Six Reasons to Try a Blended Mushroom-Beef Burger

Have you heard of a Blended Mushroom Burger? It’s Healthier and Tastier than it Sounds. We challenge you to try it! 

Burgers have come a long way in the past couple of years. From getting creative with new proteins, like turkey, chicken, lamb or salmon burgers, to new veggie alternative burgers from companies like Impossible or Beyond, gone are the days where the word ‘burger’ only meals a dry hockey puck like piece of meat in a bun.  There is a new type of burger on the scene, that will be a hit at your next cookout, and that is a blended burger!

What is a Blended Burger?

A blended burger combines mushrooms with ground beef to create a tastier burger that is better for the environment. The James Beard Foundation hosts an annual Blended Burger Project to help propel the blended burger movement forward, inspiring chefs across the country to make their own blended burger creations. One reason why these burgers are becoming popular is because of the fairly new term Blenditarian.

Photo by Kaitlin Eckstein

6 Reasons to Try a Blended Burger

1. Flavor

Mushrooms increase the savory, meaty flavor in the burgers, or umami, without tasting “mushroom-y”. If you’re worried about the mushrooms giving your burger a mushroom taste, keep ratio of your mixture about 20% mushroom and 80% beef.

Plus, the mushrooms help hold the shape of the burger and adds moisture too! So say goodbye to dry burgers that just fall apart.

2. Health

Mushrooms are packed with fiber, B vitamins, potassium and more! And since you are replacing saturated fat with mushrooms, you are making this dish much more heart healthy!  Adding mushrooms makes the burgers lower in saturated fat and calories, which can help support you in reaching your nutrition goals.

3. Environmentally Friendly

You will be doing your part to save the planet. The World Resources Institute says that 10 billion burgers are sold annually.  If 30% of every burger was replaced with mushrooms, we would save as much emissions as taking 2.3 million cars off the road!

4. Budget Friendly

Buying meat can be expensive, especially if you are trying to feed a crowd! By replacing a portion of your beef with mushrooms and instead of making about 4 burgers with a pound of beef, you will be able to make about 6 burgers, getting way more bang for your buck!

5. Customizable

You don’t have to keep these burgers plain! Mix things up by adding low sodium flavorings to your burgers or playing around with the toppings. Use our taco seasoning and top your burger with avocado and cheddar cheese for a southwest inspired burger OR try using Italian seasoning and topping your burger with pesto tomato and mozzarella for a caprese style burger.

6. Great for Meal Prep

You can easily make these burgers ahead of time, which make them perfect for meal prep. Leftover burgers freeze well and can be easily reheated in the microwave, which means you can get a meal on the table in no time!

Did you know that you can purchase already chopped up mushrooms in the freezer section of Walmart? Look for Let’s Blend.  It’s made specifically for mixing with ground beef in recipes.

What does a Blended Burger taste like?

Plus, the mushrooms help hold the shape of the burger and adds moisture too! Adding about 20% mushrooms does not give the blended burger a mushroomy taste.

Are there Different Types of  “Almost Vegetarian” Burgers

You can use all types of meats and either a vegetable or grain.  Some of the most popular burgers contain ground beef and mushrooms.  One reason why these burgers are becoming popular is because of the term fairly new term Blenditarian.

What is Blenditarian?

A blenditarian is a concept developed by the mushroom council (link) to encourage people to blend meat with chopped mushrooms in recipes, to create nutritious and delicious meals that are environmentally friendly.

You can find more information on the blenditarian movement here including some delicious blenditarian recipes to try.

Benefits of a Veggie Burger Blend

Blended Burgers and Medical Conditions

Our recipe is heart healthy and diabetes friendly.

• Heart healthy
• Diabetes friendly
• NOT recommended for people on a low FODMAPs diet

Try a Blended Burger at Your Next Cookout

Have you ever noticed that people are often more receptive to trying new foods when someone else prepares them? What if you tried serving Blenditarian Burgers at your next cookout? I bet you will hear rave reviews.  Give our Blended Mushroom Burger a try.

Time Saving Tips:

• Did you know that you can purchase already chopped up mushrooms in the freezer section of Walmart? Look for Let’s Blend.  Its made especially for adding to ground beef in recipes.
• Add low sodium flavorings to your burgers.  Here are our favorite salt-free DIY seasonings.
• You can easily make these burgers ahead of time.
• Leftover burgers freeze well and can be easily reheated in the microwave.
• If you want to first try the burger, there are plenty of restaurants that serve burger blends.  Take a look at the menu next time you are out.
  • For our Maryland readers, here are a couple of places where you may find blended type burgers:
    • Sonic may have blended beef-mushroom burgers.
    • BurgerFi in Towson has a conflicted burger which is 1 on patty of beyond burger (vegan) and one patty of angus beef. Not quite the same as a blended burger, but certainly another option as you move toward eating less beef.

Need a refresher on the flavor profile of mushroom varieties? We’ve got you covered.

• White buttons have a mild flavor with a crisp texture and when cooked they develop a tender, chewy texture 
• Criminis have a more intense flavor than white buttons with their earthy and meaty flavor
• Portabellas have a meaty texture and smoky flavor 
• Shiitakes, similar to portabellas, also have a meaty texture.
• Oysters have a delicate and savory flavor. Some people say it has a seafood flavor. 
• Maitakes adds a rich, peppery flavor to any recipe. This mushroom is best when served cooked. 

Here is our Beef Mushroom Burger recipe

This recipe is easy to make and both heart healthy and diabetes friendly. Try to prepare this for your next cookout, and you will get plenty of rave reviews

Print Recipe

Beef and Mushroom Burger

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time6 minutes mins

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Budget-friendly, Easy, Fall, Fiber, Kid-friendly, Meal prep, Party, Summer

Condition: Cancer, Chronic Kidney Disease, Dairy Free, Diabetes, Low Sodium, Nut Free, PCOS

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 8-10 oz mushroom cremini and portobello
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb beef ground
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce reduced sodium
• 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425° F. Roughly chop mushrooms and toss in olive oil. Spread in an even layer on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until soft. Drain off excess liquid.
• Place mushrooms in food processor and process until it reaches the consistency of ground beef.
• Place ground beef, mushroom mixture, egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix with a spatula until well combined.
• Divide beef mixture into 6 equal parts and form into patties. Cook on grill to desired temperature. Serve with choice of bread or lettuce and add desired toppings.

Notes

What you pair with this patty will have an impact on total sodium and carbohydrate amount. Be sure to take this into account, especially if you're watching your blood pressure or blood sugar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 74mg

Here some more of our favorite Blenditarian Recipes

Dietitian-approved Burger Recipes

We asked our dietitian friends if they created any similar recipes and here is what they came up with!

Chrissy Carroll, RD blogger from Snacking in Sneakers shares her Black and Blue Burger with beef, mushrooms, blue cheese and an optional egg on top for a fun brunch idea.

Lindsey Pine, RD blogger from Tasty Balance Nutrition shares her Mediterranean Chicken Burger with chicken, mushrooms, and spices to make a tasty twist on a chicken blend.

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Dietitian Shannon blogger from KISS in the Kitchen not only shares her burger recipe with us, she shows how you can build your own burger bar.

Don’t forget to enter our blended mushroom burger contest! Let us know what you think of blended burgers in the comments below.