Disclaimer: This avocado burger recipe contains meat.
Unlike a typical avocado burger recipe, this one does not only serve burger buns with veggies and sliced avocado. A burger must have protein, and we won’t have it any other way.
So, between the buns is a 1-inch juicy meat patty, properly seasoned and drowning in our chunky, creamy avocado sauce. The sauce bears a great resemblance to guacamole, filled with fresh herbs and chunks of onions, and gives the burgers a Mexican-like twist.
And as with any other burger, the preparation is going to be super easy.
Are Avocado Burgers Healthy?
Avocado is a superfood. A 7-oz fruit is an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals, including potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin K, and vitamin C. The same amount also contains around 26 g healthy unsaturated fat, 17 g carbohydrates, and some fiber. By having this fruit alone, the meal is already abundant in nutrients. That’s impressive.
What avocado lacks is protein, which is the reason we make these burgers with meat. The amount we used brings the protein of each portion to 20 g, around 40% of the recommended daily value.
Each burger is also made so that it has less than 500 calories, less than 600 mg of sodium, and no more than 10 g of saturated fat.
Ingredients for This Recipe (and What to Do With Them)
For the avocado sauce, you’ll need:
- Avocados, very ripe ones.
- Red onion; garlic; jalapenos; and cilantro, finely chopped. Amounts to your liking.
- Salt.
You can use a blender for a smooth texture instead of mashing everything by hand, but we highly recommend having chunks in the sauce.
For the beef patties, you’ll need ground beef, ground pork (for a softer texture) garlic, onion, cilantro, salt, pepper, and paprika. Once mixed thoroughly, form the mixture into 4 balls by hand, and flatten each ball so they’re 1” in thickness.
The ground beef we chose is 85% lean—although high, the fat is necessary in keeping the patties moist. If you want to use a leaner option, we suggest adding some olive oil.
To cook the patties, you can put them on the grill or use a grill pan as we do. A pan also works fine, but the patties won’t come out with the beautiful char marks.
Once they’re done, all that’s left to do is assemble. We’re using traditional sesame soft buns sliced in half and toasted in the same grill pan, lettuce cleaned and chopped, and thinly sliced tomatoes.
Unlike other burger recipes, ours doesn’t call for ketchup or mustard because we’re trying to keep the sodium as low as possible. The burgers tasted fine to us, only moderately salty. If you still feel like adding your favorite sauces to it, do so, but while taking your sodium intake into consideration.
Instructions for Making Ahead (and Storing)
You can prepare burgers in advance for a large cookout, but to do so, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Can You Thaw the Patties in Advance?
For sure, the patties are easy to prepare and to store, but the big question is, are you the type of person who always forgets to thaw their meat? Thick, frozen patties are likely to be cooked on the outside and dead cold in the middle, and there’s no cooking method to prevent that (except for sous vide).
There are, however, some easy solutions to prevent that predicament in the first place:
- Set a reminder on your phone 12 hours prior to the cookout. When it rings, move the meat from the freezer to the fridge section.
- Make the patties 1/2” instead of 1”, and everyone can have two patties on the same burger instead of one thick one. They won’t be as juicy as when they’re thicker, but they’re still better than half-cooked patties.
Keep the Veggies Dry
Tomatoes refrigerate well and easily keep for about 4 days. Lettuce, however, requires special treatment. A few days in the fridge with the moisture left over from rinsing is all it takes for it to get dark spots and look bad.
So instead of getting the kind that doesn’t require rinsing, like organic, which may come at a higher price, pat your lettuce dry with a paper towel. You can use a vegetable spinner, too. Lay the leaves in a large airtight container, with more paper towels in between the layers, and seal.
When you get them out, they can be a little soft and non-springy. A quick bath in cool water should get them alive and crunchy like when fresh.
Keep the Avocado Sauce Unsalted
Salt draws moisture from foods, so your sauce may separate into two layers when left to sit for a few days. It’s still edible, but it doesn’t look very appealing.
Apart from this, keep the sauce in an airtight container to reduce oxidation. The sauce will still turn a darker color in a few days if you do, but it’d become dark and possibly spoil more quickly if you don’t.
If you don’t mind the sour taste, store the sauce in a mason jar, and squeeze in half a lime to seal the top. Acidic fruits like citrus can prevent oxidation. When serving, mix everything well.
Avocado Burger
Disclaimer: This avocado burger recipe contains meat. For a vegan version, replace the same amount of meat with canned kidney beans.
- cook TIME 17 mins
- prep TIME 8 mins
- total TIME 25 mins
- COURSE Main Dish
- CUISINE Global
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 490 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 12 oz avocado
- 4 hamburger buns
- 6 oz 85% lean ground beef
- 4 oz 85% lean ground pork
- 2 oz romaine (finely chopped)
- 1 oz yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 oz red onion (finely chopped)
- 4 oz tomato slices
- 0.5 oz jalapeno (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt (divided)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp garlic (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
- 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
INSTRUCTIONS
PREPARATION
Peel and chop a yellow onion. Measure out 1 oz.
Finely chop a handful of cilantro leaves. Measure out 1/4 tsp.
Slice 2 avocados in half, pit them, and scrape the flesh into a bowl. Measure out 12 oz.
Peel and chop half a red onion. Measure out 1 oz.
Measure out 0.5 oz jalapenos (or to your liking). Chop off the heads, slice them open, remove the seeds and white parts, and finely chop the flesh.
Peel about 6 cloves of garlic and finely chop them. Measure out 2 tbsp.
Slice 4 oz tomatoes.
Finely chop 2 oz Romaine lettuce.
INSTRUCTIONS
To a large mixing bowl, add 6 oz ground beef, 4 oz ground pork, 1 oz yellow onion, 1 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp paprika, and 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning. Mix well.
Divide the mixture into four portions. Wear gloves, roll each portion into balls, and flatten the balls into 1” thick patties. Put them on a clean dish and set them aside.
Next, in a large bowl, add 12 oz avocado, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1 oz red onion, 0.5 oz jalapeno, 2 tbsp garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt.
Mash together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.
Heat a grill pan (or just a pan) over medium heat, and melt 1/2 tbsp butter. Add the patties and cook each side for 5 minutes. Do not flip too soon—the patties are more likely to break.
Once done, transfer the patties onto a plate and set aside. Slice 4 hamburger buns in half, and cook the bottom half in the same pan for 1 minute over medium heat. Put aside.
Melt the remaining butter (1 tbsp) and cook the top half for 2 minutes as well. Put aside.
Assemble the burger by first putting a good amount of lettuce and some tomato slices on the bottom bun.
Next to go on top the avocado mash, the patty, and the top bun. If possible, hold everything together with a burger pick.
Enjoy!
