Reading Time: 3 minutesOffal, or organ meats, is harder to find in stores and less popular to eat than in the past. But offal can provide us with vital nutrients like zinc, iron, and the B vitamins, and potentially CoQ10, folate, and vitamin A, as well.
But even though eating organ meats is good for us, it’s hard for a lot of people to get over the hump of that first try. Traumatized by shoe-leather tough liver and onions as kids, some of us just aren’t excited to try organ meats again. Then, there are those of us who picture heart and sweetbreads and can’t get the image of “guts” out of our heads.
No worries. This offal burger recipe is far from “awful,” and is perfect for the beginner or the traumatized veteran. This burger is so tasty and packed with layers of happy flavors that you’ll turn picky eaters into converts before you know it.
P.S. You can serve this with sprouts, micro greens, sliced avocado, or any of your other favorite burger toppings. You can also make a bun of portobello mushrooms or a sweet potato “bun” if you need your burger to be bundled up.
Offal Burger for Beginners
This burger is far from "awful," and is the perfect way for the beginner (or the person traumatized by childhood liver and onions) to practice incorporating valuable organ meats into their nutrition.
Ingredients
- 1 pound grass-fed beef 80/20 if you can
- 4-6 ounces beef or chicken liver less if you're serving to offal beginners
- 1/4 cup onions minced
- 1/8 cup carrots minced
- 1/8 cup celery minced
- 1/4 cup chopped black or green olives or some of both
- 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce Red Boat is our recommendation
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
-
On medium heat, sweat (soften) the onions, carrots, and celery for about 5 minutes.
-
Meanwhile fine chop the liver.
-
Put everything in a bowl and mix thoroughly. It'll be a little wet. If it's too sloppy to hold shape, add a little starch.
-
Form into 4-5 patties. Cook on medium heat.
-
Serve with sprouts, micro greens, sliced avocado, or any of your other favorite burger toppings. You can also make a bun of portobello mushrooms or a sweet potato "bun" if you need your burger to be bundled up.
Recipe Notes
The one pound of beef could actually be a mix of beef, pork, bison, game, or even poultry. Use what's handy. Feel free to mix it up when it comes to the liver, too. Heart is a muscle and has a much milder taste than liver. Kidney and spleen would work, as well. Just be sure you get your organ meats from responsibly fed sources like grass-fed cattle.
She is a CrossFit Level 3 Trainer and a USA Weightlifting Club Coach. She is a Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach and a POSE Method Certified Running Technique Specialist and is certified in the Functional Movement Screen.
She and her husband, Tony Young, own Momentum Fitness in Santa Rosa Beach on the beautiful Florida Panhandle. She enjoys writing about life, change, and training on her blog. She loves coaching people near and far on making physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy choices.
