SCD Recipe: Hamburger Patties in Sauce

Recipe updated 03-06-2024

I’ve always had trouble making a good sauce that’s Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) friendly. They’re either watery or just not that flavorful. The sauce for these burgers is the opposite of both of those things. It’s thick and has a great tangy flavor reminiscent of sweet and sour sauce.

Making a Good SCD Sauce

This recipe came to me via my mother-in-law who had learned it from her mother-in-law and I was excited to adapt it for SCD. I love these kind of recipes that have been made in families for years. Though I’d never had this particular dish before it reminded me of recipes my own grandmother used to make. Sometimes those old-fashioned recipes are the comfort we need. Right?

I’ve shared this with other SCD followers and it’s always been a favorite. You can make it quickly in about a half an hour or you can let the burgers simmer in the sauce for 90 minutes for even more flavor. Usually I’ll get this started with plenty of time and let the burgers simmer in the sauce until I’m ready to serve.

You can use whatever ground meat you like for this recipe. I like using ground turkey because turkey is a little drier than beef and the sauce really livens it up.

What Kind of Tomatoes Do You Use for SCD

When I first made this recipe, I often used tomato juice as indicted in Breaking the Vicious Cycle. I now use a couple of jarred diced or chopped tomatoes from companies that don’t add other ingredients. I use either Pomi or Jovial tomatoes. I also use True Made Foods Ketchup. They indicated to me there are no hidden ingredients in any of their products. As will everything, it is up to you to determine what products are best for you.

The original recipe called for ketchup, but I changed to tomato juice, or diced tomatoes, to make SCD-compliable. If you have an SCD ketchup, you can use that or do a combination, or you can make your own SCD ketchup.

In the photo it is served with mashed cauliflower and roasted broccolini.

SCD Hamburger Patties in Sauce

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Paleo, SCD

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 45

Servings: patties

Author: Sherry Lipp

Equipment

1 Large Pan

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef, chicken, or turkey
1 small onion (chopped)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp butter or ghee
1 cup diced tomatoes or SCD ketchup
¼ cup apple cider vinegar (you can subsitute another kind if you like)
2 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp honey omit if using a honey-sweetened ketchup
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 slices Provolone or other good melting cheese optional

Instructions

Heat butter over medium heat until melted
Add onion and sautee until softened
Add garlic and sautee onions and garlic until onions are translucent and start to brown a little
Whisk together tomatoes, vinegar, mustard, honey, and spices
Add tomato mixture to onions and garlic
Simmer mixture for 10 minutes
While sauce is simmering, form burgers into patties
Salt & Pepper both sides of the patties
Add burgers to sauce
Turn heat to medium-low
Cover pan and simmer for at least 30 minutes – flipping halfway through cooking. You can simmer these for up to 90 minutes for maximum flavor (be sure to keep an eye on the heat, you may need to turn it down lower for a longer cooking time)
Top with cheese, if using, about 10 minutes before serving

Author
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Sherry Lipp

Founder at Happy Gut For Life

Sherry is a Certificed Holistic Gut Practioner, author, and recipe creator. Sherry started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet in 2000 and has been creating delicious, grain and gluten-free recipes ever since. She is the author of the Don't Skip Dessert SCD cookbooks.