This is a summer recipe that I somehow never got around to posting.
As I was sitting here tonight, in the dead of winter, hungry from staying up past my bedtime, I found myself reminiscing about these delicious burgers.
I’ve discussed before that I am a meat gal.
I love a juicy steak and a tasty burger as much as Ron Swanson (Parks & Recreation show reference).
When it comes down to it, I’d pick the burger over the bun which is why I posted a bun-less burger recipe over the summer.
But sometimes you just want a bun.
In which case you should eat one.
BUT, maybe you’re a celiac or maybe you have recently committed to going grain-free but you still wish you could eat a delicious burger with more than just the fixins’.
Well then this recipe is for you!
I didn’t tag it to eat.clean.quick. because it does take a little time to put these together, but if you have a food processor it’s not hard at all!
I finely grated a head of cauliflower in my food processor* to make the paleo buns, then I gave the processor bowl a rinse and threw together some homemade salsa lickety split!
Once in a while I’ll buy an assortment of peppers to make a batch of salsa because it’s just phenomenal compared to the jarred stuff. That’s why I had these guys on hand when I decided to create this recipe. I see this assortment of peppers year round at my local grocery, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding them if you choose to make your own salsa as a condiment for these burgers.
Pre-packaged salsa would also be good. The fresh stuff sold in the refrigerator section would be an easy substitute for this homemade concoction!
So you’ve got the paleo buns in process, and a bowl full of fresh salsa in your food processor now all you have to do is mix up and cook the burgers and assemble everything!
I’m breaking the recipe down by buns, salsa, and burger so you can pick and choose what you want to make. I highly suggest making all three!
These cauliflower buns are LEGIT. They hold together beautifully, mimic the taste and texture of a regular bun and really compliment the burger. Best part? You’re getting a whole serving of veggies instead of empty carbs!
They are not bread. They don’t taste like bread, but they flex and bend and aren’t crumbly and have a really delicious savory flavor. Totally worth a try!
The taco seasoned turkey is light but zesty and combined with the tangy salsa and creamy avocado slices, it’s a fiesta in your mouth!
- FOR THE BUNS
- 4 cups grated raw cauliflower (approx 1 large head)
- 4 Tbsp almond flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 4 egg
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- FOR THE SALSA
- 4 roma tomatoes
- ½ medium white onion (or more if you prefer)
- 2 poblano peppers (dark green peppers in photo)
- 3 hungarian wax peppers (yellowish peppers in photo)
- 1 jalepeno pepper(small dark green pepper in photo)
- small bunch cilantro
- juice of ½ lemon (or lime!)
- FOR THE BURGERS
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- several tablespoons homemade taco seasoning! - or- 1 packet store bought taco seasoning
- 2 medium avocados, sliced
- FOR THE BUNS
- Pre-heat oven to 400*
- Finely grate cauliflower in a food processor.
- Mix grated cauliflower with almond flour, coconut flour, eggs, garlic powder, oregano and salt. Stir until fully combined.
- Divide mixture evenly into 8 portions.
- Form portions into round, flat "buns" and place onto a backing sheet covered with parchment paper.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then broil for 2-5 minutes or until golden.
- Place onto a cooling rack immediately upon removing from the oven to prevent buns from becoming soggy.
- FOR THE SALSA
- Cut roma tomatoes into quarters.
- Cut onion into quarters.
- Remove core and seeds from all peppers.
- Tear several handfuls of cilantro leaves from stems.
- Cut lemon in half.
- Combine tomatoes, onions, peppers and cilantro in food processor. Squeeze lemon juice over everything and pulse until desired texture is achieved.
- FOR THE BURGERS
- Combine ground turkey and taco seasoning until fully incorporated. Don't over mix as burgers may become tough.
- Form seasoned ground turkey into 4 burger patties. Making the centers slightly thinner than the edges will prevent the burgers from "balling up" as they cook.
- Grill until desired temperature is achieved (approx 5-6 minutes per side for medium) - OR - broil in a sizzler pan for 4 minutes on each side.
- Place burgers onto cooked cauliflower buns and top with salsa and avocado slices.
- Enjoy!
*you could also use a box grater to break down the cauliflower, but it will definitely be more time consuming and will probably not yield as fine a “grain” as the food processor. I’ve even seen a Pinterest post about using a blender to “rice” cauliflower, so that may be an option to explore as well.
