Chili Burgers

Ah memories . . . 

When I glanced at the title of this recipe, I assumed it would be instructions for making a type of hamburger that had chili on top, sort of like a chili dog, only round and beefy. Closer examination jogged my memory–oh yeah, back in the day, Chili Burgers were what we now refer to as Sloppy Joes. 

That closer look also showed that this recipe contained some interesting ingredients not usually found in your typical Sloppy Joe sauce, namely sage, A1 steak sauce, curry powder, and Worcestershire sauce. 

When I read that last ingredient, a vivid memory popped into my head of me standing in the kitchen with Grandma and she was laughing at my attempt to say the word “Worcestershire.” She then proceeded to school me on how to pronounce it (wu-stuh-shr), and I’ve stuck with that pronunciation ever since. Were we making this exact recipe at the time? I don’t know, but that memory combined with the unusual ingredients in this recipe made me anxious to try it out. 

Usually, I put Sloppy Joes on the menu when I know I’ve got a busy evening ahead and I’ll need something quick and easy to fix. I try to keep cooked ground beef in my freezer, which makes things like Tacos and Sloppy Joes a cinch to get to the table. So, in addition to being tasty, this recipe would also have to be easy to assemble if it were to score a place in my digital box.

How to make Chili Burgers

The first step was to brown the ground beef. This recipe calls for two pounds, but I’m only cooking for three at the moment, so I cut the recipe in half.

 One pound of cooked ground beef went into a pot along with ketchup and spices. I don’t normally have tomato juice in my pantry, so I drained the juice from a can of tomatoes to stay as close to the written recipe as possible. However, I’m sure that using an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce would work just as well. 

The addition of flour to the sauce was unusual. Once I brought the sauce to a simmer, it was clear the flour made this sauce less “sloppy” than other Sloppy Joe recipes I’ve used. 

 I piled some of the meaty sauce onto a bun, added a sprinkle of cheese for fun, and dived in. 

The verdict

All those unusual ingredients combine to make a hearty and richly flavored sandwich that I enjoyed very much. I also liked that the less-than-sloppy sauce didn’t turn my bun soggy. It’s missing the vinegary tang of our favorite Sloppy Joe recipe, and my husband said he prefers that recipe over this one, but it’s still a keeper in my book. Into the digital box it goes, and every time I make it I will fondly repeat wu-stuh-shr in my head.  

To make your own Chili Burgers, click on the link below the recipe card to download and print it out.