This Mayo Mixture Gives A Tangier Bite To Almost Any Burger

One Reddit poll asks, "Mayo on a burger. Yay or nay?" The results are in: With 80% of the vote, the mayo-on-burger lovers have spoken. It's a sweeping victory for this niche foodie demographic — and to thee we say, why not take it up a notch further? For the ultimate tangy, spicy, creamy burger condiment, blend serrano peppers into your mayonnaise.

Medium-heat serrano chili peppers clock in between 10,000 and 23,000 SHU on the Scoville scale, more intense than jalapeños but not as spicy as habaneros. As the pepper matures from green to red, its bright, grassy flavor takes on a smoky, earthy sweetness. Opt for red serrano peppers to make the best-tasting burger condiment. Serranos can be purchased in many grocery store produce sections, or at specialty Mexican groceries and summer farmers markets, sold by the pound.

When blended into a burger spread, the mayo tempers the serrano's heat, leaving behind a touch of spice and all the dimensional pepper flavor that foodies crave. This spread makes an elevated moisture condiment for burgers — and can be batched and used as a dipping sauce for crudite veggies like celery sticks, baby carrots, and cauliflower florets on the side. Serrano mayo's rich depth also makes it a knockout condiment option for veggie burgers. Just a swipe of the good stuff can imbue veggie burgers with the savory tones they might be missing. That smoky serrano pepper flavor profile would pair especially well with black bean burgers.

To make serrano mayo, start by de-seeding and finely chopping a few fresh serrano peppers (gloves are a good idea at this step). From there, simply stir in a few generous scoops of store-bought mayo, plus salt, pepper, and a dash of hot sauce, if desired. For more uniform dispersion, transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse to combine. That's it. Foodies can adjust their ingredient proportions to suit their taste preferences, but in general, four serrano peppers per cup of mayonnaise is a solid jumping-off point. This pepper-infused mayo doesn't only have to be made from serrano peppers, either. Feel free to experiment with any of your favorite spicy chili peppers, like we did for this vegetal jalapeño mayo.

Now for the fun part: more toppings. For a Southwest-inspired burger, you could load your patty with serrano mayo, purple cabbage slaw, a fried egg, some herbaceous chimichurri, smashed avocado, and a slice of pepper Jack cheese. Or, keep it simple and smear that serrano mayo onto a classic burger lineup of leaf lettuce, tomato, and cheddar or American cheese. This bold condiment doesn't require any extra help to transform burgers into restaurant-worthy beauties. To complete the meal, pair these tangy burgs with a side of crispy onion rings and a chilled American lager or cucumber lemonade.