Savor the flavor of the Florida Keys with our Key West Burger. It’s grilled to perfection then topped with Key West pinks & piled high with key lime salsa. A little bit of paradise at your next BBQ.
One of my husband’s and my favorite places to get away for a weekend is the Florida Keys. Living in South Florida definitely has it advantages and being close to the Florida Keys in one of them! It doesn’t matter if we make just a quick trip to Key Largo or travel all the way down to Key West, it’s like stepping onto a tropical island without having to leave the mainland.
The Florida Keys are known for their fresh seafood and especially for their sweet Key West pinks. By the way, that’s shrimp to everyone else. So my Key West burger wouldn’t be complete without adding a few pinks to the mix. And if you don’t happen to have any on hand you can use regular medium shrimp.
Of course, we also know that Key West is known for their key limes. The juice of the key lime is probably one of the most popular ingredients used by local chefs and added to just about any kind of dish. I know you’ve heard of their famous Key Lime Pie but they also add it to cocktails like Key Lime Martinis and use it to season fish similar to our Key West Style Striped Sea Bass.
So, in order for this to be authentic island cuisine, we added it to our recipe too. Key lime juice was used to flavor not only the salsa but the hamburgers as well. It gives them a wonderful zesty flavor that complements rather than overpowers the taste of the burger itself. In the event that I don’t have any key limes available form my backyard tree (yes, I do have my own tree) I use Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice. I highly recommend it as being closest to the real thing.
To finish off the burger, we mixed up some fresh salsa, key west style. It’s a mix of tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno, cilantro and, of course, orange zest and key lime juice. We marinated it for a few hours to let the flavors blend then piled it high on top of each perfectly grilled burger. Doesn’t that look sooo good?
Now dig in! I swear each bite will take you away to “cheeseburger” paradise (well to be technical hamburger paradise). They are mouthwateringly juicy, flavorful and hard to put down.
Enjoy!
- 3/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, minced
- 1/2 avocado, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon key lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- Salt to taste
- 1-1/4 lb. ground chuck
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons Nellie & Joe's key lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 medium shrimp, shelled & deveined
- 4 hamburger buns
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Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours to let the flavors blend.
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Mix all ingredients but shrimp & buns.
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Form into 4 patties.
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Press 2 shrimp into the top of each burger.
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Preheat grill.
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Grill burgers for 8-12 minutes, depending on preferred doneness, turning halfway through.
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During the last 5 minutes, place halved buns on grill until toasted. Watch carefully as they toast very quickly.
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Place a burger on each bun and top with salsa. Serve remaining salsa on the side.
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