TL/DR – Tapenade Burger Lettuce Wraps. Olive tapenade is a wonderful compliment to ground beef. Crunchy lettuce in place of a bun allows for all of the savory olive flavor to explode! –
Weeknight cooking can be a drag, but burgers are something easy to execute and they can be spruced up with a variety of sauces and combinations. These Tapenade Burger Lettuce Wraps are easy to put together ahead of time so that on a busy evening, all that has to be done is to cook the patties and rinse off some lettuce.
Olive tapenade is a very simple thing to make ahead of time and refrigerate. This recipe uses a roasted red pepper and olive mixture, but this Oregano Olive Tapenade is also delicious if you don’t have roasted red peppers. Use a food processor and it’s done in minutes.
I prefer an 80% lean ground beef because fat has more flavor. For this recipe, be sure to only use a dash of salt on the patties before grilling because the tapenade has such great saltiness from the olives.
I also prefer to eat burgers as lettuce wraps because in my opinion a store bought bun is not worth the calories and I want to savor and enjoy the flavors of the meat and the sauce! For a busy week, make the tapenade on Sunday and refrigerate for up to a week. Either buy pre-made burger patties or simply form them and wrap them back up until you’re ready to grill. Then all it takes is to grill the patties, rinse some lettuce and make an easy side, like Roasted Potatoes.
Tapenade Burger Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1/2 c pitted green olives, preferably castelvetrano, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 c pitted kalamata olives, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 c fresh parsley leaves
- 6 oz jarred roasted red peppers, about 1 large, rinsed and drained
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 T red wine vinegar
- 1 small clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/4 t kosher salt
- 1/4 t ground black pepper
- 16 butter lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the grill on a medium setting.
- Step 2 Combine the first 7 ingredients, green olives through garlic, in a small food processor and process until smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides once. Cover and refrigerate.
- Step 3 Form four burger patties and lightly sprinkle each side with the kosher salt and black pepper. Be very judicious with the salt, as the tapenade has a salty flavor.
- Step 4 Grill the burger patties for about 5 minutes on each side or until your desired doneness has been reached.
- Step 5 Serve each patty with 4 lettuce leaves and a quarter of the tapenade.
