13 Fast and Fresh Burger Ideas for Your Summer Barbecues
Ditch greasy in favor of these fresh burger recipes featuring seasonal produce.
When you're really craving a juicy burger—but want to skip the grease—try these healthy burgers. Each better-for-you recipe piles on fresh produce to add nutrients, whether it's a veggie burger, black bean burger, meatless burger, or classic beef. All of them are ready in 45 minutes or less for hassle-free weeknight cooking.
Air Fryer Greek Turkey Burgers
You already love your air fryer for the perfectly crispy foods it makes with almost no oil, and it can make a healthy burger too. Use ground turkey, fresh oregano, and crushed red pepper in the burger patties, then let your air fryer take over. Top with lots of fresh spinach, red onion, and crumbles of feta cheese.
Burger with the Garden
Kick traditional beef burgers up a notch by using garden-fresh produce as toppers. Shop for the ingredients at your local farmers market (or in your own backyard)—each one is topped with thick slices of summer squash, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and red onions. A wedge of blue cheese on top makes this fresh burger decadent too.
Thai-Style Tuna Burger
One way to make burgers healthier without giving up the meat is to swap to something a little leaner than beef, like tuna. These Thai-inspired burgers combine fish with breadcrumbs, fresh ginger, and Asian chili sauce to give them plenty of flavor. Finish this healthy burger with fresh toppers like microgreens and mini bell peppers.
Mini Gyro Burgers with Watermelon-Feta Salad
Just like burgers, homemade gyros are easy to pile high with fresh ingredients. These burger patties get a Greek twist with a combo of ground turkey and lamb (or beef, if you prefer), fresh mint, and oregano. Serve on classic buns or whole wheat pita, then finish each fresh burger with watermelon, more mint, and feta.
Zucchini-Carrot Burgers
Want to really make a healthy burger? Rather than just topping with fresh ingredients, incorporate veggies into the patty too! This vegetarian recipe has all the healthy toppers you love (tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumber) plus carrots and zucchini mixed into the meatless patty.
White Bean Burgers with Spinach
Make all the vegetarians (and the meat lovers, too) at your cookout happy by serving up a meatless meal. This healthy burger patty has cannellini beans for protein, carrots, and an outer coating of breadcrumbs to make it extra crispy. Top each one off with plenty of spinach, and any other toppings you're craving.
Veggie-Turkey Burgers
There's some shredded carrot and green onion hidden in the meat patties of these healthy turkey burgers so no one has to know they're there—unless you want them to. Pile these burgers high with fresh veggie toppers like spiralized zucchini, lettuce, and tomatoes for maximum nutrition. Serving on whole wheat buns also makes this fresh burger recipe healthier.
Lentil Veggie Burgers
This meatless burger option is plenty hearty thanks to lentils and mushrooms—two foods that eat like meat. If you haven't already learned how to cook lentils, this fiber-packed burger is a good reason to learn. For extra veggies, this healthy burger also has sweet potatoes worked into each patty.
Buffalo Chicken Burgers
The favorite flavor combo of buffalo sauce and blue cheese make this healthy chicken burger recipe irresistible. It's the most delicious way to make buffalo chicken healthier, and everyone at the table will devour every last bite. Don't forget to serve with plenty of tomato slices and lettuce leaves to add extra freshness.
Cumin-Crusted Veggie Burgers with Pineapple Salsa
Healthy burger recipes don't get much easier. You don't even have to make the patty in this recipe. Start with your favorite brand of purchased meatless burger, then coat it in toasted cumin seeds and stir together a fresh pineapple salsa to serve on top. It's a 20-minute recipe that tastes like a gourmet meal.
Greek Spinach Veggie Burgers
This veggie burger recipe is one of your best meatless burger options. Mediterranean flavors come from olive oil, oregano, and feta. Vegetables make up the bulk of this healthy burger, especially spinach, but it also has eggs for protein.
Salmon Burgers with Lime Mayonnaise
Give beef a break in favor of this omega-3-packed salmon recipe. Fresh green onions, cilantro, and ginger give the salmon patty big, fresh flavor. This healthy burger comes together quickly and cooks in about 8 minutes, but it requires a bit of chilling time, so take that into consideration or use it to your advantage to prep dinner ahead!
Black Bean Cakes with Salsa
Ample chili powder and fresh salsa pack this black bean burger with flavor. The black beans add 12 grams of filling, good-for-you fiber to each fresh burger. Plus, the recipe has corn muffin mix inside so there's no need for a bun—instead, try wrapping each patty in a large lettuce leaf to make it even fresher.
