What is a Chimichurri Burger?

The chimichurri burger is similar to the American hamburger, differing mostly in the spices added to the ground meat and to the toppings placed on the burger. It’s a popular fast food selection in the Dominican Republic, where street vendors may sell the chimichurri burger or you may find it in small outdoor food stands. It’s also becoming popular in the US, since the extra spices can mean a more satisfying taste with a little less meat. They’ve also become a choice burger, minus the bun, on low carbohydrate diets like the South Beach Diet.

One of the principle spices added to the chimichurri burger is oregano, but then preferences diverge on what other spices may be added. Alternately, the burgers may have chimichurri sauce, a popular Argentinean sauce, which is a mixture of vinegar, garlic cloves, parsley, and red pepper flakes. This sauce is added to the meat mixture to provide flavorful results when the burger is grilled.

In the Dominican Republic, the chimichurri burger is served on a bun, and may be topped with traditional hamburger toppings. Yet it also gets an additional topping of shredded cabbage in mayonnaise, similar to coleslaw and the coleslaw burger. This extra fiber is excellent, and once again, filling. If you’re following a diet like South Beach, you omit the bun in the first stage of the diet. Later, you can serve the burger on a whole wheat or multi-grain low carb bun.

You might try adding chimichurri sauce to turkey burgers, since it easily covers the taste of turkey that some people do not like. This is a great way to make a leaner burger, and you can even substitute non-fat yogurt or sour cream for mayonnaise on your coleslaw topping to make the chimichurri burger even lower in calories. You can also vary the recipes by placing the burger in pita bread instead of in a bun, which lets you stuff in more coleslaw.

Even when made with lean ground beef, if the chimichurri burger is grilled, it is fairly low in fat. Chimichurri sauce does not require oil, and if you make a reduced fat cabbage topping for the hamburger, you’re well on your way to a very healthy meal. The additional cabbage adds to the overall great taste and nutritious value of the dish.

If you are in parts of the Southern US, you may be able to find the chimichurri burger in restaurants. It’s particularly popular in Florida. You may also find a variant called the slaw burger, (a hamburger topped with coleslaw), but this tends to be more traditionally fatty than is the chimichurri burger. Still, both types of burgers are satisfying and quite delicious.