Chicken Free Basil-Pesto Beef Burgers
These burgers bring serious flavor to the table — juicy, deeply browned beef patties crowned with a vibrant, herb-forward pesto that you make fresh right in the food processor. The pesto leans on tiger nuts instead of the more common pine nuts, giving it a subtly sweet, earthy richness that pairs beautifully with the savory beef. A touch of ground ginger in the seasoning adds a quiet warmth that makes every bite feel a little more interesting than your average backyard burger. Cooking the patties in coconut oil over high heat builds that gorgeous, caramelized crust that holds up perfectly even without a bun. Butter lettuce wraps keep things light and crisp, letting the beef and pesto stay front and center. This is the kind of recipe that feels impressive enough for guests but is genuinely straightforward to pull off on a weeknight.
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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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