Portobello mushroom burgers with chipotle mayo and onion rings

There are two types of people in the world: those who believe that burgers should be simple and elegant, and those who think that the more stuff you can pile on top of it, the better it is.

This burger appeals to that second group. It has a bunch of awesome components that give it a great texture and spiciness. It takes a little longer to prepare, but it’s totally worth it. Especially when you consider swapping out the mushroom for a juicy, red hamburger.

Mmm…beef.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of mushrooms, and I love the portobello burger. I do my best to encourage other people who are biased against them to give my favorite fungi a chance, and I like to think I’ve brought a few over to the light side. But I’m a hearty meat eater, and it’s impossible to say no to a delicious, medium-rare burger.

So light that grill and throw some beef patties next to your mushroom caps, and try them both! See which one you like better.

For the onion rings-

You will need:

• 1 large or 2 medium vidalia onions
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450. Combine the flour, corn starch, milk, and cider vinegar in a medium bowl to make a batter. Season with salt and pepper. Peel your onion and slice into thin rings. Dip the slices in the batter and then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. We found it easiest to put a few battered onions in a plastic bag with the breadcrumbs, but after several batches the breadcrumbs get too wet to stick anymore and you have to replace them.

Set the onion rings on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes on one side. Flip them over, and bake for an additional 6 minutes.

For the burgers and chipotle mayo-

You will need:

• Portobello burgers (however many you want)
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• hamburger buns
• tomato
• romaine leaves
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1-3 chipotle chiles (the kind in Adobo sauce)
• 1/2 tsp adobo sauce (that the chiles came in)
• 1/2 tsp lime juice 

Oil your grill and heat it to medium. Brush your mushrooms with the balsamic vinegar, and cook them for 3-5 minutes per side, or until they softened and slightly browned. Toast the hamburger buns on the grill for a few minutes, if you want.

For the chipotle mayo: Toss the mayo, adobo sauce, lime juice, and 1 chipotle chili in a food processor. Blend until smooth; taste. Add more chiles as needed.

Assemble the burger by placing the portobello on the bun, add the lettuce, tomato, onion rings, and chipotle mayo. Serve alongside the extra onion rings, and a cold summer salad.

This was my first burger with onion rings on it, and I have to say, I think they just replaced bacon as my favorite burger topper. And the chipotle mayo was soooo good, I made a triple recipe to store in the fridge and use in other recipes. If you like portobello burgers, this one is pretty standard. Balsamic vinegar is always the go-to marinade for mushroom caps, and this is no exception. But the addition of some heavy-duty toppings make this burger anything but ordinary.

 Recipe adapted from Clean Green Simple

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