Cuban Frita Burger
- Prime Recipes
- Apr 16
- 3 min read
Updated: May 16
Time: 2 hours 50 minutes | Difficulty: Medium
The Cuban Frita Burger, also known as "Frita Cubana," is a traditional Cuban dish that originated in the capital, Havana. This unique burger consists of a meat patty, usually made from a mixture of pork and beef. The meat is often seasoned with peppers and onions and sometimes mixed with chorizo for an extra flavor kick.
Another distinctive feature of the Cuban Frita Burger is its side of crispy potato sticks placed directly on top of the meat. These add a crunchy texture that perfectly complements the softness of the burger.
The Cuban Frita Burger is often served with ketchup and a special sauce consisting of tomato paste/ketchup and a blend of spices.
TIP: You can save some time by purchasing a bag of frit sticks from a chip shop instead of preparing the potato sticks yourself.
Don't feel like making the fry sticks yourself? No problem! Funny-frisch's fry sticks work just fine—shh, that's just between us! – Prime Recipes
Ingredients
Serves 2
Nutritional information per serving
approx. 909 kcal | 71.2 g carbohydrates | 54.6 g fat | 30.6 g protein
For the Cuban Frita Burger
2 burger buns
For the potato sticks
1 large waxy potato
1 liter frying oil
1 pinch of salt
For the Frita Sauce
120 g ketchup
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Hot sauce, to taste
For the patties
240 g ground beef (approx. 40% fat)
1 onion
Pinch of salt
1 tsp onion powder (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
Hot sauce, to taste
A little oil for frying
Preparation in 7 steps
Prepare the patties:
Combine the ground beef with onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, cumin, oregano, 2-3 dashes of hot sauce, and a little salt. Divide the mixture into four equal portions and form into flat patties.
Prepare the toppings:
Peel an onion and finely dice it – this will be used to top the patties later.
Mix the Frita sauce:
For the sauce, mix ketchup, onion powder, smoked paprika, and a little hot sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
Prepare the potato sticks:
Peel the potatoes and cut them into very thin strips. Soak them in ice-cold water for about 10 minutes, then pat them dry thoroughly with a cloth.
Bake the buns & fry the potatoes:
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/convection oven. Brush the burger buns with a little water and bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Heat the oil in a saucepan or deep fryer to 160°C. Pre-fry the potato sticks in batches for about 2-3 minutes, then drain on paper towels. Increase the oil temperature to 175-180°C and fry again until crispy and golden brown. Drain again and season with salt. Caution: Never leave hot fat unattended. Do not add water to the hot oil!
Fry the patties:
Heat a little oil in a pan. Fry the patties for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
After 1.5 minutes, sprinkle one side with the diced onion and a little hot sauce, then flip them – the onion side is now facing down – and fry for another 1.5 minutes.
Assemble the burgers:
Cut open the burger buns and generously brush the cut surfaces with Frita sauce. Place an onion patty on each bottom half. Add more hot sauce, if desired. Arrange the crispy potato sticks on top and top with the top half of the bun.
💡 Save calories –
Total savings potential: 👉 Up to 200–300 kcal per serving if you:
Use lean ground beef (max. 15–20% fat) instead of 40% fat ground beef – saves 100–150 kcal alone
Prepare the potato sticks in the air fryer or oven with little oil instead of deep-frying
Reduce ketchup to 60g or use a light/sugar-free version
Use only 1 teaspoon of oil or an oil spray when frying the patties
Apply the sauce more thinly if necessary – 120g of ketchup for 2 servings is quite generous
👉 This way, the burger stays hearty, flavorful, and crispy, but significantly lower in fat and calories – perfect for a lighter burger experience.
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