Flavor Burgers 3 Ways (Paleo, AIP, GAPS, Wahls, Whole30)

This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to see what that means.

Jump to Recipe

burgers on a plate with jars of herbs in the background

“If life were predictable it would cease to be life,
and be without flavor.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt


Mix It Up

On a healing diet, I cook a LOT of burgers, so to keep from getting bored, I like to mix up the flavors a bit. Mickey at Autoimmune Wellness gave me the idea with her herb burgers. The herb version below is a variation on hers, using dried herbs instead of fresh (sadly, I have no herb garden). She eats her burgers for breakfast, but they’re delicious any time of day, and would make a perfect addition to your Fourth of July BBQ. In my Paleo Road Trip article, I mentioned that I also pack these for the road, because they taste great cold and make a filling course for your roadside picnic.

In addition to the herb version, I created two more: Italian and Garlic/Onion. Feel free to experiment with other combinations. Just because we sacrifice the bun, doesn’t mean we sacrifice the flavor!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Flavor Burgers 3 Ways | Phoenix Helix

Flavor Burgers 3 Ways (Paleo, AIP, GAPS, Wahls, Whole30)


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Eileen Laird
  • Total Time: 15-45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Units

Herb Burgers:

  • 1 lb. ground beef/bison
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp. dried sage
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

Italian Spice Burgers:

  • 1 lb. ground beef/bison
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. dried minced garlic
  • 1/4 tsp. dried basil

Onion & Garlic Burgers:

  • 1 lb. ground beef/bison
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/4 cup finely diced fresh onion
  • 1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic

Instructions

  1. If you have a KitchenAid mixer, you can use it at low speed to blend the spices into the meat. Otherwise, put all of the ingredients in a large bowl and blend with your hands.
  2. Shape into 3 or 4 patties, depending on how big you like your burgers. If you have time to let them sit for 30 minutes before cooking, theyโ€™ll be even more flavorful.
  3. You can cook these in a skillet over medium heat (5-8 minutes per side), or on a gas grill over medium heat (3-5 minutes per side). If you cook them on the grill, just be sure to preheat your grill, and poke a small hole in the center of each patty to ensure they cook evenly (no raw centers).
  4. You can also freeze the patties, to cook later.
  • Prep Time: 5-30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6-16 minutes
  • Category: Main Courses
  • Method: Stovetop, Grill

More Flavor Variations

Update: As the paleo AIP community has grown, store-bought spice blends and condiments are now available. Convenience food on the autoimmune protocol is a true gift! 

You May Also Be Interested In

Credit: recipe photograph taken by Christina Feindel

Do You Have My Books?

32 comments on “Flavor Burgers 3 Ways (Paleo, AIP, GAPS, Wahls, Whole30)”

  1. Eileen, you are fabulous! This recipe looks so delightful! Can you tell me how to prepare what appears to be fried plantains as your side dish? They look DELICIOUS!!!!

      1. Thank you, Eileen! You are one of my heroes! I thank you so much for sharing your broad knowledge of healing and natural ways with us. And I truly wish and pray for you to be healed from the RA and are completely healed and restored to perfect health!

  2. Eileen’s own recipe combo of salt, sage, thyme and ginger (aip, skip the pepper) that she uses in her breakfast pork sausage is also a fantastic meatloaf or flavor burger.
    Turmeric and coconut aminos are also tasty, not only in burgers but also braised Brussels sprouts, kale and other veggies. Coconut aminos are great to spark plain vinegar and oil salad dressing, creamy avocado dressing, well, maybe a dash of coconut aminos is good on just about anything. While awaiting testing for SIBO, I continue to follow FODMAP so I am always looking for substitutes for garlic and onion flavorings. Discovering Eileen’s pork sausage profile has added so much to many of my meals.

  3. Just made the italian herb and the garlic onion burgers for my family. They were a huge hit! Served on lettuce with baked sweet potato fries. Absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing.

  4. Hi! I made the Italian Spice burgers and they ROCKED! It’s so awesome that the recipe is so simple yet so delicious. If you’re curious, I posted a picture of mine on my food blog. ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Thank you!!! We are grilling out today and everyone else is having pre-seasoned burgers. I am about to season my own and this post makes me so happy! I am excited to use my poor kitchen aid that doesn’t get used much since starting paleo.

    1. I know! My kitchenaid is now used almost exclusively for making meatloaf and meat patties. I hope you enjoyed your burgers!

  6. I have enjoyed reading your blog and about your progress in healing. The red meat is confusing to me. I keep being told to limit red meat as it is inflammatory. And yet it is being used in the AI protocol by those writing about it. I was just at my Dr. last week to check my lab work & he was reminding me once again to stay away from grains and red meat. I have several AI issues. Can you explain when the difference in opinions changed? BTW, he is a D.O. and N. D.

    1. Hi Saundra. Thanks for writing. It can be confusing, getting conflicting advice. In a nutshell, a lot of myths surrounding food (like red meat being harmful) is due to bad science. A study is done poorly which claims to prove something that isn’t true. That claim is then reported in the media as fact and it soon becomes a common belief throughout the culture. Chris Kresser has done an excellent job separating fact from fiction. Read his series on red meat for all the details: http://chriskresser.com/the-truth-about-red-meat .

  7. Hi Eileen, Thanks for posting these ideas! I love ground beef and bison but I needed inspiration–it IS easy to get bored on a limited diet. Delicious flavors make all the difference.

    1. It’s a subtle difference. Bison tastes very similar to beef, but better (in my opinion). It has just a little bit more flavor.

  8. Thanks for this. I love all your recipes. I have never much loved cooking, but the your recipes you’ve posted are simple enough to motivate me!

  9. Thank you so much for sharing these recipes for burgers! I can’t wait to try them! I so appreciate all you write about and all you have taught me!!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Scroll to Top