Best Recipes for a Fakeaway Burger Night
Who can say no to a burger and chips? Pick your meat, load up your sesame seed bun with veggies and sauce and you’re set for a crowd-pleasing family dinner that’s big on flavour. It’s no secret that restaurant or takeaway versions of burgers, cheesy or not, can come high in calories! With a clever swap here and a Pinch of Nom twist there, our burger recipe alternatives are slimming friendly without compromising on moreish, fresh-from-the-grill flavours. Whether you like your family Fakeaway nights to be classic and cheesy, spicy and fiery or vegetarian friendly, we’ve got a burger recipe to suit every taste for fewer calories.
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American inspired burger night
From melty cheeseburgers to breaded chicken breasts seasoned with The Colonel’s signature secret herbs and spices, there’s no denying that American-style burgers are a tasty place to start. Made with a love for our go-to KFC order, our KFC Zinger Burger Fakeaway is as much a treat as the real deal. Just as crispy, spicy and succulent as the restaurant version, you can treat the whole family to our not-so-secret recipe for 211 calories per zinger (bun not included).
It’s so tasty, it will go with any kind of burger bun you fancy!
Using Doritos tortilla chips (yes, really!) to coat our chicken breasts, we’ve managed to create an authentic-tasting, crispy coating for fewer calories than traditional deep-fried breadcrumbs. Trust us, you won’t be able to tell the difference!
Our top tip? Have a play around with different Dorito flavours to add a whole new layer of seasoning to your burger bap. We love using the extra-hot triangles for a fiery kick!
Named after the irresistible combination of blackened spice mix and melty blue cheese, Black and Blue Burgers are an ideal treat for a Fakeaway dinner. To keep things slimming friendly without compromising on dreaminess, we’ve made our melty dressing with crumbled blue cheese and fat-free Greek yoghurt. The trick is in keeping an eye on your spices – cook them to your liking until the spices are blackened, not burnt. The smoky results are so worth it!
Who else loves making their own spice blends? More budget-friendly (and fun!) than using a premade version, you can put a little extra love into our Cajun Chicken Burger by seasoning with a homemade blend (don’t worry, our simple recipe tells you how!).
Served up with a fresh salad or crispy potato wedges on the side, the whole family’s guaranteed to love their mildly-spiced, gooey cheesiness.
Mexican inspired burger night
A surefire showstopper for your next barbecue burger night, our Tex Mex Burgers recipe has all the punchy, fiery, Mexican-inspired flavour you’d expect for far fewer calories. By working finely chopped onions, fresh chilli and a blend of spices into your minced beef mixture, every single one of your burger patties will be bursting with ‘Mex’ flavour.
To get the perfect burger shape, we use a non-stick burger press. Not only will it make your burgers look as good as any restaurant version, they’ll also be the ideal size for storing in the freezer ahead of Fakeaway night. So you can spend less time prepping and more time focusing on family or friends.
Why not brighten up your plate with fresh rocket and sliced peppers, or ramp up the flavours with a yummy side portion of Mexican Potatoes?
Everyone knows the tastiest burgers are messy to eat, and so our Burrito Burgers come piled high with cheese, salsa and spicy minced beef. Whether you’re more Team Burrito or Team Burger, we can promise there’ll be no arguments once everyone’s tried a bite.
We’ve kept the spice level quite mild and family friendly, so don’t be shy with adding more chilli powder if you’re looking for a fiery feast (at least our refreshing homemade salsa will be there to cool you down!).
Thai or Chinese takeaway inspired burger night
If Chinese-style flavours are up your street, we’ve already got the menu sorted. The star dish? Our crispy-coated Salt and Pepper Chicken Burgers. Using simple store cupboard ingredients, we’ve found a slimming-friendly way you can recreate restaurant-quality salt and pepper flavours at home.
When you’re writing your shopping list for the week, don’t forget about Chinese 5 spice. It’s so important for unlocking the irresistible flavours in this recipe.
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Whether they’re baked in the oven or crisped up in an air fryer, it’s hard to believe these burgers taste so good for only 343 calories – moreish Asian-style side slaw included!
It’s no secret that we’re mad for Katsu-style flavours. From Katsu Chicken Curry to Loaded Katsu Curry Fries and Katsu Chicken Nuggets, we never need an excuse to work our favourite Thai-inspired sauce into a slimming-friendly dinner.
Filled with crispy chicken, aromatic salad and drizzled with our homemade, veggie-filled version of Katsu sauce, our Katsu Curry Burgers are always an instant hit. The saucy, sweet crunch is too good to resist…
Vegetarian burger night
Burger night isn’t just for meat-eaters! Whether you’re trying out a vegetarian diet or just looking to eat a little less meat, we’ve got plenty of veggie-friendly burger inspiration. With recipes as tasty as our Salmon Burgers at the ready, you’ll never miss beef.
To keep the flavours light and exciting, we’ve used lemon, dill and a pickled lemon dressing for a slimming-friendly alternative to tartare sauce. Perfectly fresh for a barbecue on a summer’s day!
Our Mushroom Burgers look and taste so convincing, you’d be forgiven for believing there’s meat involved. While some veggie-friendly alternatives can turn out disappointingly dry, ours are always juicy and rich with a satisfying meat-like flavour.
With deep, savoury notes from the combination of mushrooms and other veggies, we’ve recreated all the magic of a meat-filled burger for only 290 calories per bap.
When you’re in the mood for filling, meaty comfort food, there’s no need to turn to a meat-based option when you can have our hearty Halloumi Cous Cous Burgers with Salsa on your plate. Using fluffy couscous, fresh mint, carrots and a melty halloumi centre, we’ve prepared a gooey, crispy-coated flavour fest that’s well worth every bit of effort.
The trick is to keep an eye on your halloumi patties. Keep them on a low heat in the pan and don’t turn them over until a solid, crunchy crust has formed underneath – that way, they won’t break apart. Bring on the salsa!
The halloumi fun doesn’t stop there. If you agree that chilli and cheese is a match made in heaven, you need to try our Spiced Halloumi Burgers. Pan-fried or barbecued, they’re jam-packed with flavour thanks to an easy-to-make homemade spice rub. The longer you leave them to marinate, the better they’ll taste…
From cheesy beef burgers to crispy chicken breasts and melty, halloumi-filled buns, there’s no end to the fun you can have with a family burger night. Take it from us – we’ve tried them all!
Feeling inspired? It’s burger flipping time!
Now you’ve got all the inspiration you need to have a flippin’ great burger night, we’re excited to see which recipe you cook up for your Fakeaway weekend treat! Tell us over in our Facebook group, where there are almost 1 million members sharing ideas and inspiration.
Your pictures never fail to make us hungry! Our PON gallery is loaded with drool-worthy submissions from our fab community. Outside of swapping recipe photos, you can also share tips and be in with a chance of grabbing some PON SWAG. Winner!