Cashew Free Basil-Pesto Beef Burgers
Burgers get a serious upgrade here, with a vibrant homemade basil pesto spooned right over the patty just before serving. The pesto is the real star — bright, garlicky, and blended with tiger nuts instead of the more common tree nuts, which means it's completely free of cashews without sacrificing that rich, slightly creamy texture you expect. Tiger nuts bring a mild, subtly sweet nuttiness that works beautifully with the fresh basil and a hit of lemon juice to keep things lively. The beef patties themselves are seasoned simply with salt and a touch of ground ginger, then seared in coconut oil until deeply browned and juicy — that crust makes all the difference. Skipping the bun in favor of butter lettuce wraps keeps everything fresh and lets the pesto really shine rather than getting lost in bread. A few thin slices of red onion on top add a little sharpness that ties the whole thing together. This is the kind of burger that feels special enough for a weekend cookout but is genuinely straightforward to pull off any night of the week.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ¼ cup tiger nuts, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
For the burgers
- 1 ½ lb ground beef (80/20)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
For serving
- 8 large butter lettuce leaves
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the pesto: combine the basil, tiger nuts, and garlic in a food processor and pulse 8–10 times until coarsely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream and process until the pesto is mostly smooth with a little texture remaining. Add the lemon juice and 1/4 tsp salt, pulse once more to combine, then taste and adjust salt. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- 2
Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions (about 6 oz each). Gently form each into a patty roughly 3/4 inch thick, pressing a shallow dimple into the center of each with your thumb. Season both sides evenly with the 1/2 tsp salt and ground ginger.
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