Teriyaki burger

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Summer means BBQ, which means lots of burgers. You will never catch me complaining about burgers. A recent trip to the supermarket scored a pineapple for cheap, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it: grill it on the BBQ, then smash it on a burger! I love grilled pineapple on burgers, and I don’t think it should be saved for chicken burgers. I know that might sound like I’ve lost my mind (maybe I have, but stick with me a moment), grilled pineapple can work with beef burgers as long as you bring a little something special to the party, teriyaki sauce. 

Make your own

If you are like me and you try to avoid mass-produced processed foods, the best option is to make your own. When you make your own, you control which ingredients you use and how much or how sweet you want it to be. Once you have a go at making your own and realise how easy it is, you will never go back to store-bought again. I try my best to stay away from soy and sugar, but it’s hard to avoid when it comes to teriyaki sauce, which is why I make my own. As a bonus to these kick-ass burgers, here is my teriyaki sauce recipe, which is super easy to make.

Back to the burgers

A long time ago, I had to get creative to get two small boys to eat vegetables without it turning into a war of wills. Very finely chopped vegetables are easy to sneak into burgers, and even when discovered, there is very little chance the burger will go uneaten. Nowadays, I don’t need to hide vegetables; I can openly include them and enjoy every bite. For this recipe, the carrot and spring onion not only add some flavour and texture but also a nice pop of colour and help balance the sweetness of the pineapple. 

Teriyaki burger recipe

Ingredients

  • 900g minced beef
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 3 spring onions, chopped
  • 1 tsp. ginger
  • 1 tsp. coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 8 pineapple slices

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the beef mince, carrot, spring onions, ginger, garlic powder and coconut aminos.

Try not to overwork the meat, mix it enough to bring it all together and spread the flavours.

Divide the meat into eight portions and shape them into burger patties.

Place the burgers on a lined baking tray.

Spread a little of the teriyaki sauce over each burger.

Cover the burgers and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Cook your burgers over high heat, either on a BBQ or in a griddle pan.

Add a little of the teriyaki sauce to each side while cooking. 

Depending on the thickness of your burgers, it should take about 5 minutes per side.

While the burgers are cooking, start grilling the pineapple; it should take 3 minutes on each side, or until it begins to caramelise. If you are cooking on a BBQ, the pineapple may cook more quickly. Keep it away from direct heat so it doesn’t burn.

Serve the burgers on a lettuce bun with a grilled pineapple slice.

“Teriyaki

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Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

  • 900g minced beef
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 3 spring onions, chopped
  • 1 tsp. ginger
  • 1 tsp. coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 8 pineapple slices

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the beef mince, carrot, spring onions, ginger, garlic powder and coconut aminos.
  2. Try not to overwork the meat, mix it enough to bring it all together and spread the flavours.
  3. Divide the meat into eight portions and shape them into burger patties.
  4. Place the burgers on a lined baking tray.
  5. Spread a little of the teriyaki sauce over each burger.
  6. Cover the burgers and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
  7. Cook your burgers over high heat, either on a BBQ or in a griddle pan.
  8. Add a little of the teriyaki sauce to each side while cooking.
  9. Depending on the thickness of your burgers, it should take about 5 minutes per side.
  10. While the burgers are cooking, start grilling the pineapple; it should take 3 minutes on each side, or until it begins to caramelise. If you are cooking on a BBQ, the pineapple may cook more quickly. Keep it away from direct heat so it doesn’t burn.
  11. Serve the burgers on a lettuce bun with a grilled pineapple slice.

Nutrition

Per Serving:187 calories; 4.6g fat; 15.2g carbohydrates; 22.5g protein

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Baking tray
  • Beeswax wrap
  • BBQ or Griddle pan
  • Sauce brush
  • Spatula
  • Tongs 

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.

Jalapeno burgers

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Who doesn’t want to have simple and tasty meals?

Maintaining a clean eating lifestyle is all about keeping things simple; if it is complicated, you make it harder for yourself. My focus recently has been on creating recipes that can be prepared and cooked quickly on a busy weeknight.

We all struggle to make healthy and tasty meals while keeping on top of everything else in life. This recipe is healthy, delicious and easy to make. You can cook on a single tray in the oven, and it is cooked in under 30 minutes. The preparation takes no more than 20 minutes, involving all the slicing, dicing, and mixing.  Each meal is portioned to feed four adults.

Jalapeno burgers

Takeaway alternative

We all love a naughty takeaway, but we can all live without the extra calories and the expanding waistlines. You don’t need to live without your takeaway; swap it out for a delicious and healthier fakeaway. These burgers have quickly become one of my favourite burgers to make. During the many months of COVID lockdown here in Auckland, these burgers were my go-to cheat meal. Even with lockdowns a distant memory, I still break these burgers out when I’m craving something naughty but don’t want all the processed crap that comes from real takeout. The best thing about these burgers is the cheese-filled open top; the filling delivers a light cheese crust with a beautifully creamy and spicy filling. 

