If you have read any of my other posts, you probably have heard me say that I am not particularly “bread crazy.” Having Celiac Disease definitely has its frustrations, but typically those frustrations (for me) have way more to do with cakes and pies and cookies.
I feel the pain of no bread, however, when it comes time for a big juicy burger.
I mean, the whole lettuce wrap thing is cool, but if I am being honest, calling it “protein style” just feels like a poor attempt at comforting those who can’t enjoy a soft and chewy bun with their perfectly grilled meat patty.I haven’t come up with a grain free bun yet, although I am sure someone out there has. I just haven’t found it yet.
Until I find it, I am forced to be creative and come up with clever ways to make my bun-less burgers a little less pathetic.
Here’s the thing… When I eat a burger, I want it to be thick, juicy, filing, and covered with delicious toppings.
With that in mind, I have decided to come up with a series of bun-less burgers that offer loads of flavor, and are everything but wimpy.
First on my list was this Naked Bacon Pineapple Burger.
I love pineapple, I love bacon, and I love burgers, so it seemed like a good place to start.
The “creative” part of this burger?
The pineapple subs as the bun.
I know, it’s not even close to bread. But I wanted thick, and I wanted juicy, so I felt like a thick slice of pineapple was the perfect solution. Just pile everything on top of it and you have a big thick burger.
For my burger, I chose to go with lean ground beef, pepperjack cheese, bacon, and honey barbecue sauce all piled on top of the pineapple.
I also used a tiny bit of gluten free soy sauce in the pan while I cooked the burgers- just to add some juice and flavor that would mesh well with pineapple.
You can feel free to top these burgers with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, or really any other topping you prefer! The sky is the limit!
Enjoy!
Naked Bacon Pineapple Burgers
Here's What You Need
- 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef or turkey
- salt to taste*
- pepper to taste*
- paprika to taste*
- 3 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
- 8 slices of bacon
- 4 slices of pepper jack cheese
- 4 slices pineapple rounds 1" thick
Here's What You Do
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Heat nonstick pan over medium heat.
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Divide ground beef into 4 even patties. Each patty will be 6oz. If you want to achieve that perfect “restaurant” round patty, you can use a rolling pin to make it evenly flat, and then a biscuit cutter to cut a perfect round.
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Season each patty with salt, pepper, and paprika.
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Place patties in nonstick pan with 3tbsp soy sauce. For medium cooked burger, cook on first side for approximately 5 minutes. Flip the burgers. You should see a nice brown ring around the edges of the patties.
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Add the bacon to the pan immediately when you flip the burgers. This will give the burgers a nice rich flavor, and also help them from drying out. The bacon and the burgers should- in theory- be done at the same time.
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Remove your burgers from the pan when they are golden brown and when the desired amount of pink comes out upon poking them. Immediately top the burgers with one slice of pepperjack cheese each, then set aside with the bacon. (The cheese will melt on the burgers even though they have been removed from the heat).
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Place the four pineapple slices in the warm pan for approximately three minutes. This will not cook them through, but will simply warm them. If you desire for your pineapple slices to be cooked and softened, leave them in four 2-3 minutes longer.
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Remove from heat and top with bacon, then burgers with cheese.
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You can add other toppings as you desire, (i.e. tomato, avocado, onion..), or you can simply have them like this served with a nice barbecue sauce.
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Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- *I used approximately 1tsp salt, 1/2tsp pepper, and 1/2tsp paprika for each burger patty.
