This is a grilled lean beef burger served with baked sweet potato wedges, a quick tomato relish, and a coconut cream herb dip — all built on a homemade high-protein spelt bun. The honest reason to make it: you get a real burger meal that comes in at 269 calories per serving, without swapping beef for something that doesn’t taste like beef. It takes about 90 minutes start to finish, most of which is hands-off rising and baking time.
Before you start
The bun dough needs to rise overnight, so this is a two-day recipe — plan accordingly. If you skip the overnight rise and rush it, the buns will be dense and heavy, which makes the whole meal feel like hard work. The other thing that matters is how you handle the patties: very lean ground beef (under 10% fat) has almost no fat to hold the mixture together, so mix it thoroughly and press the patties firmly. A loose patty from lean beef will fall apart on the grill. Shape them cold, and if they feel fragile, chill them for 15 minutes before cooking.
About the ingredients
- Spelt flour (in the HTD protein bread): Spelt has a nuttier flavor than standard wheat flour and behaves slightly differently — it absorbs water faster, so don’t add extra liquid if the dough feels stiff at first.
- Coconut nectar: Used in the tomato relish as a low-glycemic sweetener. Honey works as a direct substitute in the same quantity if you can’t find it.
- Coconut cream from an unshaken tin: The recipe specifically calls for the thick cream that rises to the top of a refrigerated, unshaken tin of full-fat coconut milk. Shake the tin and you’ll get a thinner liquid — the dip won’t hold together properly. Refrigerate the tin the night before.
- Grapeseed oil for the wedges: It has a high smoke point, which suits oven roasting. A light olive oil or avocado oil works fine as a swap.
- Red pepper vs. jalapeño: The ingredient list calls for red pepper (capsicum), but the instructions mention jalapeño. If you want heat, use one small red jalapeño. If you want mild, use red capsicum as listed.
Keeping and reheating
Cooked patties keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat them in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes per side until they reach 160°F (71°C) at the center — a meat thermometer is the only reliable check. The buns freeze well for up to 2 months; wrap each one individually and thaw at room temperature for an hour before use. The tomato relish keeps refrigerated for 4–5 days. The coconut cream dip is best made fresh — it can separate after a day in the fridge and doesn’t recover well. Skip storing it; it takes two minutes to mix and isn’t worth the fridge space.
Mistakes to avoid
- Overworking the patty mix: Mix until the ingredients are just combined and evenly distributed. Keep going past that point and the proteins tighten up, giving you a rubbery patty instead of a tender one.
- Cutting the sweet potatoes unevenly: Thick wedges and thin wedges won’t cook at the same rate. Aim for consistent thickness — roughly 1.5 cm — so everything comes out of the oven at the same time.
- Cooking the burgers on high heat: Very lean beef scorches on the outside before the inside is cooked through. Medium heat gives you time to reach a safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) without burning the surface.
- Not letting the buns cool before slicing: Cutting into a freshly baked spelt bun while it’s still hot compresses the crumb and makes it gummy. Give them at least 20 minutes on a wire rack.
- Under-seasoning the patties: Lean beef has less fat carrying flavor than regular ground beef. Taste your seasoning mix before shaping — press a small piece flat, cook it in a dry pan for a minute, and adjust salt and herbs before you commit to all four patties.
The Best Low-Fat Burger and Chips Ever
Equipment
Ingredients
Burger bun
- ½ batch HTD protein bread dough - with sunflower seeds ground instead of whole — approximately 300g prepared dough, divided into 4 rolls (see linked recipe)
1 tbsp water - or egg ; for brushing buns before baking
Low-fat burger patty
7 oz ground beef (minced beef) - very lean, less than 10% fat, about 200g
2 small red pepper - finely chopped (red capsicum)
1 small red onion - diced- ½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp mixed herbs - usually thyme, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage, basil
2 cloves garlic - minced
Sweet potato wedges
2 medium sweet potatoes - approximately 400g / 14oz total
1 pinch salt - to taste- 1 pinch ground black pepper - to taste
½ tsp dried rosemary - crushed (or 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped)
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
Tomato relish
2 tbsp passata or crushed tomatoes (tomato puree with seeds removed) - or crushed tomatoes (tomato puree with seeds removed)- 1 tsp liquid coconut nectar
½ tsp mustard powder- 1 tsp red onion - diced
- ½ tsp garlic - minced
1 tsp apple cider vinegar- 1 pinch salt - to taste
- 1 pinch ground black pepper - to taste
Coconut cream herb dip
- ¼ small red onion - diced
3 leaves basil - chopped- 2 tbsp coconut cream - use the thick cream from the top of an unshaken tin of coconut milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic - diced
Instructions
- Start by making half a batch of HTD protein bread. After the bread dough has risen overnight, divide it into 4 balls and set aside to rise in a warm place for a further 30 minutes.½ batch HTD protein bread dough
- Once risen, brush each bread roll with water or egg and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F / 180°C (160°C fan-forced) for 20 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown.½ batch HTD protein bread dough, 1 tbsp water
- Set the bread rolls aside to cool on a wire cooling rack.
