Recipe: Skillet Boudin Burger
A new take on your favorite roadside treat
Boudin is one of those foods that shines on its own. But what most people don’t realize is that it also really cuts through a recipe as a secret ingredient, too. One of the wackiest dishes I love to make—it blows people's minds every time—is Boudin Fried Rice. I know, it sounds crazy. Essentially you take any fried rice recipe from the good old Internet and add some leftover boudin mix to it. It’s shockingly delicious. But perhaps a little too far out for some—so here’s my other favorite Boudin-inspired recipe. Something that won’t make your Cajun uncle's head explode: The Skillet Boudin Burger.
I regularly sold out of these back when I owned a food truck. The combination of spicy, sweet, and savory really makes this burger a winner. And the rice from the boudin gets nice and crispy on the outside of the patty, providing some really great textures and crunch.
Directions
1. Remove the rice and pork mixture from the boudin and discard the casing. Or you can feed it to your dog like I do, especially if—like me—his name just happens to be Boudin.
2. Add the ground pork to a mixing bowl and fold in the boudin until it is fully mixed. Form into 8 equal size burgers.
3. Heat up a cast iron skillet until ripping hot. Add a bit of oil. Place your burgers in the pan. Depending on the pan size, you may have to work in batches. Smash the boudin burger down with a spatula so as much surface area as possible makes contact with the grill. Cook 4 minutes until the burger gets a nice crust, and the rice from the boudin starts to get crispy. Flip and repeat until desired doneness.
4. Top with white American cheese and remove to a plate.
5. In the same pan that you cooked the burgers, add the onions and cook until they begin to caramelize. Add a bit of the stout beer and let it soak into the onions as the alcohol burns off. Remove from the heat.
6. Toast your buns. To the bottom of each, add generous amount of hot pepper jelly. Then your boudin burger, and top with stout onions.
You can add pickles or lettuce and tomato if you like, but these burgers are big on flavor and texture without it. They make great little sliders for parties as well.