Host a Burger Bar Party

Burger Bar – Hosting a burger buffet is definitely one of my favorite ways to entertain over the summer. It’s so super easy to pull together and it’s always such a big hit with everyone. With so many holidays to gather together during the year, why not host a super delicious, super healthy burger bar to show others how easy and delicious it is to eat clean!

Another great way to host a healthy dinner party is following our Pasta Bar Party guide!

Table of Contents

• A Healthy Burger Buffet Starts with Clean Burgers
• My Favorite Clean Burger Recipes
• Meat & Seafood Burgers
• Clean Burger Buffet Condiments
• Burger Toppings
• Don’t Forget the Sides!

Full Table of ContentsShow Less

Table of Contents

• A Healthy Burger Buffet Starts with Clean Burgers
• My Favorite Clean Burger Recipes
• Meat & Seafood Burgers
• Clean Burger Buffet Condiments
• Burger Toppings
• Don’t Forget the Sides!

Full Table of ContentsShow Less

A Healthy Burger Buffet Starts with Clean Burgers

What the heck is a “clean” burger? Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you have to go meatless. But when it comes to serving clean meat-based burgers, there are two main rules I like to follow…

Rule #1: Buy the Highest Quality Meat Available

f you are buying beef or lamb, the most important thing to look for is grass-fed or pasture-raised. Ideally, the meat would also be organic. But if you had to choose grass-fed over organic, go with grass-fed. When buying chicken or turkey, look for pasture-raised (free-range is meaningless). Again, ideally the chicken or turkey would be organic, but it is best to choose pasture-raised over organic if you have no other choice.

If you can’t find high quality meat in your area, buying online is always an option (check out Butcher Box!) If you are making seafood burgers, then buying clean seafood is also super important. You want to look for wild-caught and sustainably raised fish. Avoid farm-raised varieties. If you can’t source clean seafood from your area, shop here.

Rule #2: Mix in Some Plant Food

I am not vegan, but I never make an all-meat burger. I always mix in some plant-based ingredients to add anti-inflammatory fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. And believe it or not, the plant food addition always ends up boosting flavor too.

For example, sauteed minced carrots or mushrooms (shitakes are amazing!), tabouleh, finely chopped parsley or cilantro, mashed lentils, quinoa, etc. all make delicious burger add-ins. Check out some of the not-all-meat burger recipes below!

My Favorite Clean Burger Recipes

This is such a great list of meat and veggie burger options so you can make a few recipes for your burger bar party gathering!

Meat & Seafood Burgers:

All of the clean burger recipes below are perfect for a burger buffet because they can be assembled in advance and cooked just before guests arrive.

•  Salmon Burger (with Chive “Cream” Sauce)
• Turkey Mushroom Burger
• Grass Fed Lamb Burger
• Turkey & (Hidden) Vegetable Burgers 

Veggie Burgers:

• Recipe for Quinoa Burger
• Quinoa and Black Bean Burger
• Homemade Veggie Burgers
• BEST Black Bean Burger

Clean Burger Buffet Condiments

Healthy burger toppings DO exist! Although I do often like to make healthy condiments (especially ketchup and mayo!), nowadays, the vast majority can be store-bought too.

Here are my favorite clean burger buffet condiments below:

• Organic Roasted Red Peppers:  Red peppers are on the EWG’s “Dirty Dozen” list, so I always like to look for organic.
• Mayonnaise:  This is the one condiment I always make myself. I don’t trust the idea of using raw eggs and so I make a plant-based mayo from cashews, hemp seeds and macadamia nuts. It might sound complicated, but it really is super easy as long as you have all of the ingredients. If you don’t want to make your own, I recently discovered Primal Kitchen Mayo made with avocado oil.
• Ketchup: Just like with mayo, I almost always make my own ketchup. By using pureed dates I am able to make a sweet and delicious ketchup with no refined sugar. But if you don’t want to make your own, the clean store-bought brand I recommend is Primal Kitchen Unsweetened Ketchup.
• Mustard: If you are into clean eating, many condiments are on the no-no list. Luckily, unsweetened plain mustard is not. As long as it doesn’t have sugar, it’s hard to go too wrong with mustard. I usually just buy organic Dijon mustard. If you like a more classic flavor, Annie’s Naturals Organic Yellow Mustard is also very good.
• Pesto: Store-bought pesto almost always contains refined oils and cheese. My Avocado Pesto takes 5-minutes to whip up and makes a clean and delicious alternative.
• Pickles: As long as they are REAL pickles (meaning traditionally fermented), then pickles are a surprisingly healthy probiotic-rich food. No wonder many pregnant women crave them! You can make your own pickles if you want, but I just buy Bubbies brand. 
• BBQ Sauce: Just like ketchup, a clean homemade BBQ sauce made without refined sugar is easier than you might think to make. But if you aren’t up for homespun, Primal Kitchen makes a clean store-bought brand!

Burger Toppings:

• Sliced Tomatoes: I love to use large oversized tomatoes and thinly slice them. Top with a little sea salt for taste!
• Sliced Avocado: Nothing makes an easier or more delicious burger topping than sliced avocado. If you are serving avocado for a burger buffet, you’ll just want to squeeze some lemon juice on top to keep it from turning brown.
• Carmelized Onions: Thinly slice and add to 1-2 teaspoons of avocado oil and saute on medium heat for about 5-10 minutes depending on how caramelized you want your onions!
• Coleslaw: I love this recipe for coleslaw as it’s a little tangy with some cilantro. Perfect for a burger bar topping!
• Chopped Lettuce: Choose an artisan variety or butter lettuce — I like to loosely chop so people can make burger salads or lettuce wraps.

Don’t Forget the Sides!

• Tabouleh with Quinoa (super easy and wholesome recipe)
• Homemade Potato Salad
• Corn on the Cob
• Caramelized Onions
• Loaded Potato Skins (with crab and pesto)
• Cole Slaw (also great on fish tacos)
• Sliced Tomatoes
• Potato Salad

Sweet Ending

What’s better than a burger with a brownie for dessert? Brownies are one of the easiest desserts to serve at a buffet. You can’t go wrong with this recipe for Gluten and Dairy Free Brownies =)