Frita Cubana ~ An Ode to the Cuban Hamburger
Savor a unique twist on the classic hamburger with this Cuban-style delight. Brimming with flavor, these Frita Cubanas will be the star of your next gathering or family dinner. Once you taste these burgers, there's no going back!
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Ingredients
For the Special Sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp sweet Spanish paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp sriracha
For The Shoestring Potatoes
- 4 russet potatoes
- 1 cup vegetable oil for frying or more as needed
For the Burgers
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 tbsp garlic finely minced - about 4 cloves
- 1 ½ cups yellow onion finely minced - divided (1/2 cup will be used to top the cooked burgers)
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika sweet not spicy
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste
Also:
- 8 Cuban rolls brioche rolls or hamburger buns, toasted
Instructions
- To make the sauce, mix all of the ingredients together in a small saucepan: 1 cup ketchup, ¼ cup water, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 ½ tsp sweet Spanish paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp dried oregano and ½ tsp sriracha. Cook at a gentle simmer, partially covered, for 5 minutes. The Sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
- Peel 4 russet potatoes and shred them on a box grater or in your food processor with the coarse shredding blade. Swish them in a bowl of cold water, pour out cloudy water, and repeat until the water is clear. Just before frying, drain them in a colander and dry them well by squeezing them between several clean absorbent dish towels. The dryer the better for getting them crisp and brown. Pour 1 cup vegetable oil into a heavy, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and fry the potatoes, in small batches, until they’re golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
- Make the meat mixture in a large bowl or in a food processor. Combine 1 lb ground beef, and 1 lb ground pork with 1 ½ cups yellow onion, and 2 tbsp garlic. Mix by hand or pulse a few times in the food processor, to combine. Add 3 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp sweet Spanish paprika, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, and 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt. Mix by hand or pulse just until combined. Form the meat into 8 thin patties.
- Cook patties in batches, on a preheated flat griddle or in a frying pan coated with a little vegetable oil, over medium heat, for 2-4 minutes per side or until they’re cooked to your liking. (I suggest medium rare to medium). Season with salt and Black pepper, to taste.
- To assemble the fritas, spread some special sauce over the bottom half of a 8 Cuban rolls. Place a patty on top, add more sauce, some finely chopped raw onion and a big pile of shoestring fried potatoes. Spread a little sauce on the inside of the top bun and place it on top. Repeat with remaining burgers. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 590kcal
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