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    TaraTeaspoon » Recipes » Grilling and Smoking

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    Grilled Italian Bunless Burgers

    Published: Jun 19, 2018 · Updated: Aug 14, 2022 by Tara Teaspoon

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Grilled Italian Bunless Burgers pin image

    Grilled Italian Bunless Burgers are Mediterranean-flavored patties packed with delicious ingredients. These unique burgers make a great summer meal.


    I love a summertime meal I don’t have to cook indoors. That means a cookout for me! But sometimes I want to shake up the regular BBQ menu and make a lighter meal everyone will still devour.


    Grilled Italian bunless burgers in white bowl w red placemat and lemonade

    I dig the bunless burgers at 5-Napkin Burger. They serve them on a salad. Delish! I also love any restaurant that serves it up “protein-style,” sans the bun, with all the goodness. I wanted to create my own low-carb burger recipe, with lots of flavor.

    Burger patties on quarter sheet pan and red bowl

    Admittedly, sometimes I overdose on my addictive out-of-this-world BBQ Ribs. Oh, they are delicious. However a little healthy grilled meal, like these alternative burgers, are quite perfect in the mix of BBQ meals.

    Some simple Italian ingredients are all it takes to put these unique burgers together in under half an hour.

    I started with ground beef and mixed in spicy Italian sausage for flavor in these unique burgers. You’ll be surprised, the heat doesn’t come through, so little mouths can still enjoy the burgers.

    Parmesan cheese and chopped, roasted red peppers are gently mixed into the meat, and of course a pinch of salt. That’s enough to create the most juicy, flavorful patties you’ve had all summer.

    Burgers on grill

    I had basil growing in my herb pots, so that was easy to get! And fresh mozzarella is a real treat for this meal. Use any type of lettuce you want. It acts as the bun for these unique burgers. I like red leaf lettuce but romaine and iceberg works, too.

    The patties are big! Well, listen, not too big. If you were to serve these on a bun they would fit perfectly, even after a little shrinking on the grill. I used about ⅔ cup of meat mixture for each patty.

    Flatten to about 1 inch thick. I like to press mine a little thinner in the center (did you know that’s where they shrink in? This trick helps your burgers stay flat, instead of turning into balls!)

    The kids are going to love using lettuce as the bun, on these tasty bunless burgers! It’s major eat-with-your-hands stuff.

    Let them pile on some cheese and a tomato with basil if they want, and then wrap that in their new “bun.” Italian Bunless Burgers for the win!
    The burgers are so flavorful you really don’t need any other condiments. And that fresh mozzarella makes it more divine.

    Burger assembled in lettuce wrap with red background.

    Go ahead and serve the patties 5-Napkin Burger style… on a salad. I drizzled mine with a balsamic vinaigrette, but a creamy Italian dressing would be fantastic, as well.

    📖 Recipe

    Grilled Italian Bunless Burger patties recipe image

    Grilled Italian Bunless Burgers

    Tara Teaspoon
    These flavorful grilled Italian burgers are awesome served on a salad or wrapped protein-style in lettuce. Try with fresh mozzarella and basil for a healthy summer meal. 
    4.91 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Work Time 25 minutes mins
    Cook Time 6 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Servings 8 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 pounds ground beef
    • 8 ounces spicy Italian sausage (casings removed)
    • ½ cup chopped roasted red bell peppers
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
    • 1 ball (12 ounces) fresh mozzarella
    • 1 tomato
    • Lettuce leaves or salad
    • Basil leaves
    • Italian or Balsamic vinaigrette (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Combine the ground beef, sausage, roasted peppers, salt, and Parmesan and mix together, don't over mix.
    • Heat grill to medium high heat. While grill heats, form mixture into 8 patties, using about ⅔ cup of meat mixture for each. Press to ¾-to-1-inch thick. Grill, turning once, until just cooked through, about 6 minutes total.
    • Slice the mozzarella and serve patties with a slice of mozzarella and sliced tomato wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Add basil leaves if desired. Alternately serve patties over a salad with diced mozzarella and tomatoes, drizzled with vinaigrette. 

    Notes

    Some simple Italian ingredients are all it takes to put these unique burgers together in under half an hour.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 488kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 31gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 781mgPotassium: 454mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 392IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 201mgIron: 3mg
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    Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!

    More about Tara

    Recipe, text, photography Tara Teaspoon. Orginally published in IHeartNaptime.net.

    Comments

      4.91 from 10 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Lauren @ Delicious Little Bites says

      June 19, 2018 at 11:59 am

      These are perfect for my keto/low carb diet - love the texture and flavors!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:13 pm

        Great! I hope it's a summer favorite

        Reply
    2. Annemarie says

      June 19, 2018 at 12:20 pm

      I love the idea of a bunless burger, and the flavor of this version must be epic!

