There is nothing more American than burgers and dogs, which is why these are staples at every summer holiday gathering. But what if we flipped the switch with some new and exciting flavors to adorn the red and white checkered picnic table this Independence Day?

Some of these ingredients may be new to you, but if you have been following the BioTRUST Blog for any length of time, some of them may be old news.

4 Unique Independence Day BBQ Recipes

1. Jackfruit BBQ Burgers

You know I don’t like using store-bought sauces and marinades—mainly because they are heavily processed—and when it comes to barbecue sauces in particular, they are usually made with corn syrup or brown sugar, both of which have no place in my diet. Since I already go to the trouble of making my own sauce, why not upgrade the meat to jackfruit and go vegan with it?

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 chipotle peppers
• ½ cup *ketchup
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Jackfruit Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 ½ cups jackfruit
• ½ cup water
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a food processor/NutriBullet®, blend chipotle peppers, *ketchup, vinegar, garlic, mustard, paprika, and cumin. Set aside.
2. Shred jackfruit into pieces with your hands or a fork.
3. Sauté onion in EVOO until translucent.
4. Add jackfruit and cook roughly 5 minutes.
5. Stir in water and half of the BBQ sauce.
6. Allow to simmer, then add remaining BBQ sauce.
7. Add to bun (or large lettuce leaf) with desired toppings.
8. Enjoy!

Chef Note: If you would like a super healthy way to make your own ketchup, just combine Medjool dates, tomato paste, white vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, yellow mustard, allspice, salt and pepper to taste, cloves, and water and mix until it reaches your desired consistency.

Jackfruit Barbecue Nutrition Information (before the bun and any other fixings):
Yields 4 servings

• Calories: 181
• Fat: 4 g
• Carbs: 38 g
• Fiber: 3.5 g
• Protein: 2.75 g

2. Spicy Shrimp and Pineapple Kabobs

Throw another shrimp on the barbie? Yes please!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ½ pineapple, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 Tbsp cilantro, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• Pinch red chili pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large Ziploc bag or container with a tight lid, add shrimp, EVOO, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, paprika, chili powder, and pepper flakes. Toss until coated and refrigerate for roughly 30 minutes.
2. Alternate shrimp and pineapple on skewers to make kabobs.
3. Grill on your outdoor grill (preferably).
4. Cook until shrimp is pink and cooked through (no longer opaque).
5. Enjoy!

Spicy Shrimp and Pineapple Kabobs Nutrition Information:
Yields 4 servings

• Calories: 235
• Fat: 15 g
• Carbs: 9.5 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 162.5 g

3. Crab Cakes

I was born in Maryland, so I know a good crab cake when I see it. And the main thing that separates all of the wannabes from the OG is the fillers. The less fillers, the better, and if you can make your crab cake without mayo, even better!

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Old Bay
• 8 oz lump crab
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Whisk egg and Old Bay. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, gently fold panko and parsley into crabmeat.
4. Add egg mixture to crabmeat mixture—again, gently.
5. Separate into 4 even patties/lumps.
6. Bake for roughly 10 minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Chef Note: Some may prefer to pan fry the crab cakes, which is absolutely acceptable. If you go this route, I would suggest chilling the lumps for roughly 15 minutes prior to adding to a prepared stovetop pan. This method would only take about two to three minutes per side.

Chef Note: You can absolutely make an avocado salsa or even some semblance of my avocado salad to put on top of the crab cakes. Don’t get me wrong, they stand alone quite well, but adding this topping would really kick things up a notch.

Crab Cakes Nutrition Information:
Yields 4 servings

• Calories: 90
• Fat: 1.5 g
• Carbs: 6 g
• Fiber: .5 g
• Protein: 12.5 g

4. Caprese Stuffed Portabella

I never met a shroom I didn’t like. And portabellas are no different. Whether you call them portabella or portabello, you are correct—but these big, beefy, tender mushrooms are really just creminis in disguise. Some folks replace their typical burgers with a portabella, but others (like me) use them as a vehicle to transport flavor town into the mouth.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz portabella mushrooms
• 4 oz cherry tomatoes
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese
• 1 Tbsp basil
• ½ Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• ½ tsp red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat mushrooms with EVOO.
3. Add diced tomatoes and chopped/shredded mozzarella to the inside of the mushroom caps.
4. Drizzle with vinegar.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Top with sliced/ribboned (if you’re fancy) basil.
7. Enjoy!

Caprese Stuffed Portabella Nutrition Information:
Yields 2 servings

• Calories: 190
• Fat: 13 g
• Carbs: 8 g
• Fiber: 2.5 g
• Protein: 15.5 g

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