Macadamia Free Basil-Pesto Beef Burgers
Juicy, herb-forward, and wrapped in crisp butter lettuce, these burgers deliver everything you want from a backyard classic with a bright, punchy twist. The homemade pesto is the real star here — fresh basil, garlic, and tiger nuts blitzed with good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon create a sauce that's vibrant and nutty without relying on the tree nuts that make so many store-bought pestos off-limits. Tiger nuts are actually a small root vegetable, so they bring that satisfying richness and texture while keeping the recipe completely free of macadamia and other tree nut concerns. The beef patties themselves are seasoned simply with salt and a touch of ground ginger, then seared in coconut oil until deeply browned and cooked through — that crust is everything. Skipping the bun in favor of butter lettuce keeps things light and lets the pesto really shine without anything competing for attention. This is the kind of recipe that looks impressive on the plate but comes together with minimal fuss, making it just as weeknight-friendly as it is weekend-cookout worthy.
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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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