I'm here to teach you how to cook better meals for a high protein diet and chew bubble gum. And I'm all out of bubble gum.
🍔 🍟 Happy International Hamburger Day!
Bun-jour, burger aficionados! Mason from Kinda Healthy Recipes here with some hot news: Tomorrow is International Hamburger Day! If there’s a holiday I’m down to celebrate, it’s this one. There’s major beef about who was really the person who invented the burger. Wikipedia has a list of potential creators, I’d say let’s salute everyone who's played a part in making it the icon it is today. And now, let’s get to the meat of this email. To celebrate this holiday, I’ve put together a list of my best burger recipes. And what's a burger without some killer sides? I got ‘em too. Got your spatula ready? Let’s go! 1. Healthy In-N-Out Animal Style Double-Double Burger CopycatWho doesn’t love In-N-Out burgers? They are the best true fast-food burger. But let’s get real, they’re not even kinda healthy. My recipe gives In-N-Out burgers a protein boost, slashes calories by 60%, and kicks 50% of the fat to the curb.
2. Nashville Hot Chicken BurgersThese Nashville hot chicken burgers pair lean ground chicken with a blend of dried peppers and spices to create juicy, flavorful burgers you’d never expect to be healthy. They are super easy to make and can be on the table in about 20 minutes. Unlike traditional hot chicken that’s breaded and fried, these burgers barely have any carbs, leaving you plenty of room for a real bun and your favorite sides.
3 + 4. Smoked Burgers Two WaysIf you’re firing up the smoker now that it’s certified sweater weather, burgers are never a bad idea. I’m typically a smash burger, crispy patty guy, but smoker burgers are great for the thicc burger lovers out there. I have two recipes to check out, one for fans of burgers with bacon and a runny egg on top, and another for the Tex-Mex lover. Smoked Bacon Burgers or Chipotle Cheddar Bison Burgers.
5. Shake Shack Double SmokeShackShake Shack’s SmokeShack burger is a top-tier fast food burger. The crispy bacon, chopped cherry peppers, and ShackSauce perfectly elevate their top-secret smash burgers. And, I am personally a huge fan, but the original Double SmokeShack has 870 calories and 57g of fat. That’s a lot for a burger. My Kinda Healthy copycat recipe has only 460 calories and 19g of fat. While you sacrifice a little flavor with leaner ground beef, the beauty of the SmokeShack is the bacon and peppers provide tons of flavor to compensate. I say this as one of Shake Shack’s biggest fans, you won’t miss the original that much.
Sides & Burger Adjacent DishesBecause what’s a great burger without a little sum’n sum’n on the side. Check these out: Air Fryer Cajun FriesIn the name of research, I recently made a trip to my local Five Guys to try these out. And not to toot my own horn, but I think my version might be better. But I’ll let you be the judge. If nothing else, this air fryer Five Guys cajun fries recipe creates crispy, flavorful, and slightly healthier fries that rival the real thing. And unlike the original, these won’t be dumped inside a brown paper bag or make a greasy mess.
50-Calorie Burger BitesOne of the most OG Kinda Healthy recipes out there. I’ve been pushing these mini muffins as “the best parts of burgers without the calories” since, like, 2018. They’re a reader favorite, and I bet you’ve tried them already. If not, change that!
Loaded Bacon Cheeseburger FriesOven-baked fries and all the bacon burger flavors in one dish. This is a fun dish for the days you’re just lounging and having what the kids are calling a rot day. Make a big sheet pan and load up a plate.
Garlic Parmesan Air Fryer Red PotatoesIf you’re in need of a simple healthy side dish, you’ll love this crispy air fryer red potatoes recipe. Red potato wedges are air fried in a blend of crushed garlic and red pepper, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. These potatoes are lower fat and lower calorie thanks to air frying in just the right amount of olive oil, and they are perfect for serving with a high protein main course.
Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta SkilletI wonder if the founding fathers of hamburger day ever had cheeseburger pasta. Surely.
Happy cooking and as always, stay positively charged. Mason PS: If you enjoy these recipes, I'd love it if you could forward them to a friend or colleague. It only takes 10 seconds and helps me a lot. Every bit of support means the world to me! |
Kinda Healthy Recipes
I'm here to teach you how to cook better meals for a high protein diet and chew bubble gum. And I'm all out of bubble gum.
I’m experiencing some kitchen burnout this year in a big way. That’s where the rotisserie chicken series came from. And I’ve been consuming an embarrassing amount of Fairlife chocolate milk and Siggi’s skyr over the last few months to hit my daily goal of 200+ grams of protein. But you can only get so far without warm, savory foods. That’s where this new solution comes into play. There’s a new direct to your door food company called Just Meats, and I’ve been testing all their products over...
Happy Spooky Season, my fellow gear head and food friend. In case you're unfamiliar, Mason’s Must-Haves is a monthly email about my favorite foods, ingredients, cooking gear, or food-related content from the past month. This is the third edition of this email series, and it's the first time I find myself adding a "nice-to-have" tag on a couple things. I don't want this series to come across as me telling you to go out and buy all these things, particularly the more expensive gear. It's more...
Hey there, my fellow minimalist cook. This is Mason, from Kinda Healthy Recipes. What are some of the challenges you usually face when it’s time to cook? #1. The recipes that come to mind or that you find online require a ton of ingredients you don’t have. #2. You don’t have much time to prep and cook. To help you out in those situations, I created a list of recipes that require 5 ingredients or less. Keep this bookmarked for the next time you’re pressed for time or there isn’t much to choose...