Who doesn’t love a good burger? They are easy to make, fast to cook, and require minimal effort. The best thing is these burgers do not require any grilling talent to make. Plus they are a super hearty meal and easy to customize to anyone’s preferences (like honestly, you can add some bread and the gluten eaters will be satisfied too). The problem is that quality beef is often expensive, so here comes turkey to the rescue! You can thank me later for this budget burger that does not skimp on the flavor. This turkey bacon burger is a great easy AIP lunch for anyone.
Welcome to the Lunch on the go series: Easy AIP Lunch
Like I said, easy fast meal ideas are hard to come by. So I’ve created this short series of easy clean eating ideas for busy people. All meals are designed to be prepared in 15 minutes or fewer. Make sure you don’t miss out on the Mediterranean salad (coming soon) or the Pesto Stuffed Sweet Potato.
If you are loving these recipes you can get my lunch on the go recipe book 100% free. It includes 3 recipes from the blog and 2 exclusive recipes plus a shopping list for each meal. Basically it’s a work week of easy healthy meals to make your life 100 times easier and your body feel 100 times better. Click here if you want in.
Tips to make this AIP Lunch like a pro
- When you make burger patties on the stove top you want to make sure that the skillet is hot before you start cooking. This ensures the burger gets nice and seared on the outside of the patty.
- For the skillet I whole-heartedly recommend using cast iron. I think they work the best for burgers and give the best flavor. The Lodge 10.25 inch is my favorite cast iron skillet. its great for 2-3 people .
- Start with the bacon in the skillet first. Cook the bacon for a little while so that it can grease up the pan. This process gives more flavor to the burger patty and makes sure the patty doesn’t stick to the skillet.
- If you are making this meal the night before keep the meat and veggies separate to help the veggies stay fresh.
Assembling an AIP Lunch, Lets get cooking!
Cooking the meat
First, heat up the skillet on medium high heat. Place the bacon in the skillet. The pan should be hot enough that the bacon sizzles on contact. Start FIRST with the bacon so you can cook the patty in the bacon grease. Mmmm, bacon grease.
While the bacon is cooking, add seasonings to the raw meat and incorporate fully. You can be super simple and just do salt and pepper or you can get spicy and add garlic powder, onion powder, honey, sage, or coconut sugar. Do what your heart tells you. After the meat has been mixed, form the turkey into a patty. The thinner the patty the faster it will cook.
When you have the meat in your preferred shape (I usually do a circle, but food is art so you can think outside the box. Like I said, do what your heart tells you). Add the meat to the skillet and cook for 3-5 min on one side and then flip and cook for another 3-5 min. The cooking time really depends on how you like your burger meat, but if you are unsure if it is done you can cut the patty in the center and make sure there is no pink.
AIP Burger Topping ideas
Ok kids, this is where the magic really happens. You can get creative with what you put on your burger, but my go to toppings are spinach, avocado, pickles, and onions. Here are some other ideas of things you top your burger with:
- Olives
- Microgreens
- Capers
- Caramelized onions
- Balsamic vinegar glaze
- Caramelized mushrooms
- Guacamole
Prepare your toppings while the meat is cooking and once the meat is cooled you can top your burger with your favorite flavors.
Turkey Bacon Burger (AIP, Paleo, Low Carb)
Ingredients
Burger:
- 1 slice bacon Nitrate Free
- ¼ lb ground turkey
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder optional
Toppings:
- 1 serving spinach
- ½ avocado
- Pickles
- Red onion slices
Instructions
- First heat up the skillet by turning it on medium high heat, and place the bacon in the skillet (you want to start with the bacon so you can cook the patty in the bacon grease).
- While the bacon is cooking, add seasonings to raw meat and incorporate fully. Once the meat has been mixed, form turkey into a patty.
- Add meat to skillet and cook for 3-5 min on one side and then flip and cook for another 3-5 min.
- While the meat is cooking, chop and prepare your burger toppings. Once the meat is cooked let it cool for a few minutes before placing on top of the spinach and adding the toppings (if its hot it can make the spinach wilty, ew).
Notes
- When you cook your bacon and burger patty, start with the bacon in the skillet first. Let it cook for a little while so that it can grease up the pan. This process gives more flavor to the burger patty and makes sure the patty doesn't stick to the skillet.
- If you are making this meal the night before keep the meat and veggies separate to help the veggies stay fresh
- This pairs great with sweet potato chips and apple slices to make a full meal.
