Back in 1776, the United States of America declared its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain on July 4th. Today, Independence Day is a nationwide holiday typically associated with fireworks, parades, family reunions, concerts, carnivals, beverages and food. Lots and lots of food.
According to Heavy, Americans put down an astonishing 150 million hotdogs and some 750 million pounds of chicken during the holiday season. While Oklahoma State University reports that we consume 25 billion pounds of burgers a year. Needless to say this is mind boggling amount of meat. Yet, veganism and vegetarianism are being increasingly adopted by a growing number of Americans.
So, we’ve decided to compile the three best Fourth of July burger recipes we’ve found for all of your various pallets.
For the Meat Lovers:
This Perfect Burger recipe is brought to you by Bobby Flay.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 ½ pounds ground chuck, a cut of beef that’s part of the sub-primal cut known as the chuck (80% lean) or ground turkey (90% lean)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons of canola oil
- 4 slices of your preferred cheese
- And, of course, 4 hamburger buns, split. If you want to toast them, more power to you!
Here’s what you’ll do:
Take the meat and divide it into 4 equal portions, try to make them about 6 ounces each. Then, form loose patties, making a deep depression with your thumb in the middle. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Brush the burgers with oil and then grill to your preference, and add cheese.
For the Vegetarian Burger Warriors:
This Chick Pea Burger recipe is brought to you by Martha Stewart.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 can (15 ounces) of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 scallion, trimmed
- 2 slices of white sandwich bread
- 1/3 cup of unsalted peanuts or almonds
- ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, chopped
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 large egg
- Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
- Whole-wheat English muffins and lettuce, to serve with the burgers
Here’s what you’ll do:
Combine chickpeas, scallions, bread, peanuts or almonds, cumin, and ginger in a food processor, and season with salt and pepper. When you see that the contents are roughly chopped, remove half of the mixture to a bowl, and add an egg to the food processor. Process until you have a smooth mixture, and mix in with the contents you took out. Form four patties, brush each side with oil, and then grill to your preference. Serve the burgers on English muffins with lettuce, mustard, and mayo.
For the Vegan Burger Aficionados:
This incredible Beet Burger recipe is brought to you by Versa Stick.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 teaspoon of butter
- ½ finely diced yellow onion
- 2 finely diced cloves of garlic
- 2 peeled and finely diced roasted beets
- 1 rinsed, drained and mashed can of black eyed peas
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup chickpea flour
- 2 tablespoons of chipotle BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
- 1 Tablespoon of cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon of dried basil
- Sea salt, aim for smoked if you can find it
- Pepper
Here’s what you’ll do:
Melt butter over medium-low heat and add onion, sautéing it until it’s translucent, then add garlic. Keep sautéing for a few more minutes, and then add diced beets and black eyed peas. Cook until the peas are soft and the beets are thoroughly heated. Add BBQ sauce, mustard, Bragg’s, vinegar, spices, salt and pepper, seasoning to taste. Allow the mixture to cool, then add the egg and chickpea flour. Puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor. Once that’s done, form the mixture into patties and grill to taste.