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When you want a healthier burger that’s not vegetarian, keep this healthy burger recipe in mind. It’s made with lean ground beef and lentils, so you get double the amount of burgers… without doubling your grocery bill.
Now, before you tell me that you don’t like lentils, please know that you can’t taste them at all. They improve the texture of the burgers and add extra fiber, but otherwise they go entirely unnoticed. (Just read the glowing reviews below if you don’t believe me.)
Even my kids, who are my biggest critics, think these burgers are the best. They told me these taste as if they came from a fast-food restaurant, which is the highest compliment my kids can give when it comes to burgers.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“My husband said that it was the best burger he has ever eaten. Amazing!” -Anna
Healthy Burger Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Beef. I use 85% lean ground beef for the best texture, but a leaner option works as well. Shop for grass-finished beef, meaning the cattle consumed only grass for their entire lives. This type of beef may have a lower saturated fat content than grain-fed beef.
- Lentils. I like to use canned lentils for convenience. Simply drain and rinse, just like you would a can of beans. To cook lentils from scratch, cook 1/2 cup of dry lentils to yield roughly 15 ounces of cooked lentils. Cover the lentils with 3 inches of water, then bring them to a boil on the stovetop. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 18 to 20 minutes until tender. Then drain and use as directed.
- Spices. Garlic powder, onion powder, and salt provide the perfect amount of flavor, without overpowering the burgers.
Unlike traditional burgers, which can become tough when seasoned ahead of time, these burgers develop an amazing texture thanks to the added fiber. You won’t want to make hamburgers any other way after you try these!
How to Make Healthy Burgers with Ground Beef
Step 1:
In a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade, add in the ground beef, the cooked lentils, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Pulse several times until the mixture looks well combined.
You don’t want the meat pureed, and it’s fine if some lentils remain intact. They will still be totally unnoticeable when the burgers are cooked.
Note: If you don’t have a food processor, mix these 5 ingredients together by hand in a large bowl. This is the more “authentic” way to make burgers, with a light touch. Luckily, the lentils make this recipe’s texture much more forgiving than a traditional beef burger.
Step 2:
Scoop the beef and lentil mixture with a 1/3-cup measure, then transfer it to your hands and form a ball.
Flatten the ball between your hands into a patty about 1/2-inch thick. The thicker the burger, the more noticeable the lentils will be, so keep these on the thinner side for the best results.
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Repeat with the remaining mixture until you have 8 to 9 patties.
Step 3:
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and spray it with cooking oil to help prevent sticking. (You can also cook these on a grill, if you prefer.)
Depending on the size of your pan, you can cook 3 or more patties at a time. I can fit three burgers in my 10-inch cast-iron skillet, but you can cook them all at once if you have a large griddle. The burgers should instantly sizzle when they hit the pan. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges of the burgers start to brown. Flip the burgers, and you should see a dark brown sear on the side that is now facing up.
Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until the burgers are thoroughly cooked. Repeat until all of the burgers are cooked.
Safety Tip
It’s recommended that ground beef reach an internal temperature of 160°F when using a meat thermometer.
Serving Suggestions for Healthier Burgers
Serve these healthy burgers on your favorite bun (gluten-free if needed) or in a lettuce wrap, accompanied by your favorite burger toppings. You can add cheese for the final minute or two of cooking, if you want to make a cheeseburger, or keep it dairy-free by adding ketchup, mustard, or my homemade special sauce.
For a family-style spread, set out slices of tomatoes, red onion, pickles, sliced avocado, and any other condiments you love. Everyone can build their own hamburger exactly how they like!
Serve with baked fries or Air Fryer French Fries, for an easy homemade side dish.
Healthy Burgers (With Sneaky Fiber!)
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 (15 oz. can) cooked lentils (about 1 1/2 cups, drained & rinsed)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, add the ground beef, drained lentils, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Process briefly, until the mixture sticks together, but isn't totally pureed. You just want the lentils to blend in with the meat. (Alternatively, you can mix this all together by hand in a bowl.)
