It’s almost summertime and the grillin’ is easy… is that not how the song goes? Grilling is easy with the right recipe and technique, though, and just in time for Father’s Day (and BBQ-season in general) we’ve got two options!
First, this killer beef burger recipe from Health.com. Only five ingredients, these are the perfect juicy burger for your next grilling get-together. Although the recipe calls for beef, you could swap in ground turkey for a lower-fat (but still full of flavor) burger!
And speaking of turkey, we also love this drool-worthy recipe for an Antipasto-Stuffed Turkey Burger from The Washington Post, courtesy of food nutritionist and cookbook author Ellie Krieger. Loading a turkey burger with flavors you’d find on an Italian antipasto platter like marinated artichokes and roasted red peppers (and adding some mozzarella cheese!) will make your next barbecue extra tasty.
Check ‘em out!
#1 – Best Backyard Burger (Beef or Turkey)
Ingredients
1 pound ground sirloin (sub in lean ground turkey if you aren’t a beef eater)
1/4 cup grated Spanish onion
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Makes 4 burgers
Nutrition Information*:
Beef – Calories 208 | Carbs 2 | Fat 10 | Protein 23 | Sodium 213 | Sugar 1
Ground turkey – Calories 169 | Carbs 2 | Fat 8 | Protein 25 | Sodium 246 | Sugar 1
Instructions
1. Season and form your burgers by hand: in a large mixing bowl, combine 1 pound ground sirloin with 1/4 cup grated Spanish onion, 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt. With clean hands, mix gently until the ingredients are well combined. (Hand working helps the burger stay together.) Pack a 1/2-cup measuring cup with beef. Remove and mold into a slightly flattened patty about 1 inch thick. Place the burgers on a platter and grind 1/8 teaspoon pepper over them. Flip them and grind another 1/8 teaspoon pepper on top.
2. Start your grill; a charcoal or gas grill by far gives you the best flavor, but you can also use a grill pan. Whatever method you’re using, always start with a clean grill. For charcoal or hardwood: ignite the coal or wood, and bring the coals to an even red flame. For a gas grill, heat grill to a high heat and rub grate with a folded-up paper towel dipped in olive oil (use tongs to hold the paper towel). Reduce the flame to medium. Never char your burger–it can create harmful carcinogens.
3. Place burgers on grill; cook 5 minutes. Flip burgers, cover the grill, and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes for medium doneness. (Make sure internal temperature reaches 160°.) Don’t press the burger down with a spatula, or you’ll squeeze the flavorful juices out (and risk creating the aforementioned carcinogens). For cheeseburgers, now is the time to top the burger with a slice of cheese such as Swiss, Muenster, or Cheddar. Using tongs or a heatproof spatula, transfer burgers to a clean plate or platter.
4. Top your burgers! While burgers are cooking (or before you start), put a condiment plate together. When you go with low-fat meat, you need to up the flavor in other ways. Try add-ons like thinly sliced onions, sliced ripe tomatoes, and fresh romaine lettuce leaves, all of which add extra nutrients, too. And don’t forget the ketchup, Dijon mustard, relish, and sliced dill pickles. When burgers are cooked, place on the bottom half of each of 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns. Dress up your burger, cover with the top half of the bun, and enjoy.
*Nutritional information is calculated by MyFitnessPal Recipe Nutrition Calculator and is for beef or turkey burgers only, cooked without extra fat. Buns and toppings are not reflected in the nutritional info.
#2 – Antipasto-Stuffed Turkey Burger
Ingredients
For the Burgers
3 tablespoons chopped roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed if jarred
3 tablespoons chopped marinated artichoke hearts
2 tablespoons chopped pitted green olives
3 tablespoons shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 1/4 pounds extra-lean or lean ground turkey breast
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Spread
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Makes 4 servings
Nutrition Information** – Calories 214 | Carbs 4 | Fat 6 | Protein 38 | Sodium 525 | Sugar 2
Instructions – For the Burgers
1. Toss together the peppers, artichokes, olives and mozzarella in a medium bowl; this will be the burger filling.
2. To make the patties, shape the ground turkey into 4 rounds of equal size. Form each of those into 2 equal-size patties (for a total of 8).
3. Spoon the filling onto 4 of the patties in equal amounts. Top with the remaining patties, working the meat around the edges to seal the burgers closed. (The burgers will be 4 to 5 inches in diameter.)
4. Season on both sides with the salt and pepper.
5. Grease a nonstick skillet or nonstick grill pan with cooking oil spray; heat over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the burgers and cook for 5 minutes, then turn them over and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are lightly browned and the meat is cooked through.
Instructions – for the Spread
1. Whisk together the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and salt in a small bowl.
2. Serve the burgers on butter lettuce leaves, or on whole-grain buns topped with lettuce, tomato and a few basil leaves.
**Nutritional information is calculated by MyFitnessPal Recipe Nutrition Calculator and is for 1 stuffed turkey burger topped with ¼ of the spread only, cooked without extra fat. Buns and other toppings are not reflected in the nutritional info.
What’s your favorite way to gussy up a perfectly grilled burger? Tell us about your toppings of choice in the comments below!
Keep Moving,
– Team FitStar
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