Sesame Free Basil-Pesto Beef Burgers
Juicy, herb-loaded, and wrapped in crisp butter lettuce, these burgers deliver serious flavor without a bun in sight. The real star is the vibrant basil pesto made from scratch — fresh leaves, garlic, lemon juice, and tiger nuts blended with good olive oil into a sauce that's bright, a little nutty, and completely addictive spooned over a hot patty. Tiger nuts stand in for the traditional pine nuts, making this pesto naturally free from the sesame and other allergens that sneak into so many store-bought versions. The 80/20 ground beef gets a subtle warmth from ground ginger and a proper sear in coconut oil, building a deeply browned crust that holds up beautifully under all that green sauce. Butter lettuce leaves do double duty as a wrap, keeping things light while still feeling like a proper, satisfying meal. If you're used to scanning labels for hidden sesame in sauces, condiments, and burger seasonings, cooking everything from scratch here means you stay in full control of every single ingredient. It's the kind of weeknight dinner that looks impressive, tastes even better, and comes together without any stress.
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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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