Katie’s Healthy Bites: My Favorite Burgers
Nothing beats sitting in my backyard and enjoying the warm summer air, the view of my garden and, of course, aromas from the grill. Burgers are a favorite at my house, but we tend to steer clear of your run-of-the-mill beef burger, which (though loaded with iron) contains a good amount of saturated fat and cholesterol.
We’re all about building better burgers, and believe me, there are a ton of tasty options beyond just beef. Did you know buffalo or bison meat has less cholesterol than chicken? Bison burgers have just as much flavor as regular beef burgers and, best of all, they taste the same! Turkey burgers, salmon burgers and veggie burgers are also high on my list of non-beef options. Serve them up on a crispy English muffin topped with all your favorite fixins (hold the mayo), and you have a hearty burger for your next cookout.
Here are my tried-and-true bison, turkey and veggie burger recipes.
Buffalo Burger
Servings: 4 burgers
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground buffalo meat (depends how big of a burger you want)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
Fresh ground pepper
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Separate mixture into 4 equal amounts. Form into burgers and cook to desired doneness. Note: Add 2 tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese to the mixture for a tasty treat.
Nutrition Info: Calories: 197; Total Fat: 6 grams; Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams; Total Carbohydrate: 1 gram; Protein: 31 grams; Sodium: 345 milligrams; Cholesterol: 72 milligrams; Fiber: 0 grams
Arugula and Feta Turkey Burger
Servings: 4 burgers
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground white meat turkey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup raw arugula or baby spinach
2 tablespoon feta cheese crumbles
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large bowl, mix turkey and Dijon mustard. Set aside. In a sauté pan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add spinach or arugula, and cook until just wilted. Remove from pan and roughly chop. Add chopped greens and feta to burger mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well to evenly distribute. Separate mixture into 4 equal parts. Form into burger and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side until cooked through.
Nutrition Info: Calories: 178; Total Fat: 4 grams; Saturated Fat: 1 gram; Total Carbohydrate: 1 gram; Protein: 36 grams; Sodium: 298 milligrams; Cholesterol: 60 milligrams; Fiber: 1 gram
Veggie Burger
Servings: 4 burgers
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup black beans
1/4 cup whole-grain panko breadcrumbs
1 cup cooked brown rice or millet
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan. Add onion and garlic and cook on medium heat until translucent. In a food processor, combine beans, bread crumbs, brown rice (or millet), parsley, cumin, onion mixture, remaining oil, salt and pepper. Lightly process (do not puree). Form mixture into 4 equal sized burgers and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cook on a non-stick or oiled surface.
Nutrition Info: Calories: 186; Total Fat: 7 grams; Saturated Fat: 1 gram; Total Carbohydrate: 25 grams; Protein: 5 grams; Sodium: 147 milligrams; Cholesterol: 0 milligram; Fiber: 4 grams
Katie Cavuto Boyle, MS, RD, owns HealthyBites, LLC and is a finalist on The Next Food Network Star, which airs Sundays on Food Network.
Where could I find buffalo meat? It's sure not something I can find at the local supermarket!
Wow, the food recipes looks so amazing. It is not only delicious, they are also healthy too. If only the food being offered in fast food and other restaurants are healthy like these, then we won't be minding our health because of food.
I found it at my Super Target….. it is really good
Buffalo or Bison is much easier to find lately as it has become more possible. Ask the butcher at your local grocery store. If you dont have any luck I know they have it at Trader Joes, Whole Foods and you can purchase it online!
Trader Joe's sells frozen buffalo burgers.
Whole Foods has a variety of cuts and pre-made burgers…sirloin, strip, flank steaks…even short ribs!
Enjoy!
My bro turned me on to Bison several years ago, and I'm grateful. Burgers are my fave food, even more so than chocolate, but I worry about the fat in red meat. Bison has no fat. After you form the patties, washing your hands is so much easier than red meat patties (no clinging fat!). As for the taste, it's excellent, provided you don't leave it on the barbie for too long; it's easy to over-cook it. Without the fat, it's hard to tell if it's done. The taste far surpasses any turkey burger or veggie burger, and I should know, 'cause I was a vegan for 20 years and lived off them 'till I could no longer stand being without my beloved burgers.
Bison = guilt-free burgers! Wait till it goes on sale, then stock up. It's well worth it.
I live near a bison ranch and they make very moist buffalo burgers so I asked how they get them moist without the fat content and they said they soak some bread in milk and add that to the meat when forming the burgers.
Sharon
Can you skip the Dijon mustard in these recipes? If not (for moisture reasons or something) what do you suggest as a replacement? We HATE mustard.
what is bison made from? and can you make the burgers without using milk and mustard?
Katie, we need someone like you on daily basis. We are all trying to be healthier thinner leaner. We need to see you on daily basis for good wholesome nutritious and tasty meals; so we don't feel deprived. I really want you Katie to have your own show and I and my friends will always watch for daily inspiration and strength to stay on track
You can positively skip the mustard…it just gives it some flavor (you might not even know it is there). You can add some Worcestershire sauce…fresh herbs…even siracha for a little zip! Be Creative…recipes are are start…the fun is in making them your own!
Thanks for the support DiAnna! I appreciate it!
PS…I had bison sausage from my local, organic farm this weekend! Yummy!
You cannot taste the mustard in the bison burgers. Use Worchestershire sauce, does the same thing, but a little stronger taste.
I don't know where you live but I just bought buffalo burges from Whole Foods in Providence, RI. Also, I just bought the buffalo ground beef from BJ's Wholesale Club in South Attleboro, Mass.