Posted on April 27, 2012 by Jenny Cromack
Recently there has been a lot of burger banter flying around the gym, burgers aren’t necessarily the worst meal in the world when cooked well and served with things other than chips, they can be great nutritional meals packed with protein, vitamins and minerals.
I’m not talking about McDonalds or Burger King etc, their food is terrible and if you fed it to your dog odds are your dog would be ill!
I’m talking about lean fresh minces, fresh fish and vegetables combined ingeniously. So here is a series of burger recipes using beef, tuna, turkey and vegetables so there is a burger to suit any tasting preference.
If you’re looking to gain good lean mass and build muscle the pork and beef burgers are perfect for a recovery meal, loaded with protein and essential vitamins. Whereas the turkey, tuna and veggie burgers will provide a filling tasty low calorie meal that’s always more interesting than a salad if your on a weight loss mission. Roast some sweet potato wedges in a small drizzle of olive oil, serve with salad or roasted veg and you have a nice healthy meal!
The era of McDonalds is over…….. long live the Motive8 healthy burger range.
CB
Beef burger with sweet potato chilli chips
467 kcalories, protein 31g, carbohydrate 57g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 7g, sugar 15g, salt 1.3 g (serves 4)
Ingredients
4 large, roundish sweet potatoes , cut into chunky chips
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp chilli flakes , plus a pinch
400g pack extra-lean beef mince
1 onion , grated
1 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
4 small wholemeal buns , halved
1 Little Gem lettuce , leaved separated
1 beef tomato , sliced
1 red onion , sliced (optional)
4 pickles or gherkins , halved
1.Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7. Toss the chips with the oil, 1 tsp chilli flakes and some seasoning. Arrange in a single layer on a large baking tray and cook for about 30 mins, turning halfway through.
2.Put the mince, remaining chilli flakes, onion, Parmesan, tomato ketchup and lots of black pepper in a large bowl and mix to combine. Shape into 4 burgers. Ten mins before the chips are ready, put the burgers on a baking tray and bake for 10 mins until cooked through.
3.Top one half of the buns with the lettuce, tomato and onion. Add the burgers, then top with the roll tops. Serve with chips and pickles on the side
Jerk beefburger with pineapple relish & sweet potato chips
466 kcalories, protein 26.0g, carbohydrate 46.0g, fat 20.0 g, saturated fat 7.0g, fibre 5.0g, sugar 10.0g, salt 0.3 g (serves 4)
Ingredients Method
4 very large sweet potatoes
1.0 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red onion , ½ grated and ½ finely chopped
1 carrot , grated
400g/ 14oz beef mince
2.0 tsp jerk seasoning (we used Bart)
200g/7oz fresh pineapple (we used pre-cut packet), finely chopped
1 red chilli , deseeded and finely chopped
small handful coriander , roughly chopped
juice 1 lime
lettuce and wholewheat burger buns , to serve
1.Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5. Scrub the potatoes and cut into chips. Lay the chips in a single layer on a baking tray, drizzle with oil, season and toss to coat. Bake for 40 mins until crisp
2.Mix together the grated onion, carrot, mince and jerk seasoning in a large bowl, then shape into 4 evenly sized patties.
3.Heat a non-stick frying pan till hot, then cook the burgers for 5-6 mins each side.
4.To make the relish, mix the chopped onion, pineapple, chilli, coriander and lime juice. To serve, place the burgers in split buns with some lettuce and the spicy relish. Serve with the crispy chips.
Pork, apple & sage burger with caramelised onions
514 kcalories, protein 46.9g, carbohydrate 22.3g, fat 27 g, saturated fat 10.6g, fibre 2.5g, salt 0.51 g (serves 4)
Ingredients
900g minced pork
1 onion , finely chopped
1 cooking apple , peeled and finely grated
1 egg
handful sage
3 onions , sliced
2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
butter
1.To caramelise the onions, cook them with the sugar and a large knob of butter over a very gentle heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, mix all the burger ingredients together in a bowl and season well. Shape into four burgers, then fry over a medium heat for 6-7 minutes each side until cooked in the middle.
2.Serve on toasted buns with the caramelised onions, a green salad
Lemon & thyme turkey burgers
206 kcalories, protein 31g, carbohydrate 3g, fat 8 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 1g, sugar 2g, salt 0.69 g (serves 4)
Ingredients
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion , finely chopped
500g pack minced turkey
zest 1 lemon
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried
2 tbsp chopped parsley
4 thin rashers streaky bacon
buns, lettuce leaves, sliced tomato and tomato sauce , to serve
1.Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a small pan, add the onion, fry for a few mins until lightly browned and soft, then cool. Mix the turkey with the lemon zest, thyme, parsley, onion and seasoning until well combined.
2.Shape the mixture into 4 burgers and wrap a rasher of bacon around each. Put in a roasting tin, bake for 20-25 mins, then pan-fry for a few mins on each side to crisp up the bacon. Serve in a bun with lettuce, sliced tomato, tomato sauce and roasted vegetables.
Tangy tuna burgers
97 kcalories, protein 12g, carbohydrate 1g, fat 5 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 0g, salt 0.74 g (serves 2)
Ingredients
200g fresh tuna steaks
1 garlic clove , finely chopped
small knob fresh ginger , peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
handful coriander leaves, chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil
burger buns , lettuce leaves, sliced tomato and avocado, to serve
1.Chop the tuna into small chunks, then carry on chopping until the tuna is roughly minced. Tip the tuna into a bowl and mix with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce and coriander. Shape into two burgers, place on a plate, then freeze for 10 mins to firm up.
2.Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, then cook the burgers for 1-2 mins on each side or until done to your liking. Serve the burgers in toasted buns with lettuce, tomato and avocado.
Garlic & mushroom burgers
228 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 23g, fat 11 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 3g, sugar 1g, salt 1.05 g (serves 4)
Ingredients
4 portobello or field mushrooms , stalks trimmed
1 tsp sunflower oil
50g vegetarian Gruyère , grated
1 garlic clove , crushed
1 tbsp butter , softened
4 wholegrain burger buns , split and toasted
1.Heat grill to high. Rub the mushrooms with oil; set on a baking sheet. Grill for 3 mins on each side until cooked, but still firm. Mix the cheese, garlic, butter and seasoning in a bowl, then spoon into the mushrooms. Grill until the cheese melts, then stuff into toasted buns with salad.