21 Healthy Burger Recipes That Will Fill You Up

When I was a teenager, “healthy” was practically synonymous with “low-calorie.” Tips for eating “healthy” were actually just suggestions to eat less, and “healthy” recipes were mostly flavorless. Thank goodness we’ve (mostly) moved past that. Sure, there are still people out there who think that undressed salads are the holy grail of health. But most of us understand that healthy eating is about getting enough nutrients, not about getting as few as possible.

Back then, a “healthy” burger would probably have been a fat-free turkey patty with yellow mustard, wrapped in lettuce. (Yeesh.) But these days, we understand that building a “healthy” burger is all about what you add, not what you take away. When I think about “healthy” burger recipes, I think about all the nutritious ingredients I might add to a classic burger patty, from grilled vegetables to whole grains. I also think about all the ways I can switch things up in order to increase the overall variety of my diet, like making the burger out of salmon or black beans instead of beef sometimes, or even swapping out the bun for a sweet potato.

When you’re building a healthier burger, it’s helpful to think about including as many food groups as possible. Sure, an eight-ounce beef patty on a bun with cheese might taste good, but four ounces of beef loaded up with grilled onions and avocado on a bun checks more boxes (carbs, protein, veggies and fat). And while condiments are great, too many at once can overwhelm your taste buds while also adding more sugar and sodium than you might think. There’s no need to omit your favorite ingredients or obsessively measure each one, but remember that a healthier burger is one with some balance. Here are 21 ideas to get you started.

These juicy Chicken and Apple Burgers with Maple Mustard deliver big, bold flavor while staying deliciously healthy. Grated apple and a touch of mayo help keep lean ground chicken moist as it cooks, and a generous amount of sage and spices makes the patties extra tasty. A quick sauté of apples and onions is the savory-sweet topping, and a tangy maple-mustard sauce for the buns is so flavorful it makes ketchup optional. With 31 grams of protein and four grams of fiber per serving, they’re a winner. Add a bright slaw or crisp salad for a complete weeknight-friendly meal.

Flavored with a mix of garlic, ginger, scallions, hoisin sauce and cilantro, these burger patties contain a mixture of turkey and bulgur, a whole grain that adds a little flavor and a fun texture.

This quick and easy dinner is a playful mash-up of two comfort food classics — pizza burgers and French bread pizza — made lighter for a weeknight win. By mixing some grated zucchini into the ground beef mixture, you add veggies and a little bit of moisture. You’ll also get lycopene from the tomato sauce, and classic pizza flavor from the mixture of sauce, cheese, oregano and bread.

There are plenty of plant-based burger options out there, but none are quite as simple as the big, fleshy portobello mushroom. Simply marinate your mushroom caps with an oil, garlic and vinegar mixture, then grill them until they’re tender. Serve them on a bun with cooked onion jam and you get a meal with an impressive 13 grams of fiber.

Classic burgers with a little twist, these quarter-pounders are lightened up with 90-percent-lean beef and a mere half-ounce of cheddar, and they’re served on wholesome whole-wheat English muffins. They’ve got 34 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of fiber, plus less saturated fat than a traditional cheeseburger.

“I always like to offer a turkey burger at my outdoor barbecue for friends who no longer eat red meat,” says Bobby Flay. “Luckily poultry is a perfect canvas for many big flavors, and this combination of tart goat cheese, sweet Meyer lemon-honey mustard and peppery arugula makes for one outstanding burger.” The recipe also calls for ground turkey that’s not all white meat, which helps prevent dry, flavorless burgers.

Packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, salmon makes for a fun and different burger base. This recipe calls for making your own patties out of fresh salmon fillets by pulsing them in the food processor with other mix-ins. The result? A juicy, flavorful burger that’ll shake up your routine.

These burgers are packed with flavor, fiber (16 grams a serving!) and protein. We love them grilled, but you can also pan-fry them: Heat one tablespoon grapeseed oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and fry patties until well browned, about two minutes per side.

Ginger, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sambal oelek bump up lean and mild ground chicken to create a burger that’s got just three grams of saturated fat. Topped with sesame and lime-marinated mushrooms, plus more hoisin and sambal oelek, these burgers are bursting with flavor.

These flavorful burgers get rave reviews and are remarkably easy to put together. Sautéed onion and yogurt keep the lean chicken patties moist while a blend of pantry spices makes them deliciously fragrant. Widely used in Middle Eastern cooking, pomegranate molasses adds a subtle touch of sweetness to these mouthwatering patties.

These burgers rely on jerk seasoning, typically made with allspice, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, cumin, thyme and lots of hot chili peppers, for their hot and spicy flavor. The mango slaw is a fun way to add fruits and vegetables that doesn’t feel super overwhelming.

These sliders are actually mini whole-wheat pita pockets filled with turkey, veggies and feta cheese. They’d be a fun appetizer for a party, but you can also turn two or three of them into a complete meal.

Switch things up with these beef burgers that are served topped with a cucumber-filled Greek yogurt sauce. With 30 grams of protein, these are filling and fun, especially when served with the suggested sweet potato chips and pickled okra.

Sometimes, simple is best. These easy turkey burgers are made by sandwiching roasted red peppers and mozzarella cheese between two extra-thin raw turkey patties, then cooking until the meat is done and the cheese is melted. For a little extra fiber and staying power, serve them on whole-wheat buns with your favorite condiment.

Adding panko breadcrumbs to these fresh salmon burgers helps them stay moist and intact as they cook, and topping with homemade apple relish (which you’ll likely have extra servings of for later) adds both flavor and fiber.

This one’s a little polarizing, but if you love olives, it’s worth a try. Make burger patties by combining ground meat with chopped olives, parsley and cumin, then cook them up and serve them on whole wheat buns with a slice of fresh tomato, lettuce and condiments.

Millet is a mild-flavored grain that’s rich in fiber, iron and B vitamins. If you can’t find it, you can make these burgers with one cup of cooked quinoa, brown rice or bulgur instead. Thanks to the mix of whole grains and sweet potatoes, each serving of these burgers has eight grams of fiber.

Don’t let these veggie burgers fool you: They may look like fried-chicken sandwiches, but they’re actually packed with plant protein and fiber and flavor! We love the simple broiler method for cooking the patties, and a light coating of cooking spray makes the outside come out nice and crunchy.

If you’re a fan of falafel sandwiches, you’ll love these veggie burger pita pockets. Although they’re made with frozen veggie burgers and not chickpea patties, they’re topped with a mix of yogurt sauce, veggies and feta that will feel familiar to you.

These substantial veggie burgers are gluten-free and loaded with fiber. The “buns” can be used in place of bread for other sandwiches as well, like turkey or chicken salad. And if you’re not gluten-free? Of course you can feel free to serve the beans and corn patties on a real bun instead.