Burger in a Bowl

Craving a cheeseburger, but want to stick to your healthy eating regimen? Then, you’ve got to try this burger in a bowl recipe! Perfect for a light lunch or dinner, as well as meal-prepping ahead of a busy week. It’s low carb, paleo and keto friendly!

If you like this cheeseburger salad recipe, then you’ll love my Italian chopped salad and my Southwest chicken salad!

Loaded Burger Bowls

Sometimes you just get an intense craving for a juicy, delicious cheeseburger. Problem is that these American-style sandwiches aren’t exactly what one would call healthy. So, I knew I needed to create a way to satisfy that craving while staying on track with a healthy eating regimen. That’s how this burger in a bowl recipe was born!  It’s perfect for anyone who is trying to eat low carb, paleo and even keto!

I’ll take a burger bowl over a lettuce wrap burger any day! I mean who doesn’t love a good bowl?! It’s loaded with tons of veggies and is way easier to eat. It’s also a great recipe to make ahead of time to prep for the week!

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this burger in a bowl recipe (aka cheeseburger salad), many of which I’d bet you have stocked in your cabinets and fridge. Customize it to reflect your favorite fast food burger! Like bacon? Add some to this burger in a bowl! Want it spicy? Add some pickled jalapeños! You can make these cheeseburger salad recipe completely your own.

Burger In A Bowl Ingredients

• Ground Beef: You can’t have a burger in a bowl recipe without the burger! Instead of using a patty, though, you’ll just cook the ground beef as is until it’s browned and crumbly. The beef gets seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce.
• Cheese: I like to use sharp shredded cheddar cheese however use your favorite type of cheese! Pepper jack, monterey cheese or even a cheese blend would be delicious!
• Tomatoes: You can’t have a burger without diced tomatoes! If your not a fan of tomatoes substitute bell peppers instead.
• Onions: Red onions are added for a pop of color and bite. If your not a fan of raw onion fry these up in the skillet before you add in your ground beef.
• Pickles: Are a must with any burger! I like to use regular kosher pickles however bread and butter pickles would be good too!
• Shredded Lettuce: And you can’t have a cheeseburger without the classic shredded lettuce. I prefer to keep things traditional by using iceberg lettuce. You can slice it into thin strips yourself or buy a pre-shredded bag from the grocery store.
• Homemade Burger Sauce: The one thing that sets fast food burgers apart from homemade ones is the classic burger sauce they’re served with. I made mine with barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

How To Make Burger Bowls

• Brown the Beef: Add oil to a large skillet over high heat and add in the beef. Cook until browned and no longer pink, 3-4 minutes.
• Add the Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Assemble the Burger Bowls: Divide lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and cooked ground beef between bowls. Top with homemade burger sauce and serve immediately.

how to make burger sauce

Arguably the most important ingredient in this burger bowl recipe is the homemade burger sauce. This is what instantly takes you back to your favorite hamburger joint with each bite, even without burger buns.

To make this homemade burger sauce simply combine barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, mustard and seasonings to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. To give this burger sauce a kick add a splash of hot sauce or cayenne!

Optional Toppings

• Bacon
• Avocado
• Pickled jalapeños
• Bell peppers
• Hard boiled eggs
• Mushrooms
• Green onions
• Fried onions
• Baked french fries
• Sweet potato wedges

Variations

• Lighten up this burger in a bowl recipe by using ground turkey or chicken in place of the ground beef.
• Swap the burger sauce for your preferred salad dressing, like my homemade honey jalapeno ranch! Barbecue ranch would also be amazing!
• Craving the hamburger buns in this burger in a bowl recipe? Make your own homemade croutons!
• Instead of crumbling the beef you could make the ground beef into patties and melt cheese on top like a typical burger.

More Easy Recipes To Try

• Blackened Shrimp Salad
• Greek Kale Quinoa Salad
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef