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CARAMELIZED ONION BURGERS

This caramelized onion burger recipe is a great way to dine in.  I talk a lot about making choices just “a little bit better”.  When you think about food, many people tend to think in terms of “black & white” or “good & bad”.  When you work beyond this way of thinking and the restriction that comes with it, you really can improve your relationship with food.  So what is a good example of this?
The next time you are craving a good juicy cheeseburger, make one at home.  Spend some time to make it just the way you want it, and ENJOY it.  Dining in at home is one of the best things to start practicing consistently.  You control the ingredients, and you can make your own healthy version (plus you save money).
Let’s talk about my burger recipe and why it’s superior to dining out.

1. The beef – Choose a nice, lean ground beef.  93% lean or 96% lean is preferred.  Oftentimes, restaurants will use around 70% lean beef because it tastes better as a burger. The key is to be careful when cooking.  Do not overcook your patties, then they will stay moist.  Take a look at these nutrition facts that compare the 93% to 70%.  In just a single 4 oz serving the lean version saves 141 calories /13.4 grams of fat! Keep in mind, most people will need to eat 6-8 oz per meal to hit protein goals.

93% Lean:                          VS              70% Lean:

Nutrition Facts 93 percent lean beef

Nutrition Facts 93% Lean Beef

Nutrition Facts 70 percent lean beef

Nutrition Facts 70% Lean Beef

2. The bun – Swap out the oversized white bun for a more nutritious 100% whole wheat English Muffin.  Switching to whole wheat gives your body more nutrients, and the complex carbs will keep you fuller longer than the simple white carbs.  Serving on the English Muffin is also a great swap.  When you toast your English Muffin on a skillet, all you need is a quick spritz of oil spray.  Restaurants may be loading on the butter (or imitation butter) before toasting, which again loads up the calories even more.  If you are eating two burger patties, consider serving open-faced so you have one muffin split between the two burgers (as shown in the photo)
3. The toppings – Caramelized onions are so great on a burger.  Did you know most restaurants use a little bit of sugar to help the onions caramelize?  How much is “a little bit”?  Who knows?! Only the restaurant chef knows!  When I caramelize my onions, I don’t use any sugar; I just don’t think it’s necessary.  Slow and low (heat) will get you deliciously sweet caramelized onions without added sugar.  The onions are so delicious you won’t even need cheese.  This is great if you are reducing your dairy intake.  I try to limit my dairy consumption to one serving a day.  Cheese is one of those things that people tend to abuse without even realizing.
 
4. The Cheese (OPTIONAL) – If there is no way you can enjoy a burger without some cheese, it’s all about moderation.  Add a touch (1/2 ounce) of high-quality cheese and enjoy it.  Blue cheese and goat cheese go really well on this burger.  Even if you aren’t tracking calories or macros, I highly recommend having a food scale to portion out certain items to help educate yourself on what portion sizes should look like.  Items like cheese, nuts, nut butter, avocados, honey, maple syrup, and coconut flakes are great examples of “clean” foods that are dense in calories.  Just because it is “clean” doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want!  So use a scale for awareness purposes to get a gauge of what serving sizes look like.
I hope you enjoy this recipe.  What are some other items that you crave from restaurants that you can make healthier versions of at home?  Let me know!
Want another fun recipe using ground beef?  Check out my Beef Picadillo.  If you want to watch some YouTube videos, click on my >>> recipes playlist.
Beef hamburger with caramelized onions, arugula, spinach, whole wheat english muffin

Caramelized Onion Burgers

Christine Willers
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 white onion cut into ¼” half-moon slices
  • 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
  • 3-5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 100 % whole wheat English muffins split in half and spritzed with oil spray on cut sides
  • 1 cup of fresh arugula or baby spinach leaves
  • 2 oz of blue cheese crumbles or goat cheese OPTIONAL

Instructions
 

  • Place a large 12” skillet or wok over low-medium heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat, then add the onions. Season with salt, mix well, and let cook over low heat for 30 minutes stirring frequently. You want a low and slow caramelization.
  • Meanwhile, mix the ground beef with 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Form into 4 oz patties and set aside.
  • When you have roughly ten minutes remaining on the onion cook time, toast the English muffins and season with salt and pepper. On the base of each muffin add the spinach or arugula. On the top of each muffin add the cheese. Cook the burger patties to desired doneness, about 4-8 minutes total.
  • Place the cooked burger patty on top of the spinach/arugula base. Top with the caramelized onions and the top muffin with the cheese.