A paprika-spiced beef and chorizo patty on a soft bun, topped with crispy shoestring potatoes.
The frita cubana is Cuba's answer to the classic burger -- a patty made from a blend of ground beef and chorizo, seasoned heavily with paprika and garlic, then griddled hot and fast. What sets it apart from an American burger is the topping: a tangle of thin, crispy shoestring potato sticks piled right on top of the sauce, adding crunch and starch in the same bite. It's street food that became a beloved Cuban-American diner classic, especially in Miami. Mixing chorizo into the ground beef is what gives frita patties their signature reddish color and smoky-spiced flavor, so there's no need for a heavy seasoning blend beyond paprika, garlic and a little cumin. The patties should be thin and cooked hard on a well-oiled griddle or cast iron pan so the edges crisp up -- this isn't a juicy, pink-in-the-middle burger, it's meant to be cooked through with a good crust. The sauce, a simple ketchup-based mix with a little hot sauce, gets brushed onto the bun before the potatoes go on. Served on a soft roll with thin-sliced onion and that pile of crispy potato sticks, this is fast, punchy, satisfying home cooking that rewards getting the pan properly hot before the patties go in.
Serves 4
In a bowl, combine ground beef, chorizo, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix gently, then form into 4 thin patties.
Stir together ketchup and hot sauce in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat oil in a cast iron pan or griddle over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
Cook patties 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing lightly, until well browned and cooked through with crisp edges.
Fritas are meant to be cooked through, not pink in the middle -- the chorizo needs the full cook to render properly.
Toast the buns cut-side down in the same pan for 1 minute until lightly golden.
Spread sauce on the bottom bun, add the patty, sliced onion, and a generous pile of shoestring potatoes. Top with the bun and serve immediately.
Chop the chorizo very finely so it distributes through the patty instead of clumping in one spot.
Keep patties thin -- about half an inch -- so they cook through quickly without burning the outside.
Add the potato sticks right before serving; they go soft fast once they sit on the warm sauce.
Cheese frita: add a slice of melted cheese under the potato sticks.
Spicier sauce: increase hot sauce or add a pinch of cayenne to the ketchup mix.
Homemade shoestring potatoes: julienne russet potatoes and fry at 325F (165C) until crisp and golden.
Cooked patties keep in the fridge up to 2 days; reheat in a hot skillet for 2 minutes per side. Assemble the burger fresh -- buns and potato sticks don't hold well once stored.
The frita cubana traces back to Cuban street vendors, likely influenced by Lebanese and Spanish immigrant communities in Havana in the early 20th century, and became a fixture of Cuban-American diners in Miami through the mid-1900s, where it remains a beloved comfort food today.
Yes -- use all ground beef and add an extra half teaspoon of smoked paprika to approximate the color and smokiness chorizo normally provides.
Thin matchstick fries, either homemade or the canned French-fried onion-style potato sticks sold for salads, both work as a crunchy substitute.
The chorizo adds extra fat that can make the mix loose -- chill the formed patties for 15 minutes before cooking so they hold together better.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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