Best Burgers for Holiday BBQs and Grilling Parties

It just wouldn't be a backyard BBQ without juicy burgers on the grill.  In honor of the upcoming holiday we've compiled our favorite burger recipes perfect for a get-together of any size!  Here you'll find recipes that can be made with turkey, chicken, buffalo or beef so if you want to make a swap it's easy! So fire up the grill and make these crowd-pleasers this weekend. 

BLT CHEESEBURGER

• 12-18 oz lean ground grass fed beef*
• Lower Sodium Montreal Steak Seasoning©
• 2-3 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into ½ oz slices (or any hard cheese of your choice)*
• 4 slices uncured bacon, cooked
• 2 Sandwich Thin Buns
• Lettuce
• 8 oz Tomato, sliced
• Cooking Spray

*MRC Clients refer to your menu for exact protein portion sizes. This recipe uses 3 servings of ground beef and 1 serving of hard cheese.

Directions:

1. Form the ground beef into four equal patties and sprinkle each side with Lower Sodium Montreal Steak Seasoning.
2. Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat, then spray with cooking spray.
3. Add the patties and cook about 3 minutes, then flip and top each with a ½ oz slice of cheddar.
4. Cover and continue cooking 3 more minutes for medium rare.
5. Once cooked, place burger on ½ of Sandwich Thin Bun.
6. Top burger with 1 slice bacon, 2 oz tomato and lettuce leaf.

Makes 4 Servings | Serving Size: 1 dressed burger | One Serving Replaces: 1 protein, 1 healthy fat, 1 carbohydrate, and 1/4 serving vegetables

SALSA BURGER

Patty:

• 12-18 oz. lean ground beef, buffalo or turkey breast*
• 1/2 - 1 TBSP Low Sodium Montreal Steak Seasoning

Toppings:

• 2-3 oz. cheddar cheese, sliced*
• 4 slices uncured bacon, cooked
• 8 oz. Chunky Pepper Salsa (recipe follows)

*MRC Clients: refer to your menu for exact protein portion sizes. This recipe uses 3 servings ground meat and 1 serving hard cheese.

Directions:

1. Gently mix together ground meat and Montreal Steak Seasoning; form into 4 patties.
2. Use your thumb to make a shallow impression in middle of each burger to allow even cooking.
3. Grill patties over medium high heat until desired doneness.
4. Quickly divide evenly and place cheese slices and bacon on hot burgers.
5. Finish off your burger with 2 oz of salsa.

Makes 4 Servings | Serving Size: 1 dressed burger | One Serving Replaces: 1 protein, 2 oz. raw vegetables, 1 healthy fat

Chunky Pepper Salsa

• 4 oz. diced tomatoes
• 2 oz. diced fresh green chilies
• 2 oz. diced colored bell peppers
• 1 Tbsp. dried cilantro
• 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
• Coarse ground sea salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Mix together all ingredients.
2. For best results let flavors blend for several hours before serving.

Makes 4 Servings | Serving Size: 1/4 recipe | One Serving Replaces: 1/4 serving vegetables

TURKEY SAUERKRAUT BURGERS

Ingredients:

• 8-12 oz. ground turkey breast*
• 12 oz. sauerkraut, drained and divided
• 8 oz. green onions, sliced
• 3 egg whites, beaten
• 1/4 C. dijonnaise
• 2-3 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded*

*MRC Clients: refer to your menu for exact protein portion sizes. This recipe uses 2 servings ground meat, 1 serving egg whites, and 1 serving hard cheese.

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Shape into 4 equal sized patties.
3. Grill until no longer pink, flipping once throughout cooking (about 6 minutes each side).

Makes 4 Servings | Serving Size: 1 burger | One Serving Replaces: 1 protein, 1 vegetable, 1 healthy fat

JALAPENO BURGERS

• 16-24 oz. ground turkey breast*
• 2 jalepeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 TBSP corriander or 3 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 medium egg
• Montreal Steak Seasoning

*MRC Clients: refer to your menu for exact protein portion sizes. This recipes uses 4 servings ground turkey breast.

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine turkey, jalapenos, garlic, egg, and cilantro.
2. Form mixture into 4 patties and sprinkle both sides of patties with desired amount of lower sodium Montreal Steak Seasoning.
3. Grill 4 to 5 minutes each side on a grill or skillet over medium heat.

Makes 4 Servings | Serving Size: 1 burger patty | One Serving Replaces: 1 protein serving

APPLE MAPLE BURGERS

• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
• 16-24 oz. ground white meat such as turkey breast or chicken breast*
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ¾ tsp. nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1 TBSP Splenda or other zero-calorie sweetener
• 1 tsp. maple extract

*MRC Clients: refer to your menu for exact protein portion sizes. This recipe uses 4 servings ground lean meat.

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined in a bowl and form into patties (you can use a spoon here, but we recommend just getting in there with your hands!)
2. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray and cook patties over medium heat, approximately 5-7 minutes per side. Internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F.

Makes 4 Servings | Serving Size: 1 burger patty | One Serving Replaces: 1 protein, 1/2 carbohydrate

RANCH BURGERS

• 16-24 oz. ground turkey breast*
• 1 egg
• 16 saltines, crushed; OR 12 Melba rounds, crushed; OR 1 C. oats
• 1 packet of dry ranch seasoning

*MRC Clients refer to your menu for exact portion sizes. This recipe uses 4 servings of ground turkey breast.

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until evenly incorporated.
2. Shape into 4 patties.
3. Grill or sauté in a pan sprayed with Pam until cooked through.
4. Serve with your favorite plan-friendly toppings such as lettuce, tomato, avocado, mustard, MRC Mayo, and more (remember to factor these additional toppings into your serving calculations).

Makes 4 Servings | Serving Size: 1 patty | One Serving Replaces: 1 protein and 1 carboydrate

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