Protein Style Burger Board
Serve a bunless Protein Style Burger Board with turkey burgers, crunchy lettuce, and all your favorite toppings–served on a dinner board!
Friends, if you’re like me, you imbue your cooking and dining experiences with recipes or favorite meals you’ve eaten over the years. This Protein Style Burger Board is inspired by the double-double protein style burger at In and Out Burgers in Medford, Oregon.
Protein Style Burger Board
We can’t tell you how many lettuce-wrap burgers we’ve enjoyed, and they’re even better when you have a variety of toppings, like pickled onion and jalapeno! :) Or you can try this Best Burger Sauce!
More Epic Burger Boards to try
This Protein Style Burger Board is inspired by all of those burgers we’ve enjoyed over the years. And a burger board is a fun way to host, as today’s board is made on our recent “Travel Big Board!”
We love trying different kinds of burgers. You may have already tried our Pita Burger Board with Pickled Beets and a Sweet Dill Goat Cheese Spread or this Arugula Goat Cheese Burger Board. Especially for summer, here’s our most famous burger board from 4 years ago: Our Epic Summer Hamburger Board.
Ingredients for a Protein Style Burger Board
Let’s get started with these easy ingredients. You can print the full list below!
- Burger patties (turkey, chicken, beef, seafood, or vegan!)
- Iceberg lettuce
- Heirloom tomatoes
- Sharp cheddar cheese (we love Tillamook)
- Pickled red onions (try our recipe)
- Pickled jalapeños (or other pickle)
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise
- Melon, blueberries, or other fruit
This board serves 4, but you can always double or triple the recipe!
Why we love a protein style burger
Taking a bite of anything with a thick layer of iceberg lettuce may be one of the most satisfying bites of your life. The greens are so crunchy and refreshing, especially on a hot day. This board makes use of thick hunks of iceberg to replace traditional buns. Here I like to use pickled ingredients like onions and jalapeños to add some spice to the meal, but you can add whatever suits your taste. Consider raw red or sweet onions, bread and butter pickles, honey Dijon mustard, BBQ sauce, garlic aioli and more!
How do you make burger board?
- On a big board with a raised edge, arrange the small bowls of condiments and set down on the board.
- Leave room for a plate of “hot burgers” and build the board around it.
- Fill in open areas with the lettuce leaves, tomato slices, and any other toppings.
- Lay down the fresh fruit. Optional to add in potato chips and dips!
Tips and substitutions:
- You can also try different cheeses, like Swiss, gouda, or pepper jack. The burger patties are also interchangeable. I like to use my delicious Savory Turkey Burger recipe, but a seafood variety with a tangy tarter sauce and relish would be wonderful, too.
- Of course you can add in buns, or serve on the side if you dont’ want to go the “bunless” route.
- Add side dishes like potato chips, potato salad, or your favorite slaw recipe.
- A tip if you’re using raw red onions, is to add them to a bowl of ice water and let them sit for a few minutes before patting dry and serving. This curbs the harsh, raw flavor of the onion.
- Head to your farmers market for the freshest burger toppings.
Lettuce NOTE: I used one very large head of iceberg, but I recommend 2-3 heads of small iceberg to get enough thick pieces. To tear off pieces, use your fingers to dig at least 1’’-1 1/2’’ into the head of lettuce and carefully tear off large chunks, making sure they’re thick and wide enough to hold your burger. For the best results, tear the chunks out slowly.
A very helpful tool on the board is to add sandwich skewers, which make keeping the burger together much easier (and less messy!)
We love the BIG BOARD, and today’s recipe is assembled on the Travel Board. But you can check out all of our boards for ideas.
The Big Board®
Friends, The Big Board® is here! Yes, I’ve partnered with JK Adams, the premier woodmaking company in Vermont, with my own line of RE boards!
- 20-inch round, maple
- 26-inch round, maple
- 12 x 36-inch maple
- 12 x 24-inch maple
- 26-inch ebonized BLACK, cherry
- 12 x 36-inch ebonized BLACK, cherry
- NEW Travel Board
- A board with a lip (or raised edged) so the food doesn’t fall off
- FOOD SAFE
- Made in the USA
- Undercut handles (a unique design)
Thank you for your support, as we’ve sold out so many times already!
Order The Big Board® today!
Get the Recipe:
Protein Style Burger Board
Ingredients
- 4 burger patties, turkey, chicken, beef, seafood, or vegan!
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce, torn into 8 large chunks (see note)
- 2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced into 4 thick slices (or other tomato variety like beefsteak)
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- ⅓ c pickled red onion, or 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ c pickled jalapeños, or other pickle
- ¼ c ketchup
- ¼ c mayonnaise
- Melon, blueberries, or other fruit to serve
Instructions
- On a big board with a raised edge, arrange the small bowls of condiments and set down on the board.
- Leave room for a plate of "hot burgers" and build the board around it.
- Fill in open areas with the lettuce leaves, tomato slices, and any other toppings.
- Lay down the fresh fruit. Optional to add in potato chips and dips!
Notes
A tip if you’re using raw red onions, is to add them to a bowl of ice water and let them sit for a few minutes before patting dry and serving. This curbs the harsh, raw flavor of the onion. I used one very large head of iceberg, but I recommend 2-3 heads of small iceberg to get enough thick pieces. To tear off pieces, use your fingers to dig at least 1’’-1 1/2’’ into the head of lettuce and carefully tear off large chunks, making sure they’re thick and wide enough to hold your burger. For the best results, tear the chunks out slowly. A very helpful tool on the board is to add sandwich skewers, which make keeping the burger together much easier (and less messy!)
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