      Reply
    3. Paula @ I'm Busy Being Awesome says

      June 19, 2018 at 12:34 pm

      These sound yummy, perfect for a low carb diet

      Reply
    4. Mimi says

      June 19, 2018 at 12:35 pm

      I need to try them, I love burgers but I'm always scared to eat too many carbs, this sounds yummy

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:13 pm

        It's hard to stay away from carbs in a classic burger, so this is a great variation.

        Reply
    5. Vicky says

      June 19, 2018 at 12:49 pm

      I have been trying to watch my carbs lately without sacrificing flavor and these burgers would be perfect for me. I love Italian cuisine, so why not add those flavors to a juicy burger? Great idea!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:13 pm

        Exactly! Oh I'm glad it fits on your healthy diet!

        Reply
    6. Susie says

      June 19, 2018 at 12:50 pm

      These looks so delicious! I think I would love mine like the picture above wrapped in lettuce with a big chunk of mozzarella and a fresh Garden tomato. Pinning this now

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:12 pm

        Can't go wrong with a big slice of mozzarella!

        Reply
    7. Denay DeGuzman says

      June 19, 2018 at 1:13 pm

      Ahhh...these juicy burgers look so fabulous! What a great recipe for the summer grilling season. 🙂

      Reply
    8. Belle says

      June 19, 2018 at 1:15 pm

      My husband & son love burgers! I'm sure they would love this! I'm going to try and make this for them!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:12 pm

        I'm sure they'll love it!

        Reply
    9. Wanda says

      June 19, 2018 at 1:21 pm

      Some days I just don't want the bun so I go bun-less as well! We like to add additional ingredients to our burgers to - one of our favourites is pepperoni, yum! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:11 pm

        Mmm pepperoni sounds genius.

        Reply
    10. Amber says

      June 19, 2018 at 2:48 pm

      Sounds so tasty with the beef, sausage, peppers and everything else in the patties. Yummmm

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:11 pm

        All the things add so much more flavor than just a regular burger!

        Reply
    11. Joanne says

      June 19, 2018 at 3:08 pm

      Sounds delicious! Will have to try these out!

      Reply
    12. kim says

      June 19, 2018 at 3:30 pm

      These look so fabulous! I love trying new burger variations and I will definitely be giving this one a try!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:11 pm

        A good burger variation is everything!

        Reply
    13. Cassie |White Sands and Cool Breezes says

      June 19, 2018 at 7:04 pm

      Boy, this sounds so delicious and great for everyone. Thanks for sharing, can't wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:10 pm

        I'd love to hear how you like them!

        Reply
    14. Ruthie Ridley says

      June 19, 2018 at 7:24 pm

      Burgers are our faves! I wanna try these!

      Reply
    15. LuLu B - Calabrisella Mia says

      June 20, 2018 at 7:51 am

      I love the idea of adding spicy Italian sausage to the mix to give it a bit of a kick! I love bread, but I think I could live with eating these bunless! 🙂

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:10 pm

        It just feels so much more healthy without the bun!

        Reply
    16. Kayla says

      June 20, 2018 at 8:18 am

      My husband and I are always trying to find a new but less burger or slider recipe. These look fresh and delicious, thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:09 pm

        This is perfect then! I'm glad it's looking delicious!

        Reply
    17. Michelle Kellogg says

      June 20, 2018 at 9:26 am

      Oh my goodness that looks so good! I love burgers during the Summer months! It's my favorite thing to eat this time of year:)

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 20, 2018 at 2:09 pm

        Oh awesome. It's a great summer meal!

        Reply
    18. Leah says

      June 20, 2018 at 2:57 pm

      Sounds amazing and simple and being a mom I am always on the hunt got recipes like this!! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 22, 2018 at 11:14 am

        Great for busy weeknights!

        Reply
    19. Jazz says

      June 20, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      I've been trying to cut back on bread so I love this idea!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 22, 2018 at 11:13 am

        Me too!

        Reply
    20. Cat says

      June 20, 2018 at 6:03 pm

      Mmmm, these bunless burgers sounds delicious! I totally could go for this right now with dinner!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 22, 2018 at 11:13 am

        It's such a great, light summer meal!

        Reply
    21. mary jingjing lopez says

      June 20, 2018 at 9:03 pm

      I so love homemade patty and this recipe is absolutely a must try, for a change! really looked delicious! oh so yummy!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 22, 2018 at 11:13 am

        I think you'll love it

        Reply
    22. Simone Hjulmand says

      June 21, 2018 at 2:18 pm

      This looks delicious! Wauw!

      simonehjulmand.com

      Reply
      • Tara says

        June 22, 2018 at 11:11 am

        thanks! it is

        Reply
    23. Mary Bench says

      July 18, 2018 at 12:57 pm

      I was so lucky that you developed these at my house! It was truly a delicious dinner! Love them!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        July 18, 2018 at 3:23 pm

        Glad you loved them!

        Reply
    Grilled Italian Bunless Burgers pin image

    Hi, I'm Tara Teaspoon!

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a publishing career as Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines.

    Now I write cookbooks, and share delicious recipes and expert cooking tips with you here! Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    More about me →

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