Jalapeno burger recipe

Jalapeno burger ingredients

Ingredients 

  • 1 jalapeno pepper 
  • 1 tbsp. yoghurt 
  • 4 tbsp. mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 30g Goat cheese
  • 180g minced beef
  • 1 garlic clove, minced 
  • 1/2 tbsp. Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes 
  • Sea salt 
  • Ground pepper 

Slice jalapeño in half, remove the seeds and finely chop them.

Chopped jalapeno

In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, mozzarella, goat cheese, and jalapeño. 

Cheese

Take a small muffin tray and divide the cheese mix between 6 cups of the muffin tray.

Place the muffin tray in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / 360 degrees F

Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone liner

Baking tray and silicone liner

While the cheese is chilling, start on the burger mix.

Take a large mixing bowl and add the meat, garlic, cumin, sea salt, and ground pepper. 

Beef mince
Beef mince

Mix the meat well and divide it into six portions.

Burger mix divided

Remove the muffin tray from the freezer and remove the cheese mix from the tray.

Take one portion of meat and flatten it out into a pattie.

Add a cheese portion to the centre of the pattie and bring the meat up around the cheese gently.

You should have enough meat to cover most of the cheese; leave a small opening at the top of the burger.

Bake at 180 degrees C / 360 degrees F for 20 minutes.

The outside of the burger should be brown, and the cheese is bubbling out the top.

Jalapeno burgers fresh from the oven

Serve on a bed of lettuce or between two quick rounds.

Jalapeno burger

  • Rating: ★★★★★
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“An



Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats 

Ingredients

  • 1 Jalapeno pepper 
  • 1 tbsp. yoghurt 
  • 4 tbsp. mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 30g Goat cheese
  • 500g minced beef
  • 1 garlic clove, minced 
  • 1/2 tbsp. Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes 
  • Sea salt 
  • Ground pepper
    • 


Directions

  1. Slice jalapeño in half, remove the seeds and finely chop them.
  2. In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, mozzarella, goat cheese, and jalapeño. 
  3. Take a small muffin tray and divide the cheese mix between 6 cups of the muffin tray.
  4. Place the muffin tray in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / 360 degrees F
  6. Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone liner
  7. While the cheese is chilling, start on the burger mix.
  8. Take a large mixing bowl and add the meat, garlic, cumin, sea salt, and ground pepper. 
  9. Mix the meat well and divide it into six portions.
  10. Remove the muffin tray from the freezer and remove the cheese mix from the tray.
  11. Take one portion of meat and flatten it out into a pattie.
  12. Add a cheese portion to the centre of the pattie and bring the meat up around the cheese gently.
  13. You should have enough meat to cover most of the cheese; leave a small opening at the top of the burger.
  14. Bake at 180 degrees C / 360 degrees F for 20 minutes.
  15. The outside of the burger should be brown, and the cheese is bubbling out the top.
  16. Serve on a bed of lettuce or between two quick rounds.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 158 calories; 8 g fat; 1 g carbohydrates; 19 g protein

Equipment

  • Knife
  • Chopping board
  • Fork
  • Small mixing bowl
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Measuring spoons
  • Kitchen scale
  • Silicone muffin pan
  • Spoon
  • Baking tray
  • Baking paper or silicone liner

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.

Avocado burger buns

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Ready for more grain-free bread, please

It’s time to break out the BBQ down here in the Southern Hemisphere, which means lots of burgers being made in the sunshine. I’m not looking to add all the carbs that go with the beef burgers, so I’ve been whipping up quick bread with a twist.  

Avocado abundance 

Whenever avocados are in season, I try to make the most of them. We all know that avocados have a small window of perfect ripeness, and they all hit that point simultaneously. So as not to waste them, I buy and then freeze the avocado pulp. To make my quick break a little more interesting, I’ve used some avocado pulp to make my burger buns extra. If you have fresh avocados, they also work for this recipe. If you use frozen avocado pulp, make sure it is completely thawed before folding it into the mix.

Burger buns recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 avocados 
  • 4 tbsp. buckwheat flour
  • 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C/ 320 degrees F. 

Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone liner. 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites for 30 seconds using an electric whisk or stand mixer. 

Add the cream of tartar and keep whisking on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Place the avocado flesh into a food processor, and blend until you get a smooth puree.

Add the avocado puree to the egg whites.

Add the buckwheat flour and baking soda to the bowl with the egg whites.

Use a spatula to combine the ingredients together; fold the ingredients together, don’t stir them. 

You want a smooth, fluffy batter.

Divide the batter into 12 rounds on the baking tray.

