Green Goddess Herb Sauce Burger
A burger with creamy Green Goddess herb sauce made with fresh tarragon, parsley, and chives on a toasted brioche bun.
- Prep
- 20min
- Cook
- 10min
- Total
- 30min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 870per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Tarragon is the herb that defines this sauce. Its light anise note is what separates green goddess from a generic herb mayo, and it stands up well to a seared beef patty. The anchovy paste adds salty depth without any fishy taste, so don't leave it out.
Blending rather than chopping gives the sauce its color: the herbs break down completely and turn the mayo and sour cream bright green. With only lettuce and tomato as toppings, the sauce carries the burger, so spread it on both bun halves and make extra for the table.
Green Goddess Herb Sauce Burger
Prep 20 min, cook 10 min, total 30 min. About 870 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/green-goddess-herb-sauce-burger
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
Tap a step to keep your place.
Make the Green Goddess sauce: In a food processor or blender, combine ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 oz parsley, ½ oz tarragon, ½ oz chives, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp anchovy paste, minced garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and bright green. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Form ground beef into 4 equal patties, about ¾ inch thick. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 4-5 minutes per side until an instant-read thermometer in the center of a patty reads 160°F (71°C).
Toast buns cut-side down in the same skillet until golden, about 1-2 minutes.
Assemble burgers: Spread Green Goddess sauce generously on both bun halves. Layer lettuce on bottom buns, add beef patties, top with tomato slices, and finish with more sauce. Crown with top buns. Serve extra sauce on the side.
Tips
- Pick the parsley and tarragon leaves off their stems; stems blend into stringy bits. Chives can go in roughly chopped.
- Dry the herbs well after washing. Water left on the leaves thins the sauce.
- Make the sauce at least 30 minutes ahead so the garlic and anchovy settle in, and keep it chilled.
- Press a shallow dent into the center of each 2 cm patty so it stays flat and the sauce doesn't slide off a domed top.
Substitutions
- No tarragon: use extra parsley and a few basil leaves. The sauce stays green and fresh but loses the anise note.
- Greek yogurt instead of sour cream: tangier and slightly thinner.
- No anchovy: add 5 ml chopped capers and a pinch more salt for the briny edge.
- Ground turkey instead of beef pairs well with the herbs; cook it to 165°F (74°C).
Make ahead & storage
The sauce keeps 3 to 4 days covered in the fridge; the color dulls a little after the first day, but the taste holds. Cooked patties keep 3 to 4 days and reheat in a skillet to 165°F (74°C). Assemble just before eating.
