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Three juicy cooked burgers stacked on top of each other on a plate.
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4.86 from 7 votes

Juicy Gourmet Burgers

These gourmet-style burgers are grain-free, gluten-free, incredibly juicy, and full of flavor—perfect for (low-carb) dinners or outdoor picnics.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Courses
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 338kcal

Equipment

  • 12-inch cast iron skillet

Ingredients

Beef and Beet Burger with Feta and Cardamom

  • 2 pounds 80 to 85% lean ground beef 910 grams
  • 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese 170 grams
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped 50 grams
  • ½ cup grated beets 55 grams
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • Extra salt and black pepper to taste

Ground Beef Burger with Parmesan and Parsley

  • 2 pounds 80 to 85% lean ground beef 910 grams
  • 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese about 1 ⅓ cups/113 grams
  • 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • ½ cup chopped parsley 25 grams
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Extra salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

Ground Beef Burger with Brie, Almond Flour, and Apricots

  • 2 pounds 80 to 85% lean ground beef 910 grams
  • 1 cup blanched almond flour 105 grams
  • 4 ½ ounces soft Brie cheese 130 grams
  • 2 green onions or scallions finely chopped
  • 5 dried apricots, finely chopped 60 grams
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon onion or garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika powder
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Extra salt, and paprika powder to taste

Green Cucumber and Avocado Salad

  • 1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped 320 grams
  • 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and chopped 220 grams
  • 2 large green onions or spring onions chopped
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped 25 grams
  • ½ cup bread and butter pickles, chopped 70 grams
  • 1 cup cloves or broccoli sprouts (optional) 30 grams
  • ¼ cup combo of sunflower and pumpkin seeds 35 grams
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup chopped hard cheese optional

Red Cherry Tomatoes and Bell Pepper Salad

  • 16 ounces mini grape or vine tomatoes, cut in half 454 grams
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin stripes 180 grams
  • 40 grams dandelion greens a good handful, or replace with chopped romaine lettuce or arugula
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Beef and Beet Burgers

  • Place the ground beef in a medium-sized bowl. With your fist, make a dent in the middle of the meat.
  • Add the feta cheese, shallot, grated beets, and balsamic vinegar.
  • Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and cardamom.
  • Start kneading the mixture with your hand until all ingredients are well combined. Ensure that everything is equally divided into the meat. Try to handle the meat as quickly and as little as possible; set it briefly aside.
  • Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat.
  • Divide the meat mixture into six or 8 equally-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Use the palm of your hands to flatten the balls into meat patties.
  • Then cook the meat patties for about 4 to 5 minutes on both sides or until well browned, and the meat is cooked through—season with extra salt to taste and black pepper.

Beef and Parmesan Burgers

  • Place the ground beef in a medium-sized bowl. With your fist, make a dent in the middle of the meat.
  • Add the Parmesan cheese, garlic, and parsley.
  • Season with ½ teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
  • Start kneading the mixture with your hand until all ingredients are well combined. Ensure that everything is equally divided into the meat. Try to handle the meat as quickly and as little as possible; set it briefly aside.
  • Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat.
  • Divide the meat mixture into six or 8 equally-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Use the palm of your hands to flatten the balls into meat patties.
  • Then cook the meat patties for about 4 to 5 minutes on both sides or until well browned, and the meat is cooked through—season with extra salt to taste and black pepper.
  • Season with extra cayenne pepper for a more spicy burger.

Beef and Brie Burgers with Almond Flour and Apricots

  • Place the ground beef in a medium-sized bowl. With your fist, make a dent in the middle of the meat.
  • Add the almond flour, Brie cheese, green onions, and apricots.
  • Season with ½ teaspoon of salt, onion or garlic powder, and paprika powder.
  • Start kneading the mixture with your hand until all ingredients are well combined. Ensure that everything is equally divided into the meat. Try to handle the meat as quickly and as little as possible; set it briefly aside.
  • Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat.
  • Divide the meat mixture into six or 8 equally-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Use the palm of your hands to flatten the balls into meat patties.
  • Then cook the meat patties for about 4 to 5 minutes on both sides or until well browned, and the meat is cooked through—season with extra salt to taste and black pepper.
  • Season with extra paprika powder for a more spicy burger.

Green Cucumber Avocado Salad

  • Combine the chopped cucumber, avocado, onions, cilantro leaves, pickles, sprouts, and seeds in a large salad bowl.
  • Season with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to taste.
  • Toss the salad to ensure that the dressing is evenly distributed.
  • Toss in chopped hard cheese (optional).
  • Let the salad sit for a few minutes before serving.

Tomato and Bell Pepper Salad

  • Combine the tomatoes, bell pepper strips, dandelion greens in a large salad bowl.
  • Season with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper to taste.
  • Toss the salad to ensure that the dressing is evenly distributed.
  • Let the salad sit for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Extra-virgin olive oil: I highly recommend using olive oil. Cooking the burgers in a good quality olive oil makes all the difference, locks in the moisture, and creates incredible flavors.
Ground beef: Juicy burgers start with good ground beef. Go for the best beef you can buy, ideally with at least 15 to 20 percent fat content.
Cooking time: I like mine relatively thick and usually cook for 4-5 minutes on both sides for a well-done burger and 3-4 minutes for a medium one. You can make a dent in the center with your thumb to avoid puffing them up. But that is optional. If you decide to make thinner hamburger patties, adjust the cooking time to maybe anywhere from 2 to 3 minutes, depending on how you like your burger (taste test).
Shaping the hamburger patties: I make my burgers on the thicker side and usually make about six large hamburger patties with the given amount of ingredients. But you could go for ten smaller-sized burgers for maybe an outdoor party. First, divide equally the ground beef into six or ten pieces. Then roll each piece into a ball. Use the palm of your hand to flatten them into patties before placing them directly in the skillet.
Nutrition information is for Beef and Beet Burgers only.
Seasoning tip: Although the ground beef mix is already seasoned, you still have to add extra seasoning while they're sizzling on the stove. If you like your burgers on the spicier side, add more salt and black pepper to taste and add more cayenne or paprika powder.
What to do with cooked leftovers: Store cooked burgers in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container. Then, reheat on the stove, or leftover burgers taste great when served cold, rested for a few minutes at room temperature out of the fridge, chopped, and tossed over a salad like a burger salad bowl.
How to freeze hamburgers: Cover and wrap each uncooked hamburger patty with parchment paper. Then stack carefully in an airtight container. Freeze for about 3 to 4 months. It's best to portion size it to take out what you need to store it in the fridge overnight to cook the next day.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1burger | Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 93IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 3mg