If you’re looking for a quick low-carb option to your favorite burger recipe, I’m sure you will love this bunless burger recipe, made with ground beef, paprika, chili powder, cumin, and garlic! Very flavorful and guilt-free also.
This easy low-carb bunless burger recipe is perfect for the grilling season. Whenever summer rolls around, I always have a juicy burger craving, and this lettuce-bun burger never fails to hit the spot. It came to rescue you if you love burgers, but are avoiding carbs. They’re also gluten-free.
A juicy beef patty loaded with toppings such as red onions, tomatoes, and bacon, then wrapped up in a crunchy iceberg lettuce, you’re going to want to make this bunless burger again and again.
I love bunless burger recipes, and on my site, I’ve shared these low-carb burgers that I think you will love too: Spinach Sauce Bunless Burger, Portobello Mushroom Bun Burgers with Guacamole, Low-Carb Salmon Burgers with Avocado Coleslaw, and Whole30 Bunless Turkey Burger! You could almost say I’m an expert at this point, and I won’t steer you wrong with this delicious lettuce-wrapped burger 😉
How To Make Bunless Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- Beef — I like to use extra lean ground beef as the base of the burger.
- Egg — This will help bind the burger together.
- Onion — I use a white onion, but feel free to use your favorite onion.
- Salt and pepper — I recommend freshly ground black pepper for better flavor.
- Seasoning — I season the ground beef with smoked paprika, chili powder, ground cumin, and garlic powder.
- Olive oil — Feel free to use any neutral oil to cook the beef patties in.
- Burger toppings — I went with the classic combination of red onions, tomatoes, bacon, and ketchup. Feel free to add your favourite toppings or sauce to these bunless burgers, such as cheddar cheese. Down below, I have a longer list of some of my favorite toppings.
Instructions
Make the Beef Patties
- Combine the beef, egg, onion, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, ground cumin, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Mix everything together well.
- Using your hands, divide the mixture into 4-6 burgers.
Grill the Burgers
- Heat the olive oil in a non-stick grill pan or large skillet (or simply cook your burger in a BBQ) over medium heat.
- Cook the burger for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until they reach 145°F for medium-rare or 160°F for well-done. Set them aside.
Serve and Enjoy!
- To make the keto burgers, top one iceberg lettuce leaf, a patty burger, ketchup, two slices of red onions, 2 slices of bacon, 2 slices of tomatoes, and top with a second iceberg lettuce leaf. And that’s it. Delicious low-carb burger recipe with lots of veggies and delicious.
P.S.: If you feel like it’s a bit messy to eat this burger with your hands, you can eat it with a fork and a knife.
You can top it with tomatoes, red onions, and bacon just like I did, or you can add grilled vegetables, homemade mayo, and low-carb ketchup or whole30 ketchup. Mm…SO good! Then, wrap it up in a nice piece of lettuce and you won’t even miss the bun. I promise.
Also, you should choose a good quality ground beef or turkey to make your burger. If it’s possible, buy organic meat. I’ve used extra-lean ground beef, but if you prefer your burger to be juicier, you should not use lean ground beef. However, if you are trying to reduce the amount of calories you’re eating a day, I suggest you cook with lean meat. But don’t worry, it will be good either way.
Recipe Tips
- Double up the patties to make this into a double bunless burger! A slice of melty cheese between the burger patties will help keep them together as well!
- Don’t overwork the meat. Overmixing will cause the burgers to become dense and tough.
- When shaping the patties, be gentle and don’t aggressively press down, as you don’t want a dense burger!
- Season the burgers generously with salt and pepper.
- Make sure the pan is hot when you add the burgers to it. This will ensure you get a nice sear. Avoid touching or moving them as well until ready to flip.
- Keeping your ingredients cold will make shaping the patties much easier. If your meat is warm, it will stick to your hands as you shape it.
- Wet your hands a little before shaping the patties to help keep the meat from sticking to your hands.
- If you’re worried about the burgers ballooning up as you grill them, press your thumb into the middle of the patties before you grill them.
- Avoid pressing down on the burger patties as you cook them. You will press out the juices, and it’ll lead to a drier burger.
- If you’re not a fan of iceberg lettuce, you can use green leaf, Bibb lettuce, Boston lettuce, or any type of lettuce you have on hand.
- Turn this recipe into mini bunless burger sliders by forming smaller patties. Cut down on the cooking time to avoid them being overcooked. Keep a close eye on them!
More Topping Ideas for this Bunless Burger Recipe
The possibilities are endless when it comes to toppings, and I love them because they add more flavor to the burger! Here are some ideas for your bunless burger recipe toppings (make sure they fit into your diet beforehand!), some of them are not low in carbs:
- guacamole
- salsa
- mustard
- caramelized onions
- diced jalapenos
- sautéed mushrooms
- dill pickles
- sun-dried tomatoes
- fried egg
- sliced avocado
- sautéed peppers and onions
- barbecue sauce
- grilled portobello mushroom
- pickled onions
Storage Tips
If you have leftover burger patties, let them come to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You do not want to add the toppings to make the bunless burger recipe until you’re ready to eat, as things will get soggy if you leave everything together. Reheat the burgers quickly on the grill or in the microwave.
Can I freeze this Bunless Burger Recipe?
Place the uncooked burger patties in a single layer onto a lined sheet pan. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and freeze just until firm. Then, wrap the patties tightly in plastic and transfer them into freezer-safe bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
Want to change things up and go meat-free? Swap the patty with any of these 9 Healthy Veggie Burger Recipes.
Easy Low-carb Bunless Burgers
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Video
Ingredients
For the Burger
- 1 lb grass-fed extra lean ground beef
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup white onions chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, except the olive oil, in a large bowl. Mix everything together well.
- Using your hands divide the mixture into 4-6 burgers.
- Heat the olive oil in a non-stick grill pan (or simply cook your burger in a BBQ) over a medium-high heat. Cook the burger for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until reach 145°F for medium-rare or 160°F for well-done. Set them aside.
- To build each burger, top one iceberg lettuce, patty burger, ketchup, two slices of red onions, 2 slices of bacon, 2 slices of tomatoes and top with second iceberg lettuce.
Tips
- Avoid pressing the patties together tightly as you don’t want the patties to be dense.
- Do not over mix the meat as it’ll lead to a dense and tough burger patty.
- Keep the patties cold until ready to grill.
- To store: Keep leftover burger patties in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: Reheat the beef burgers on the grill or in the microwave.
- To freeze: Flash freeze the raw patties before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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mary beth says
Was this burger supposed to be ground turkey, ground beef is listed in the ingredients? Probably would work with either one? Thanks so much for the great collection, just what I needed to add to my menus right now!
Olivia Ribas says
You can make with either one.