Meet the Cuban Frita Burger, a lively Cuban-American classic reimagined with Chef Tom’s bold griddle technique. Imagine a juicy beef patty kissed by a griddle, smothered in a tangy, slightly smoky tomato-based sauce, crowned with onions, and nestled in a warm, butter-toasted Cuban roll. These burgers are balanced, punchy, and eternally craveable.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Smash-style perfection: Thin, crispy-edged patties loaded with grated onion for tender flavor
- Saucy punch: A tangy "basting sauce" bathes the meat for bold, zesty character
- Crunchy nest: Topped with perfectly fried matchstick russet potatoes
- Textural contrast: Juicy patty, soft bun, crisp potatoes, and fresh onion — every bite offers balance and flavor
Category
Entree
Cuisine
Cuban
Servings
4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Calories
592
With fries piled up on the patty and a vibrant, flavor-forward sauce drizzled on top, this recipe delivers vivid notes of sweetness, spice, and comfort—all ready in just minutes on a hot flat-top.
Ingredients
-
1 lb Creekstone Farms Brisket Blend Burger Pucks
- 1/2 cup white onion, grated on box grater, squeezed dry
- 2 tsp garlic, grated on microplane
-
1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Road House Steak & Beef Seasoning
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 white onion, sliced very thin
- 1 russet potato, peeled, julienne, rinsed, dried
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 4 Cuban rolls, split for burger
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, for toasting buns
-
Hoff & Pepper Smoken Ghost Ketchup
-
1/2 cup Big Rick’s Chipotle Ketchup
- 6 tbsp beef stock
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt, to taste
Basting Sauce:
Directions
Preheat one half of your Fusion griddle over high heat and the other half over medium.
- Pour vegetable oil into a FInex Dutch Oven, about 2” deep. Place on the hot side of the griddle. Cover with a lid to hold in the heat.
- Combine ingredients for the basting sauce and mix well. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.
- Combine the Creekstone Farms Brisket Blend Burger Pucks with the grated white onion, garlic, Cattleman’s Grill Road House Steak & Beef Seasoning and one tablespoon smoked paprika. Mix well, then divide into four equal sized balls. Refrigerate.
- Using a mandolin (veggie slicer), or by hand, cut the peeled russet potato into matchstick sized pieces. Place the sliced potatoes in cool water. Agitate by hand, then strain and rinse to remove excess starch. Repeat a couple of times, then lay out the potatoes on a paper towel lined sheet pan and top with more paper towels to soak up excess water.
- With the hot oil temperature at about 400ºF, drop in a handful of the potatoes. Fry until golden brown, then drain on paper towels and toss in Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt, to taste. Repeat this process while toasting the buns and cooking the burgers, place the lid on in between batches to help the oil temperature recover.
Toast your buns in butter over medium heat on the Fusion griddle. Remove and set aside. Turn the heat to high to cook the burgers.
- Place the burger balls on griddle over high heat. Place thin shaved onions on top of each ball and smash then into the meat until the burger patty is flattened and slightly wider than your bun in diameter. Squeeze plenty of basting sauce over top.
- When the bottom of the burger is totally seared, flip the burger patty. Baste again with the sauce. Cook until the onion side is browned and the meat is cooked through.
To build the Cuban Frita Burgers, start by placing your burger patty on the bottom toasted bun. Top the burger patty with more thin sliced raw onion. Smother again in the basting sauce. Add a heap of the fried potatoes. Finish with Big Rick’s Chipotle Ketchup on the top toasted bun.
Recipe Note
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a Frita and a traditional burger?
A Cuban Frita is a smash-style burger made with seasoned brisket blend and topped with shoestring potato fries and a tangy ketchup-based sauce.
Can I use regular ketchup instead of Smoken Ghost?
Yes — substitute with your favorite ketchup, though it won't have the same smoky heat character.
How do I keep the fries crispy?
Fry the potatoes until golden, drain thoroughly, and add just before serving for crunch.
What internal temperature should the burger patties reach?
The recipe doesn't specify a number, relying instead on "cooked through" as the cue. For ground beef, USDA's minimum safe internal temperature is 160°F — worth checking with a thermometer given how thin these smash patties are, since visual cues alone can be unreliable.
Can I cook these indoors?
We rate these a 4 out of 5. A heavy skillet or cast iron on the stovetop works well, replicating the griddle's hot and medium zones if you can manage two burners at once.
Recipe Highlights
Grated onion mixed into the patty: This adds moisture and tenderness throughout the meat, not just flavor on the surface.
Two-zone griddle cooking: Running one side hot and one medium lets the fries, buns, and burgers all cook at the same time without competing for space.
Repeated basting with the sauce: Applying it both before and after the flip builds a tangy, caramelized layer into the patty itself.
Frying in small batches: Covering the oil between batches helps it recover temperature, keeping the fries consistently crisp from batch to batch.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 12.2 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 592
- Carbs
- 52 grams
- Protein
- 27 grams
- Fat
- 30 grams
- Sodium
- 1369 milligrams