- Use a 1/3 cup measure to scoop the meat, then roll it into a ball between your hands and flatten into patties about a 1/2-inch thick. The thinner the burgers are, the less noticeable the lentils will be. Repeat with the remaining mixture, forming 8 to 9 patties in total.
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium high heat, then spray it with cooking oil before adding the patties. (I can usually fit 3 patties in a 10-inch skillet at once, but you may be able to cook them all at once on a griddle.) Add the burgers, and sprinkle the tops with a little extra salt, if you like. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges are starting to brown.
- Flip the burgers (you should see a nice sear on the side you just flipped) and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until they are done to your liking. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160ºF, if you want to check with a meat thermometer. Repeat with the remaining burgers until they are all cooked.
- Serve these healthy burgers warm, with your favorite toppings. Leftover burgers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, as long as you store them within 2 hours of cooking. You can also freeze these for up to 4 months! Thaw the individual patties in the fridge overnight before reheating again.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
If you try this healthy burger recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like it.
Omg. My super picky young kids who like almost nothing that I make absolutely loved these!! And they were so simple! So fast! These will become a staple. Can’t believe it. Thank you!!!!!!
They were a hit with my family! Everyone enjoyed them and I will definitely make again. Thank you for another great recipe!
These are super tasty! I added cumin and chilli powder to mine. They were fantastic. What a great way to sneak in more fiber. They are super easy to make.
l LOVE THIS BUGRER ,IT IS SO GOOD.
Made these tonight for dinner and they were so easy and tasted great! My kids and husband didn’t even mention or ask about the lentils! Will definitely make these again!
These burgers are AMAZING! My 11 and 15 year olds loved these and said they were just as good, if not even better than “real” burgers. We don’t eat much red meat at all, and I *loved* that this was a great way not only to stretch the servings from a pound of grass fed meat, but also get lentils into the meal in such a tasty way. Also appreciate the lower calorie count and health benefits of the lentils. Bonus: I didn’t have to warm up the grill! Fantastic, easy weekday meal- especially using the shortcut of canned lentils. I made these exactly as written, and cooked each for about 3.5 minutes on each side. A definite keeper!
P.S. Love the new updates in the website. Really really love having dates on the recipes and seeing when/how how you update them. Also, it’s much easier to do searches for specific recipes now. Would love to see your spin on more fish recipes if you’re mulling any over.
My husband said that it was the best burger he has ever ate. Amazing!
I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for coming back to leave a review.
My mom did this meatloaf growing up to make the meat go further and add nutrients. I can’t wait to try this!
Oh, that’s a great idea for meatloaf; thanks for sharing! I hope you love the burgers, too.
I haven’t made these yet, but I plan to use dried lentils when I do. I am not familiar with canned lentils, but I assume they are the larger brown lentils because they keep their shape, which they would need to do to be canned. I always cook with the small orange lentils, which pretty much disintegrate when cooked. I don’t know if there is a flavour difference between the two, as well as the texture. Will this recipe work with them? Also, I wonder if I should cook them in beef bouillon, rather than in water. Has anyone tried this?
I haven’t tested this recipe with red lentils yet (the kind that get mushy) but if it blends into the meat pretty evenly, I assume it might work? I’d love to hear if you experiment with it. I think cooking with beef bouillon would be great!
Oh, and I don’t think I’d use more than 1 cup of the cooked red lentil “mush” to mix with the ground beef, since that will be much more compact of a measurement compared to the larger brown cooked lentils. Let us know if you try it!
These really are the best healthy burgers! My family members are picky and they couldn’t detect the lentils at all. I made them as thin as possible, like you suggested. I would love to see more comfort food recipes like this one to get my kids to eat more fiber.
I’m so glad these burgers were a hit! I’ll see what else I can come up with.