- Place the minced beef, diced red onion, finely chopped red pepper, salt, black pepper, mixed herbs, and minced garlic in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until the ingredients are evenly distributed and shape into 4 thick patties, pressing firmly so they hold together. Chill for 15 minutes before grilling if the patties feel fragile.7 oz ground beef (minced beef), 2 small red pepper, 1 small red onion, ½ tsp fine sea salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp mixed herbs, 2 cloves garlic
- Grill the burgers under medium heat for 5–6 minutes per side, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F / 71°C measured with an instant-read thermometer. Do not rely on colour alone — lean beef can look brown before it is safe.7 oz ground beef (minced beef)
- While the burgers are cooking, make the sweet potato wedges by washing and drying the sweet potatoes. Cut them into thick triangular wedges, then lightly brush them with grapeseed oil and place them on a non-stick baking tray.2 medium sweet potatoes, 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
- Sprinkle salt, pepper, and rosemary over the wedges and place them in the oven at 350°F / 180°C (160°C fan-forced) for 20–25 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy, flipping once halfway through.2 medium sweet potatoes, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch ground black pepper, ½ tsp dried rosemary
- Make the tomato relish by combining the passata, coconut nectar, mustard powder, diced red onion, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside. For the coconut cream herb dip, combine the coconut cream, diced red onion, chopped basil, diced garlic, salt, and black pepper in a separate small bowl and mix until smooth.2 tbsp passata or crushed tomatoes (tomato puree with seeds removed), 1 tsp liquid coconut nectar, ½ tsp mustard powder, 1 tsp red onion, ½ tsp garlic, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch ground black pepper, ¼ small red onion, 3 leaves basil, 2 tbsp coconut cream, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch ground black pepper, 1 clove garlic
- Serve the burgers in their protein buns along with your preferred salad ingredients, sweet potato wedges and a generous helping of your homemade tomato relish and coconut cream herb dip.½ batch HTD protein bread dough, 7 oz ground beef (minced beef), 2 medium sweet potatoes
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I use regular ground beef instead of the very lean version?
Yes, but the calorie count will rise noticeably. Ground beef with 15–20% fat will also release more liquid in the pan, which can make the patties harder to keep together — drain any pooled liquid if you’re grilling on a flat surface.
How do I know when the burger patties are fully cooked?
The safest way is a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the patty — ground beef needs to reach 160°F (71°C). Color alone isn’t reliable; lean beef can look brown before it’s safe, or stay slightly pink even when it’s cooked through.
My patties keep falling apart on the grill. What am I doing wrong?
Very lean ground beef has little fat to act as a binder, so the mix needs to be pressed together firmly when shaping. Chill the shaped patties for 15 minutes before cooking, and resist the urge to press down on them with a spatula while they cook — that breaks them up further.
Can I make the buns ahead of time?
Yes — bake them, cool them completely, then freeze individually wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour; they don’t need reheating unless you prefer them warm, in which case 5 minutes in a 160°C oven is enough.
What if I can’t find coconut nectar for the relish?
Use the same amount of honey or pure maple syrup — both dissolve easily into the passata base. Avoid granulated sugar here; it won’t fully dissolve in such a small quantity of liquid and the relish will taste grainy.
What to cook next
- Spicy Beef Stuffed Peppers
- Hearty Beef Cauliflower Bake
- Kumara Beef Hash Cakes
- Fiery Lamb Churrasco Patties
