Sweet Chili Sauce

A few years ago McDonald’s had some delicious signature wraps on their menu. Tim and I loved the Sweet Chili Chicken Wraps. Sadly, at least in our neck of the woods these are no longer available. Sweet Chili Sauce came from the hope of replicating that recipe.

Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet Chili Sauce turned out perfect! Just the right amount of sweet vs. heat. Confession….I have not tried the wrap…..yet. Long story short, my attention was diverted to pizza…….and
well, that’s in the next post, stay tuned!!

Living in as I commonly call it “Hooterville” (if you are of certain age you will understand the reference), but sometimes it’s hard to find certain items in the cooking realm. Hence my skill at improvising. Red pepper flakes were a perfect substitute for Tai Chili Peppers. 

Sweet Chili Sauce

I know, I know…Amazon, but again living in Hooterville, same day delivery….LOL. And I wanted to make this recipe right now!!!

Red pepper flakes, spicy….check…….how about sweet??? Honey of course, syrupy, and sweet, plus better for you than sugar. Rice wine vinegar for an acid, garlic, and the surprise ingredient….ketchup.

Wanting the sauce to be a bit more red in color than traditional Sweet Chili Sauce, a touch of ketchup did the trick, plus it added a something in the background taste that will leave them wondering.

Sweet Chili Sauce

A slurry of cornstarch and water to thicken and you have a delicious sauce to dip any finger food in. Pour it over chicken or seafood and cook for a sweet, spicy sauce, for use as a marinade.

Anyway you chose Sweet Chili Sauce is your new go too sauce…….I better get to creating those wraps….future post!!???
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Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet Chili Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1/2 cup sauce 1x
  • Category: Sauce
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: Tai

Description

Sweet & Spicy….perfect sauce!!!


Ingredients

Scale

1 cup honey

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons ketchup, divided 

¾ cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water


Instructions

In a small sauce pot whisk together honey, red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon ketchup, garlic, and ¾ cup water.

Bring to a boil over medium high, and boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly.

In a small bowl combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water.

Reduce heat and pour cornstarch mixture into the pot and whisk to combine. Return mixture to a boil, stirring until sauce thickens. 

Remove from heat. Stir in remaining tablespoon of ketchup and set aside to cool.

Place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 months.


Teriyaki Burger with Pineapple Mango Salsa

Teriyaki Burger with Pineapple Mango Salsa

Teriyaki Burger

Burgers, burgers, burgers,…………Teriyaki Burger with Pineapple Mango Salsa.

Now that the weather is warm, I have two things on my mind……Salads and burgers. It is all we have eaten recently. Ok, we have had the obligatory pizza……several times.

We still have to get our grill up and running……….just lazy we are! But, we have a grill pan so……….sorta the same? Ok, not really, but these burgers were really great even without the aid of the outdoor grill.

My conception for these really came from pineapples and mangos being on sale at the store, and they were beauties. If cutting the pineapple and mango is not your thing, you can use canned or frozen, but it really is perfect with the fresh.

So, since I wanted to make a burger, and pineapple goes with an Asian flare, that was my direction. I added green onions, garlic, ginger, soy and a touch of red pepper flakes for heat to the beef. Now, I have made these twice, first time with ground beef, and the second time with ground chicken. Both were equally yummy, so what ever your taste is, go with that. A turn on the grill, and the burgers were done.

Teriyaki Burger Chicken

For the salsa……the pineapple and mangos were mixed with avocado, red pepper, onion, jalapeño, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Then mixed all together and set it aside.

When I think of burgers, I always think of ketchup and mustard, but not with these and we do like something on a burger. The sauce was simple with the aid of my trusty imitation Bullet. We bought a cheap version, just to be sure, we would use it and liked it before we shelled out the cost for the real deal. Well, the cheapo has worked really well, so why spend over a hundred when you can spend twenty?

I just put all the ingredients for the sauce……fresh pineapple, soy, ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar, and a touch of sesame oil. Gave it a whirl in my handy, dandy, cheapo Bullet and I had a sauce…….well almost. I heated it to a boil and added a cornstarch mixture to thicken.

Lightly toasted Kings Hawaiian Buns were perfect for this burger. The burger, the sauce, and the salsa……..oh la la…….oh wait thats French………well anyway there were a tasty, tasty burger.

Teriyaki Burger Collage

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Teriyaki Burger

Teriyaki Burger with Pineapple Mango Salsa

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Burgers
  • Method: Grill
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • Burgers
  • 1 pound ground beef (you can also use chicken or turkey)
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 Hamburger buns
  • Salsa
  • 1 cups fresh pineapple, diced into ½” cubes
  • 1/2 cup fresh mango, diced into ½” cubes
  • 1/2 avocado, diced into ½” cubes
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced into ½” pieces
  • 1/8 cup onion, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon jalapeño minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • Salt to taste
  • Sauce
  • 1 cup fresh pineapple
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon each cornstarch and water

Instructions

  1. Burgers:
  2. Preheat your grill to medium high heat.
  3. Combine all of the ingredients for the burgers in a medium bowl,and shape into 4 patties. Place your patties on the grill and cook 10-15 minutes or until well done, flipping half way through. Grill buns if desired.
  4. Salsa:
  5. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
  6. Sauce:
  7. Place first 7 ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a medium saucepan. Over medium high heat, heated cook mixture until bubbly, about 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, blend cornstarch and water until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to saucepan. Heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
  8. Assemble the Burgers:
  9. To assemble burger place each burger on grilled bun. Spoon sauce over burger and top with salsa. Serve.

Notes

We like large burger so the serving size is 2. But if you like a smaller burger you can get 4.

 

Spinach Feta Burger

Spinach Feta Burger

Today is National Hamburger Day………….let’s celebrate!!!!

This Spinach Feta Burger is not a traditional burger by any stretch, but that’s what makes it great. It expands your burger repertoire……..but not your waistline.

Bonus………only 5 ingredients………that’s right 5. Ground chicken, egg,spinach, fresh dill,and feta cheese. You can make them in a flash. You can grill them, or cook them in a pan indoors = versatile.

Bread/Bun is your choice. The first time I made them, I used a sweet Hawaiian bun, both Tim and I said, not the right choice. So, the next time we thought……… something crunchy. Tim picked up a rustic French loaf……….the fat kinda round ones, not the long skinny one. It was perfect! We toasted the bread………yum…….nothing better than toasted bread/bun for a burger.

We topped it with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. It was a perfect match………and kinda like ketchup……..Not!………….. It was sooooo much better.

The next time your are searching for a extra special burger, try our Spinach Feta Burger……and be sure to make the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.

Spinach Feta Burger Collage

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Spinach Feta Burger

Spinach Feta Burger

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Burgers
  • Method: Grill
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb lean ground chicken
  • 1 large egg
  • 6 cups chopped spinach
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • Grilled French Bread Slices

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl using your hands.
  2. Form patties.
  3. Grill for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through.
  4. Grill sliced french bread.
  5. Place burger on grilled bread and top with roasted red pepper sauce.

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Spinach Feta Burger

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x
  • Category: Sauce
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 15 ounces of jar of roasted red peppers, drained and blotted dry
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons parsley,chopped
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 2 teaspoons capers, drained
  • 2 cloves mashed garlic
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in food processor.
  2. Pulse until incorporated, stopping occasionally to scrape down the bowl.
  3. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  4. Sauce will keep for a week in the refrigerator.