Healthy Hot Dog Recipes & Healthy Hamburger Recipes

Healthier recipes for BBQ favorites, such as hot dogs, hamburgers and more homemade picnic foods.
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Honey-Mustard Turkey Burgers

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Burgers made with ground turkey are a lean alternative to beef burgers, providing you choose turkey ground from the breast. Regular ground turkey, which is a mixture of light and dark meat and some skin, contains almost as much fat as lean ground beef. A honey-mustard mixture keeps these low-fat patties moist and succulent.

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Salsa-Black Bean Burgers

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Salsa and some pantry staples give this vegetarian bean burger recipe tons of flavor. We use crushed tortilla chips to bind the burgers together, making them a great vehicle for using up those crumbs that inevitably fall to the bottom of the bag.

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BBQ Carrot Dogs

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Shock everyone with this recipe for veggie dogs that actually taste like hot dogs. They're an amazing (and healthy!) vegan alternative to traditional meat hot dogs. Serve in whole-wheat hot dog buns and top with all your favorite toppings, such as sauerkraut, relish, ketchup and mustard, for the ultimate barbecue meal.

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Vegetarian All-American Portobello Burgers

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Portobello mushrooms stand in for meat patties in this recipe for veggie burgers with all the fixings. Mushrooms are a source of glutamate, a naturally occurring compound that gives the fungi their umami flavor. But to really give these "patties" a savory boost, we brush them with steak sauce. Add a simple side salad or some grilled veggies for a satisfying and easy dinner on the grill.

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California Hot Dog

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We know avocado, sprouts and curry powder aren't your typical hot dog toppings, but trust us, this is a delicious combo! For the best crunch, make sure your sprouts are fresh. If you like a little kick, use hot curry powder or add a pinch of cayenne.

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Air-Fryer Greek Turkey Burgers

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Sharp raw garlic, fresh herbs and tangy feta cheese superbly flavor these turkey burgers. Since the patties are air-fried with very little oil, there's room to add a bit of olive oil to the meat to keep the patties from drying out. Serve with air-fried zucchini fries (see associated recipe).

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Classic Hamburger

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Slow-cooked onions add moisture and flavor to these lean beef burgers. A quick blend of mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and vinegar makes a perfect tangy, sweet and creamy “special sauce” for this burger. We love the dill relish here, but use sweet relish if you prefer it. Serve with sweet potato fries.

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Mediterranean Burgers

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These high-fiber veggie burgers get added body and a pleasant mild flavor from millet, a nutrition powerhouse. They get their spectacular punch from Olive Ketchup and feta cheese.

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Salsa Hot Dog

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Skip the traditional ketchup and mustard toppings for your hot dog and try this fresh-tasting salsa topping instead. Vary the heat with more or less jalapeño.

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Smoky Buffalo Burger

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Here we flavor sweet, beefy buffalo (bison) with smoked cheese and smoky barbecue sauce. Instead of being melted on top, cheese is used here to season the meat--adding moisture and smoky flavor inside the burger. Wild rice bulks up the serving size (and adds vitamins and minerals), while keeping it lean. Plus the flavor and chewy texture are a wonderful complement to the meat. If you can't find buffalo in your store, substitute 90%-lean ground beef.

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Quinoa Veggie Burger

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Even meat-lovers will crave this vegetarian burger: toasted pecans, mushrooms, Cheddar cheese, fresh herbs and red quinoa pack this recipe full of delicious flavor. Red quinoa gives the burgers the perfect color, but white quinoa is fine too. These quinoa veggie burger patties hold together well for freezing, making for a quick and easy meal. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. Serve with your favorite burger garnishes. (Adapted from “Quinoa Revolution” by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming; Pintail Books, 2012.)

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Bacon & Mango Tango Sliders

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With a touch of sweet from the mango, savory from the bacon, plus a creamy avocado spread, this healthy slider recipe with takes burgers to a whole new level. Double the avocado mayo and use it for your next BLT.

