Turmeric Free Basil-Pesto Beef Burgers
Juicy, herb-forward, and completely free of turmeric, these beef burgers are a serious crowd-pleaser for anyone navigating that particular spice restriction. The star of the show is a vibrant homemade basil pesto — built with fresh basil, tiger nuts instead of the usual pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon — that gets spooned generously over each patty right before serving. Tiger nuts bring a mild, slightly sweet nuttiness that works beautifully here, and every ingredient in the pesto is straightforward and easy to verify. The beef patties themselves are seasoned simply with salt and ground ginger, then seared in coconut oil until deeply browned and cooked through to a safe 160°F. Skipping the bun entirely in favor of crisp butter lettuce wraps keeps things light and lets the pesto really shine without any hidden seasonings sneaking in from a store-bought roll. A few rings of thinly sliced red onion on top add a little sharpness that rounds out every bite. This is the kind of burger that feels indulgent and fresh at the same time — and it comes together in one skillet with zero compromise on flavor.
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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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