“Spirited” foodies know that a great meal is only as great as the cocktail with which it’s paired. So, when it comes to Southwestern veggie burgers, what’s the best match? According to a tip from Tasting Table’s own Emily M. Alexander, if you’re slamming a few meatless patties on the grill, you should bust out your go-to tequila cocktails while the grill heats up. As Alexander, a 30-year vegetarian foodie and 20-year industry worker, writes, “Not only does [tequila] go perfectly with lime, but its grassy, bright taste profile helps cut through spiciness while allowing you to taste the myriad of other flavors on the veggie burger.” The spirit’s vegetal agave taste makes the perfect complement to the Tex-Mex flavor family.
In a tequila sunrise, the mellow orange juice and sweet grenadine could help temper an especially spicy Southwestern burger. Or, on the flip side, to lean into the spiciness of the meal, you could whip up a smoky mezcal margarita (the favorite bevy of beat poet Jack Kerouac). We know mezcal and tequila aren’t the same thing, but both agave-based distilled spirits totally work in a margarita built to complement a Southwestern flavor palette. You could even add a splash of grapefruit juice to your mezcal marg for a sweet kick. Or, stick with straight tequila and make a bright, refreshing paloma. New to the blanco versus reposado versus añejo game? We have a few tips for choosing the best type of tequila to use in your cocktail.
For spicy Southwestern veggie burgers, nothing hits like tequila
These homemade veggie burgers with quinoa and shiitake mushrooms come together in about a half hour, and these hearty homemade black bean burgers are even quicker to make. Or, foodies can totally opt for a store-bought veggie burger patty and load it up with Southwestern-inspired toppings, like a smear of smoky chipotle aioli or a dollop of creamy homemade guac (or both!). Other Tex-Mex staples like a slice of pepperjack cheese, pickled jalapenos, crunchy tortilla strips, sour cream, queso, sauteed bell peppers, refried beans, fresh cilantro, or a scoop of fire-roasted canned tomatoes would all take your burger to the next level. For added brightness that’d complement the grassy tequila, try topping your Southwestern veggie burger with this fresh mango guacamole dotted with red onion.
If you’re short on prep time, Dr. Praeger’s is one of our favorite store-bought veggie burger brands, and its crunchy Southwestern sweet potato flavor just so happens to be our top pick. For a sipper that’s fast and easy to batch for a crowd of vegetarian barbecue guests, whip up a quick two-parter highball with reposado tequila and pineapple juice, served over ice plus a lime wedge to garnish. Or, if you’re really short on prep time, Jose Cuervo makes a line of RTD canned tequila cocktails in a trio of flavors, all of which would pair well with a Southwestern veggie burger and are ultra-portable, so they can come with you anyplace you barbecue.
