4 Benefits To Making a Blended Burger

The classic burger is a favorite amongst many and a go-to option when cooking. But what if you could have good ‘ol beef and a full serving of vegetables in one bite?

Meet the blended burger — the perfect mix of finely-diced mushrooms and bona fide beef. Not only has it reached celebrity status in a James Beard Foundation chef competition but it’s also a better-tasting, better-for-you, easy-to-make burger at home.

Curious? Become a blenditarian and enjoy these four benefits of the blended burger, just in time for burger season!

It’s juicy and flavorful.

Grill marks are their own kind of beautiful but if it’s what’s on the inside that counts, a blended burger won’t disappoint. Mushrooms add much-needed moisture (read: juiciness) and enhance texture, especially when they’re chopped to perfectly blend with the consistency of beef.

In fact, even non-mushroom eaters can get behind the blended burger. Those who swap their go-to ground beef for a beef-mushroom blend ended up liking the flavor and texture more. Mushrooms are umami-rich (umami is one of the five basic tastes along with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness) and create a savory taste that’s magnified with other umami-packed ingredients (a classic beef and ketchup combination, for example). Pro tip: Oven-roasting and searing shrooms can enhance umami properties.

It’s nutritious.

Not only does a blended burger add an extra dose of this healthful vegetable to your plate, but thanks to the natural umami boost, there’s less of a need for your grill side salt shaker.

Mushrooms also provide key, healthy nutrients including B vitamins (for energy), antioxidants such as selenium (which protect the body from damage that could lead to disease), and potassium (which helps control blood pressure). They’re naturally fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low-calorie, supplementing traditional meat with added nutrition.

It’s easy.

You don’t need a slew of other ingredients to whip up a blended burger or a complicated recipe of vegetables and quinoa (though, there’s a time and place for that!). Instead, simply combine a rough ratio of 25% chopped mushrooms to 75% meat.

While you can use any kind of ground protein, ground chuck will help produce that all-American beefy burger taste. In terms of mushrooms, crimini and white buttons will infuse flavor and are easy to find in most grocery stores, though any fresh cultivated mushroom will do. For the best burger, chop mushrooms to match the consistency of the ground meat (diced by hand or in a food processor).

Need an at-home, how-to tutorial? Check out Bon Appétit Senior Food Editor, Chris Morocco, explain step-by-step how to perfect the blended smashburger.

It’s better for the planet.

The Earth-conscious can feel good biting into a blended burger: Using mushrooms in your burger lowers your carbon footprint. Mushrooms require minimal growing space and water. Plus, since they’re ready to harvest in just a matter of days, they’re one of the most Earth-friendly and renewable crops on the planet.

Try a blended burger and join the Blended Burger Project at blenditarian.com!