add an empty dutch oven back to the grill along with the chopped white onion and minced garlic. Brown for 2 minutes, then add your guajillo chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, black pepper and kosher salt. Let cook for 1 minute to stir around so that seasoning gets all over the veggies. Finally, add your beef, beef broth, chipotle puree, chopped tomatoes and browned ground beef. Stir around and then cover the dutch oven. Let the heat drop to 300-325F and let the chili simmer until thickened (about 1.5 hours). Make sure to stir occasionally. If your chili gets too thick, just add more beef broth at the end. When the chili is done, pull it off and keep warm.Reheat your fire to a medium high temperature (around 375-400F). Add a cast iron skillet or plancha over the fire about 2 minutes before cooking.Grab a handful of ground beef (around 1/4 lbs… ish) and gently roll it into a ball. Repeat this for 6-8 balls or until you’re out of meat. Add the ground meat balls to the skillet, top each with a small handful of thinly sliced onions, then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.As the meat sizzles, get out a small piece of parchment paper and a larger spatula/burger smasher. Place the parchment over one ball and then firmly press with the spatula until the burger is “smashed” on the skillet. Repeat this for each burger and let cook for another 1-2 minutes. Carefully flip each burger over and then season the new side with salt, pepper and garlic. Top each burger with a slice of cheese and let melt for 1-2 minutes. Once melted, pull each burger off and rest. Finally, toast up your burger buns at the end.Start building your burger with the bottom bun, mayonnaise, 1-2 smash burger patties, some chili, sliced jalapenos and a small handful of Fritos. Serve this up and enjoy! Preheat a medium heat fire for direct cooking (around 350F). Preheat a medium heat fire for direct cooking (around 350F). Add a dutch oven over the heat to preheat for 2 minutes with some oil. Next, add your ground beef for the chili and let brown for about 2.5-3 minutes. Once browned, pull off and set aside. Add an empty dutch oven back to the grill along with the chopped white onion and minced garlic. Brown for 2 minutes, then add your guajillo chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, black pepper and kosher salt. Let cook for 1 minute to stir around so that seasoning gets all over the veggies. Finally, add your beef, beef broth, chipotle puree, chopped tomatoes and browned ground beef. Stir around and then cover the dutch oven. Let the heat drop to 300-325F and let the chili simmer until thickened (about 1.5 hours). Make sure to stir occasionally. If your chili gets too thick, just add more beef broth at the end. When the chili is done, pull it off and keep warm. Add a dutch oven over the heat to preheat for 2 minutes with some oil. Next, add your ground beef for the chili and let brown for about 2.5-3 minutes. Once browned, pull off and set aside. Add an empty dutch oven back to the grill along with the chopped white onion and minced garlic. Brown for 2 minutes, then add your guajillo chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, black pepper and kosher salt. Let cook for 1 minute to stir around so that seasoning gets all over the veggies. Finally, add your beef, beef broth, chipotle puree, chopped tomatoes and browned ground beef. Stir around and then cover the dutch oven. Let the heat drop to 300-325F and let the chili simmer until thickened (about 1.5 hours). Make sure to stir occasionally. If your chili gets too thick, just add more beef broth at the end. When the chili is done, pull it off and keep warm. Reheat your fire to a medium high temperature (around 375-400F). Add a cast iron skillet or plancha over the fire about 2 minutes before cooking. Reheat your fire to a medium high temperature (around 375-400F). Add a cast iron skillet or plancha over the fire about 2 minutes before cooking. Grab a handful of ground beef (around 1/4 lbs… ish) and gently roll it into a ball. Repeat this for 6-8 balls or until you’re out of meat. Add the ground meat balls to the skillet, top each with a small handful of thinly sliced onions, then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Grab a handful of ground beef (around 1/4 lbs… ish) and gently roll it into a ball. Repeat this for 6-8 balls or until you’re out of meat. Add the ground meat balls to the skillet, top each with a small handful of thinly sliced onions, then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. As the meat sizzles, get out a small piece of parchment paper and a larger spatula/burger smasher. Place the parchment over one ball and then firmly press with the spatula until the burger is “smashed” on the skillet. Repeat this for each burger and let cook for another 1-2 minutes. Carefully flip each burger over and then season the new side with salt, pepper and garlic. Top each burger with a slice of cheese and let melt for 1-2 minutes. Once melted, pull each burger off and rest. Finally, toast up your burger buns at the end. As the meat sizzles, get out a small piece of parchment paper and a larger spatula/burger smasher. Place the parchment over one ball and then firmly press with the spatula until the burger is “smashed” on the skillet. Repeat this for each burger and let cook for another 1-2 minutes. Carefully flip each burger over and then season the new side with salt, pepper and garlic. Top each burger with a slice of cheese and let melt for 1-2 minutes. Once melted, pull each burger off and rest. Finally, toast up your burger buns at the end. Start building your burger with the bottom bun, mayonnaise, 1-2 smash burger patties, some chili, sliced jalapenos and a small handful of Fritos. Serve this up and enjoy! Start building your burger with the bottom bun, mayonnaise, 1-2 smash burger patties, some chili, sliced jalapenos and a small handful of Fritos. Serve this up and enjoy! Calories: 1533kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 93g | Fat: 96g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 41g | Trans Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 322mg | Sodium: 6251mg | Potassium: 2499mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 3863IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 328mg | Iron: 16mg Derek Wolf Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!