Bake the buns for 15 – 20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.

Remove the buns from the oven and transfer the buns on the baking paper to a cooling rack.

Let the buns cool for 10 minutes before filling them up with burgers.

Remove the buns from the oven and transfer the buns on the baking paper to a cooling rack.

Let the buns cool for 10 minutes before filling them up with burgers.

“Avocado

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“What



Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats 

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 avocados 
  • 4 tbsp. buckwheat flour
  • 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C/ 320 degrees F. 
  2. Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone liner. 
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites for 30 seconds using an electric whisk or stand mixer. 
  4. Add the cream of tartar and keep whisking on high speed until stiff peaks form.
  5. Place the avocado flesh into a food processor, and blend until you get a smooth puree.
  6. Add the avocado puree to the egg whites.
  7. Add the buckwheat flour and baking soda to the bowl with the egg whites.
  8. Use a spatula to combine the ingredients together; fold the ingredients together, don’t stir them. 
  9. You want a smooth, fluffy batter.
  10. Divide the batter into 12 rounds on the baking tray.
  11. Bake the buns for 15 – 20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.
  12. Remove the buns from the oven and transfer the buns on the baking paper to a cooling rack.
  13. Let the buns cool for 10 minutes before filling them up with burgers.

Nutrition

Per Serving: calories; 4g fat; 4g carbohydrates; 2g protein

Equipment

  • Baking tray
  • Whisk
  • Food processor
  • Spatula
  • Mixing bowl
  • Cooling rack

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.

Lemon chicken burgers

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New freezer favourite

In the last half of 2019, we had a hectic time, the only night on the workweek we had a home with no classes or chores to do. The mass amount of activity and varied nutritional needs meant I needed to get creative to keep everyone happy. I made a few staples to have in the freezer that could be taken out in the morning or thawed in the afternoon to prepare for a quick and healthy meal. These burgers have been one of the firm favourites for weeknight dinners after Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and they are also a firm favourite on the weekends. The kids like to have them as a burger with a bun, I love them with a lettuce bun or chopped up in a burger salad.

Lemon chicken burger in a lettuce bun.
Lemon chicken burgers

A moment of pride

When I was working on the recipe for these burgers, it was a weekend, and I was playing around to try to make the raw mixture smell right. As I was there playing in the kitchen getting ready to fry up the first burger when the youngest member of the clan arrived home from a birthday party. He arrived home clutching a bag from MacDonald’s with the chicken nuggets and chips he got from the party but couldn’t eat. As is the way he stood in the kitchen nattering to us about the movie he saw, what he did, what his friends said and what he said. When Liam took a breath, I managed to ask if he wanted any dinner with us. He said he wasn’t hungry when he was. He would eat the nuggets and chips when he was. Not long after I was building lettuce bun burgers for Jaime and myself when Jaime pops into the kitchen asking if I could make another burger for Liam. Apparently, he liked the smell of the burgers; they smelled a lot better than his chicken nuggets. The bag from MacDonald’s was put to one side while he demolished a homemade chicken burger. I was so proud. 

Sadly the chicken nuggets were eaten for lunch the next day along with the chips, but I still hold on to the fact that when offered, he picked my burger over MacDonald’s.

Lemon chicken burgers

Lemon chicken burger ingredients

Ingredients 

  • 500g chicken mince
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
Add the chicken mince to a large bowl.
Add the chicken mince to a large bowl.
Add the egg, garlic and cheese to the mince.
Add the egg, garlic and cheese to the mince.
Add the spring onions and lemon to the bowl.
Add the spring onions and lemon to the bowl.
Mix the ingredients together with your hands.
Mix the ingredients together with your hands.
Well mixed burger mix.
Well mixed burger mix.
Use a measuring cup to portion out the burgers.
Use a measuring cup to portion out the burgers.
Shape the meat into burger patties.
Shape the meat into burger patties.
Cook the burgers over a medium heat.
Cook the burgers over a medium heat.
Serve in a lettuce bun.
Serve in a lettuce bun.
With cheese and caramelised onions.
With cheese and caramelised onions.
Lemon burger in a lettuce bun.
Enjoy!

Lemon chicken burgers

  • Servings: 8
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Not long ago if I had suggested we have a salad for dinner, that suggestion would have been met with grumbles, groans and complaints. Thankfully that is no longer the case. The first time I made this salad for dinner, I did get the grumbles and groans, then the kids tried some.


Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

  • 500g chicken mince
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

  1. In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients.
  2. Use your hands to get an even mix.
  3. Divide the mix into six portions and shape into burgers try the burgers over medium heat for 6 minutes on each side.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 189 calories; 11 g fat; 2 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein.

Equipment

  • Chopping board
  • Knife
  • Zester
  • Fork
  • Frying pan
  • Spatula
  • Mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Scales

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.