As long as it’s summer, it’s grilling season. I’m not a huge ground beef fan, so I typically prefer to cook sliders instead of full-sized burgers because it’s a taste of the burger without committing to the whole thing—you know what I mean?

Anyway, I went with 85% lean ground beef for these burgers. (You can usually find the leanness percentage on the printed label of the package.) Anything above 85% tends to be a bit dry, but the leaner the healthier. 80% lean means the burger is pretty fatty, and 90% or above means it’s not fatty at all. I go with 85% because I can tell myself it’s not the unhealthiest option, yet it still has that juicy goodness.

The chipotle mayo on this burger is a staple for me. It’s so easy to make, and it can be interchanged as a dip, a condiment, or even the base for a pasta salad. Sometimes I make plenty of it and use it for different things throughout the week—it’s so freakin’ versatile.

I topped this burger with some avocado, onion, and tomato—the tomato adds a pop of color, the onion adds crunch, and avocado goes so well with anything chipotle, if you ask me. But feel free to adjust the toppings as you wish.

Quick tip: Toast the buns on the grill with some butter—it will add an extra crunch and even more flavor to the slider.

Ingredients: Makes 8 sliders
1 lb ground beef
salt
black pepper
garlic powder
Cayenne pepper
Olive oil
Mozzarella cheese
Onion
Tomato
Avocado
8 slider buns
Mayo:
1 chipotle pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
Splash of lime juice
Dash of salt
Dash of garlic powder

Directions:
Add ground beef to a large bowl. Add a dash of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper to beef; combine. Form into eight slider patties. Add a bit of olive oil to a pan and cook sliders on medium, about 4 minutes on each side or until they’re cooked to your liking. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for mayo and set aside. Add cheese to patties and melt. Top bun with patty, avocado, tomato, onion, and chipotle mayo and serve.

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