Paprika, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and a few other simple ingredients combine to create keto burgers packed full of mouthwatering flavor that’ll steal hearts and bring you pride at your next cookout!
Looking for more low carb dinners? Try these keto turkey burgers with my keto hamburger buns.
Earning the Burger Badge
Some things in life are a badge of honor– mastering the perfect burger is one of them. Being able to cook awesome, knock-your-socks-off patties that make people turn to you with hope in their eyes any time a cookout among friends is suggested…
That’s a badge of honor. A point of pride.
After you earn the badge, people will hound you for that recipe. Some will just openly beg you for it. Others will sneakily try to suss it out with a casual: “I taste garlic. Is that garlic? And maybe some… what is that? What am I tasting?”
It’s fun not to tell people the recipe. But, I’m kind-hearted. A generous soul. I’ll share my recipe with you so you can decide whether or not to tell people how simple this keto burger recipe is. Because with just a few simple ingredients, you can make the juiciest and most flavorful patties that have ever hit your grill.
Now go, and grill with confidence you BBQ king/queen! 👑🔥 – Linds x
What You’ll Need
Under 10 ingredients and you’ve got juicy, flavor-packed bunless burgers in no time. Here’s what you need, and what you can shift around to accommodate your preferences:
- Ground beef – I typically use 80/20 to make low carb burgers. Anything leaner will yield DRY patties, and much fattier is hard to find– although if you like your burgers cooked to medium-well, consider using a higher fat ratio (like 70/30) so the patties don’t dry out.
- Egg – Binds our ingredients together.
- Mustard
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds more flavor than you can imagine, don’t skip!
- Onion, grated – Keeps our keto burgers moist while adding delicious flavor. Use a cheese grater to grate, and only add the pulp to your patties (discard the liquid).
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika – Feel free to add your favorite seasoning here instead.
Best Cooking Method for Keto Burgers
I recommend cooking these bunless burgers over the stove or grill. They can be cooked in the oven if that’s what you prefer. Here’s how:
- Grill (I prefer charcoal!) – Get the grill temp to about 450-500 F and grease the grates. Sear burgers on each side for about 5 minutes. The burgers should be easy to flip and dark brown on each side.
- Stove – Add a splash of veggie oil to a cast-iron skillet and get it smokin’. Sear on each side for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat once each side has a dark brown sear, and the desired internal temp has been reached.
- Oven – Set oven to broil and move the top rack so it’s as close to the heating element as it can be. Nestle a wire rack into a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and place your patties on top. Broil until your keto burgers have browned on top, 6-7 minutes. Flip and repeat, cooking your low carb burgers until they’ve reached your desired internal temp.
Internal Temp of Cooked Bunless Burgers
Using a meat thermometer? Here’s an easy cheat sheet for the internal temp of bunless burgers based on your desired “doneness”. Psst — I always cook my keto burgers to medium, even though I prefer a medium-rare steak.
- Rare burgers – 125 F
- Medium-rare burgers – 135 F
- Medium burgers – 145 F
- Well-done burgers – 160 F
Toppings for Low Carb Burgers
Keep your burgers low carb with the right toppings. Here are your options:
- Buns: choose between low carb hamburger buns, roasted veggies, meat, or lettuce wraps.
- Cheese
- More protein: like bacon or prosciutto
- Veggies: Lettuce, sliced onions, tomatoes, pickles, pepperoncini, mushrooms.
- Sauces: Opt for mustard, low carb ketchup, low carb BBQ sauce, low carb honey mustard, ranch dressing, mayo, or guacamole.
More Keto Hamburger Recipes
Bunless Burger
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Patties:
- 1 Pound Ground Beef 80/20 (note 1)
- 1 Egg
- 1 Teaspoon Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Small Onion
- 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
Buns Options (pick 1) (note 5):
- low carb hamburger buns
- portobello mushrooms baked
- bell peppers sliced in half with the top, seeds, and ribs removed
- eggplant slices
- Iceberg lettuce
Toppings (pick your faves):
- Cheese sliced
- Veggies: Lettuce, sliced onions, tomatoes, pickles, pepperoncini, mushrooms, avocado slices.
- Sauces: Opt for mustard, low carb ketchup, low carb BBQ sauce, low carb honey mustard, ranch dressing, mayo, or guacamole.
- More protein: like bacon or prosciutto
Instructions
- Buns. Prepare your buns -- see note 5 for all cooking instructions, or follow recipe details for my keto hamburger buns here.
- Onion. Grate (1) onion using a cheese grater. Place grated onion in paper towels or dish towels, and ring out as much of the liquid as possible (we only want the pulp).
- Combine + shape. Place remaining patty ingredients in a large bowl, and mix together using your hands. Form 4 patties, pressing your thumb into the top center of each to create a shallow indent.
- Cook. Grill/pan-sear your burgers based on preference, be sure to add sliced cheese (if using) to the top of each patty during the last minute of cooking...Grill: Heat grill to 450-500 F and grease the grates. Place patties thumbprint up on the hot grates and sear until fat pools into the indent. Patties should be easy to flip, and the other side should have dark brown grill marks (around 4-5 minutes). Repeat on the other side.Pan-sear: Warm a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet over high heat and add a bit of veggie oil. Cook burgers for 3-5 minutes on each side-- you'll know they're done once each side has browned, and the desired internal temp has been reached (note 4).Oven - Set oven to broil and move the top rack so it's as close to the heating element as it can be. Nestle a wire rack into a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and place your patties on top. Broil until your burgers have browned on top, 6-7 minutes. Flip and repeat, cooking burgers to your desired internal temp.
- Enjoy. Allow patties to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Cover with your favorite toppings, and sandwich between your chosen buns. Enjoy!
Fans Also Made These Low Carb Recipes:
Lindsey's Tips
- Ground beef - I typically use 80/20 (anything leaner will get dry). If you like your burgers cooked to medium-well, consider using 70/30.
- Seasoning - feel free to swap the seasoning for your favorite.
- My preferred cooking method is on a charcoal grill!
- Internal temp of cooked patties:
- Rare burgers – 125 F
- Medium-rare burgers – 135 F
- Medium burgers – 145 F
- Well-done burgers – 160 F
- Bun alternatives + how to cook:
- Portobello mushroom - Remove portobello stems and discard. Brush both sides of the mushroom with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then place them stem side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 F for, the time will vary depending on how thick your portobellos are-- about 15. Remove once softened to your liking.
- Bell pepper - Slice the bell peppers into thirds, removing and discarding the center third, so you’re left with 2 flat-ish sides. Remove seeds. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 400 F for 10-12 minutes, again, this will depend on how thick they are and how soft you’d like them.
- Eggplant - Slice the eggplant into 1” slices, removing and discarding the stem. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 F for 10-12 minutes.
- Lettuce - Use 3-4 pieces of lettuce per patty, wrapping them around the patty and toppings and tightly as possible— they’ll stay in place best if you also wrap them in foil or parchment paper.
- Burger patty - simply slice the cooked patty in half, and add burger toppings to the center.
- Nutritional information is based on 1 burger if you make 4 burgers using this recipe, and does not include toppings/bun:
