Nolan Ryan Beef Spotlight...Featuring Bulls On Parade Fajita Burgers

I’m excited to share a fantastic burger recipe with you today that incorporates my love of Texas beef with my love for the Houston Texans football team! I recently received some beef and seasonings from Texas-based Nolan Ryan Beef. They offer a huge selection of products to choose from, but I picked 90% lean ground beef, a rump roast, and two gorgeous ribeyes to try out in my kitchen. This is some fantastic beef, y'all! I'll be talking more about the roast and the steaks soon, but today's all about the burger! Before I get to the food...if you’re not familiar with Nolan Ryan, let me clue you in. He’s from my hometown of Alvin, Texas. And he just  happens to be one of the best pitchers to ever play the game of baseball: 5,714 career strikeouts, 7 no hitters, and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. When he retired, he set his sights on baseball management...and producing high-quality beef products. Mr. Ryan is as serious about his beef as he was his pitching. His products are definitely all-star caliber: grown in Texas and full of flavor!

I used the hamburger meat and fajita seasoning to create an original recipe to enjoy during last week's Texans game: Bulls On Parade Fajita Burgers. All the flavors of fajitas in hamburger form...are you drooling yet? I'm a die-hard Houston sports fan: Astros, Texans, and Rockets. I have to admit to having an extra-special love for football...and the Texans! Their  crushing defense was nicknamed Bulls On Parade last year, so that’s the name I gave my flavorful burger creation…which we enjoyed while we watched the Texans beat our nemesis Peyton Manning last Sunday. 

This is a big burger full of big flavors…named after a BIG defense! The juicy meat is well-seasoned and seared to perfection…then layered on a toasted bun jack cheese, grilled onions and RED bell peppers, avocado slices, and a spicy creamy chile-lime spread. A spicy, juicy burger is the perfect meal to enjoy while watching the big game!

Bulls on Parade Fajita Burgers

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Step 1: Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl: 1 lb. 90% lean Nolan Ryan beef, 1 tbs. Nolan Ryan fajita seasoning, ¾ cup frozen corn kernels, 2 cloves grated garlic, 2 sliced green onions, and 1 tbs. Tabasco. Thoroughly combine all ingredients and let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so the spices develop and permeate the meat.

Step 2: Make the creamy spread by adding the following ingredients to a bowl: ¾ cup light sour cream, the juice of ½ lime, 1 tsp.  Nolan Ryan fajita seasoning, and 1 tsp. Tabasco. Stir well to combine and set aside in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the burgers.

Step 3: Add 1 tbs. olive oil to a non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Add half of a yellow onion sliced into rings and one red bell pepper cut into matchstick pieces. Sautee until they are cooked, but still have a bit of bite to them. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the burgers.

Step 4: Divide the meat mixture into three patties. Add 1tbs. olive oil  to a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Heat the pan for 5 minutes before adding the hamburger patties to the pan. This will allow them to sear nicely on the outside and to caramelize any corn that’s on the outside of the patties. Cook for about five minutes per side.

Step 5: To assemble the burgers, toast three buttered hamburger buns. Put some of the chile-lime spread on both sides of the buns. Layer the ingredients on the bottom bun in this order: field greens, sliced avocado, a burger patty, a slice of jack cheese, and some of the grilled onions  and peppers. Add the top bun and get ready for a feast!

We loved this burger! The meat was beefy and juicy, and the fajita seasoning-hot sauce combo gave it a nice heat. We enjoyed the sweet addition of the corn, which roasted on the outside of the burgers and provided another layer of flavor. The onion and pepper was vital to creating the classic fajita profile, and the creamy sauce was tart…with a kick from the fajita seasoning and lime. The creamy cheese and cooling avocado kept the heat from becoming overpowering. Keeping with the Texans’ blue and red theme, I served these burgers with BLUE tortilla chips. 

My Texas readers can purchase Nolan Ryan Beef at several major grocery chains, including Kroger, Super S, and Sprouts. If you live outside of Texas, you can try this fabulous beef too. They offer online ordering and will ship all across the country. 

Disclosure: Nolan Ryan Beef provided me with beef products in order to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed are mine, and the hamburger recipe is a Weekend Gourmet Original.

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