Burgers are delicious, there's no question about it, but I wanted to share some healthier options that are easy to swap out yet still provide that same juicy, hearty and fulfilling burger loving experience!
Healthier Burgers with a Bite: Salmon, Turkey, more!
- Yield: 8
Ingredients
- Turkey Burger with Whipped Greek Yogurt Goat Cheese:
- 2 lbs lean ground turkey
- ¼ cup minced carrot
- ¼ cup minced celery
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
- ¼ teaspoon sriracha sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Vegetable oil
- 4 slices red onion, ¼
- Sriracha hot sauce
- 4 hamburger buns
- For Whipped Greek Yogurt Goat Cheese:
- 1 cup soft goat cheese
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Pinch kosher salt
- Pinch fresh ground black pepper
- Salmon Burger with Pickled Red Onions and Wasabi Mayo:
- 2 lbs fresh Atlantic salmon fillet, skin & pin bones removed
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
- ¼ teaspoons fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoons Sriracha sauce
- ¼ teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- Vegetable oil
- 4 hamburger buns
- 2 tablespoons pickled ginger
- Pickled Red Onions:
- 1 cup red onions, medium diced
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Wasabi Mayo:
- 1 tablespoon wasabi powder
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon cold water
- ¼ cup mayo
Preparation
- For Turkey Burgers:
- Heat a small non-stick sauté pan over medium heat, add butter
- Once melted, add the carrots & celery & sweat until almost tender
- Add scallions & thyme & mix just until combined
- Remove from heat & allow to cool
- In large bowl, combine the ground turkey, sriracha sauce, egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper & the cooled veggies
- Form into 8oz patties about ½
- Chill burger patties at least one hour
- Heat grill to medium heat & be sure it is clean & well oiled with vegetable oil
- Place turkey burgers on grill, turning once after 5 mins, then again after another 5 mins
- Cook for an additional 8-10 mins after flipping until cooked through & internal temp reaches 160 degrees
- Remove from grill
- Lightly drizzle the sliced red onions with vegetable oil & a pinch of salt & black pepper
- Grill red onions for approx 2 mins on each side
- Remove from heat
- For cheese: combine all ingredients & mix thoroughly
- To assemble: Place each cooked turkey burger on toasted bun with dollop of cheese & red onion
- Enjoy!!
- For Salmon Burgers:
- Finely chop half of the salmon & roughly cube the other half
- Combine all salmon in a bowl with scallions, fish sauce, Sriracha, salt & pepper
- Mix until well blended
- Divide into 4 balls & form into patties
- Chill for at least an hour
- Heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in large nonstick sautee pan over medium heat
- Carefully place each patty into the pan
- Cook on each side for approx 7 mins, until each side is lightly crispy & patty is cooked through
- For Pickled Red Onion:
- Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan
- Heat to a boil & lower to a simmer, simmer for 10 mins until liquid is reduced to almost dry
- Remove from heat & allow to cool
- For Wasabi Mayo: Whisk together the wasabi powder with soy sauce & water to form paste
- Whisk in mayo then chill
- To assemble: Spread half a tablespoon of wasabi mayo onto each bun, top with a salmon patty
- Top each patty with half tablespoon of pickled ginger & half tablespoon of pickled red onion
- Enjoy!!!
Recipe Tags
I'm always a fan of making healthy swaps in my meal choices, especially when it allows me to still enjoy one of the best food inventions ever...The Burger! I showed Matt Lauer, Al Roker, Natalie Morales, Savannah Guthrie and Carson Daly how to make 3 burgers with bite!
And for good measure, I also threw in the not-so-healthy, but equally delectable, famous Rockit Burger!
This post comes from the TODAY Food Club community, where anyone can write posts, ask questions and share advice. Learn more and join us!