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Mushroom-Quinoa Veggie Burgers with Special Sauce

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These hearty mushroom, black bean and quinoa veggie burgers are a healthy and satisfying homemade alternative to store-bought veggie burgers. And they take just 25 minutes of active time to prep, so while they're special enough for entertaining, they're quick enough for weeknight dinners.

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Salmon Burgers with Quick Pickled Cucumbers

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These healthy salmon burgers call for canned salmon, which makes them an economical and easy dinner. The quick-pickled cucumbers in this recipe are a great introduction to the world of pickling. If you enjoy them, you can make additional batches by following Steps 1 and 2.

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Farmers' Market Sliders

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Grill up your veggie haul from the farmers' market and pile them on as toppings in this healthy burger recipe. Bell peppers work well too.

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Jalapeño Popper Burgers

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We've taken a simple burger recipe and made it pop with an easy three-ingredient jalapeño cheese topping. Ground sirloin is lean ground beef made exclusively from the center loin cut. It has less connective tissue than regular ground beef for a super-tender burger.

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Zucchini-Chickpea Veggie Burgers with Tahini-Ranch Sauce

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This vegan burger recipe is one you'll want to make again and again. Savory chickpea and zucchini patties are topped with a creamy, herb-flecked tahini ranch sauce, juicy tomato slices and peppery arugula for a satisfying and healthy homemade veggie burger. Serve them on buns or stuff them in pitas. We recommend making extra sauce--it's a great dip for veggie sticks and, thinned with a little water, it makes a wonderful salad dressing.

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Vegan Beet Burgers with Sweet Chili Slaw

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If you've been curious about those store-bought veggie burgers that "bleed," you should try this homemade veggie burger recipe made with kidney beans, walnuts and beets. A little chili powder in the mixture gives them a hint of spiciness, which works nicely with the sweet chili slaw.

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Kimchi Pork Burgers

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This amped-up burger recipe swaps out beef for ground pork: it gives you similar nutrition (protein, iron, zinc) but has a milder flavor to allow this recipe's bold Asian flavors to sing.

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Classic Beef Burgers with Cauliflower Buns

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These juicy burgers skip the traditional bread bun in favor of a savory grain-free cauliflower bun that contains a bit of Cheddar cheese. A mixture of onions, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce gives the burger patties tons of flavor, and the addition of a tangy special sauce completes the package for a burger with serious personality. Note: If you would like to make these burgers gluten-free, be sure to check the ingredients for the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to make sure they're gluten-free.

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Caprese Turkey Burgers

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If you're a fan of caprese salads, you'll love this healthy turkey burger recipe. The patties are seasoned with Italian spices, then topped with juicy tomatoes drizzled with balsamic, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella. We've doubled down on the basil in this recipe by mixing it into the mayo and using whole leaves to top the burger, but if you prefer less basil flavor, you can swap out the basil leaves for spinach or arugula. Serve this summery burger with a simple side salad for a healthy dinner that's full of fresh flavors.

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California Turkey Burgers & Baked Sweet Potato Fries

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Inspired by an option at the West Coast chain In-N-Out Burger, this turkey burger recipe keeps the carbs in check with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. The side of sweet potato fries bakes while you prep the burgers, so this entire healthy dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.

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Banh Mi Hot Dog

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If you're a fan of the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich--or even if you're not--try this unique fresh topping combo the next time you're grilling dogs. We love the crunch of carrot and cucumber, the fresh taste of cilantro and the tangy zip from a big squeeze of lime.

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Greek Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki

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Creamy tzatziki and crisp sliced cucumber add a refreshing twist to this easy Greek-inspired burger recipe loaded with feta, spinach and Mediterranean spices. No tzatziki? No problem! Make your own at home by combining plain Greek yogurt with a squeeze of lemon, dill and finely chopped cucumber.

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