A trip to Miami wouldn’t be complete without stopping for an authentic Cuban sandwich, hot off the press and stuffed with roasted pork, smoked ham, garlicky mayonnaise, tangy mustard, dill pickles, and oozing Swiss cheese. It’s almost enough to make you miss your flight home. Turning this Cuban specialty into an American one isn’t hard to do: just replace the roasted pork with a good old hamburger. Pressing the assembled burger not only yields a crispy toasted bun, but also ensures that all of the elements meld into one cohesive, mouthwatering sandwich.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chuck (80 percent lean) or ground turkey (90 percent lean)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
- 4 hamburger buns, split
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 8 thin slices Swiss cheese
- 4 thin slices smoked ham
- 2 dill pickles, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Instructions
- Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the pan or griddle over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Cook the burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the first side, about 3 minutes for beef and 5 minutes for turkey. Flip over the burgers. Cook beef burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the second side, 4 minutes for medium rare (3 minutes if topping with cheese) or until cooked to desired degree of doneness. Cook turkey burgers until cooked throughout, about 5 minutes on the second side. Add the cheese, if using, to the tops of the burgers during the last minute of cooking and top with a basting cover, close the grill cover, or tent the burgers with aluminum foil to melt the cheese.
- Combine the mayonnaise and roasted garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread both sides of each bun with the mayonnaise and the mustard. Place a slice of cheese on each bun bottom, place a burger on top, and then top the burger with a slice of ham, another slice of cheese, and some pickle slices. Cover with the bun tops.
- Cook the burgers on a sandwich press or wrap the burgers in aluminum foil and cook in a hot skillet over high heat (put a heavy skillet on top of the burgers to press them) until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 673 |
| Total Fat | 47 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 37 g |
| Cholesterol | 118 mg |
| Sodium | 1014 mg |
Reviews
This is a keeper. Made it all indoors and used a panini press. Delicious flavors
These are pretty good although I made the burgers a little thick…recipe overall is a A!
I loved this burger, the garlic mayo made it even better! I will be making this again
I loved the garlic mayonnaise! I cooked on a cast iron grill pan inside and used another cast iron to smash them. Everything melted into an amazingly cheesy creation. Not my favorite Flay burger, but a very good one!
Huge hit!!!!!
This Miami Burger was a HUGE hit at our cookout! There were lots of num-num sounds while we ate. Loved the garlic mayo! Only change I made was I used my grill the entire time. While the burgers cooked, we prepped the buns. I pulled the burgers at medium rare, put in the buns, wrapped in foil, smashed them and put them back on the grill for about 3-4 mins each side.
I almost went with Cuban bread instead of the Brioche hamburger buns (my fav for burgers), but decided that the Cuban bread might be too chewy and the insides would squeeze out. I might try it next time anyway for a more authentic flare.
Made this tonight for my three boys ages 12,10 , and almost 2 and my husband and it was a hit!! Everyone loved it no complaints thank you!!
Made this burger last night and Bobby it was so good! You really captured some Miami flavors! I love the Cuban sandwich notes to this, making the ingredients really well balanced.
Where’s the pork?
This is one of my favorite burgers!