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Loaded Burger Bowls

Published: Apr 5, 2022 · Modified: Apr 25, 2022 by Jessica · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 11 Comments

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These loaded burger bowls are a healthier option for whenever the burger craving hits. Seasoned ground beef and your favorite burger toppings on a bed of crisp lettuce and drizzled with a tangy honey mustard vinaigrette, these bowls, or burger salads, are easy to make and totally customizable.

Bowl of lettuce with crumbled hamburger meat, cherry tomatoes, red onion, pickles, bacon, avocado and shredded cheese, drizzled with honey mustard sauce.
Burger bowls are a healthier, veggie loaded option for when that burger craving hits!

How about a big, fat loaded bacon cheeseburger, but make it salad? Yes please! It’s all the taste of a loaded burger while packing in the healthy veggies in a big salad. Doesn’t get much better than this. Burger bowls or “burger salads” are my go-to way of making burgers at home.

Serve these super filling burger bowls on their own or pair with Crispy Smashed Fingerling Potatoes or Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Fries for the ultimate burger night meal.

Jump to:
  • What are burger bowls?
  • Ingredients and subsitutions
  • How to make loaded burger bowls
  • Tips for making the best burger bowls
  • Loaded Burger Bowls

What are burger bowls?

Think burrito bowls but the burger version. It’s all the best things about your favorite custom burger in salad bowl form. Instead of a bun, you’ll add your favorite burger meat and toppings onto crispy lettuce and drizzle it with my version of special sauce. I love this recipe because I’m all about the toppings on burgers and when it’s in a bowl, you can go totally wild and load it up with as much as you want.

Loaded burger bowl with small bowls of burger toppings around it and a white patterned napkin with a gold fork.
Load it up with your favorite burger toppings.

Ingredients and subsitutions

The best part about burger bowls is that, just like regular burgers, people can pick and choose their toppings and everyone is happy. Also, we’re packing in a healthy amount of veggies so it’s a win win!

You can use burger patties or seasoned ground beef crumbles. If ground beef isn’t your thing, you can use ground turkey, ground bison or even make a vegan or vegetarian version with a plant-based meat alternative.

Pile everything on top of a bed of fresh, crispy lettuce and dig in. I like to use romaine lettuce as I find it stands up best in these loaded burger bowls. You could any kind of sturdy lettuce for the base such as iceberg, little gem, leaf or butter lettuce.

For the toppings, get creative with it! Here are some ideas:

  • Cherry or grape tomatoes
  • Crispy bacon
  • Avocado
  • Thinly sliced onions
  • Crunchy pickles
  • Cheese please!
  • Other toppings you could try – fried egg, caramelized onions, mushrooms, sliced jalapeños or even green chiles.

For the sauce, I love a sweet and tangy honey mustard drizzle. Pro tip – for an extra kick, use hot honey in the sauce to give it a little heat!

Ranch is also a great option if you don’t want to make your own sauce. Truth – I hate ketchup, but if a “special sauce” ketchup and mayo mix is more your style, do you, boo!

Close up of loaded burger bowl with a gold fork.
Packed with healthy veggies and all the burger flavor.

How to make loaded burger bowls

These bowls or burger salads come together so quickly. I like to start by making the honey mustard vinaigrette so the flavors have time to meld while I prep the rest of the ingredients.

Start by washing and thoroughly drying your lettuce. You don’t want wet or soggy lettuce in these bowls. You could also skip this step and pick up a bag of pre-washed romaine leaves.

Next, gather all of your favorite burger toppings.

For the burger meat, cook up some seasoned, crumbled ground beef. If you’re cooking out or feeding a crowd, just throw a burger patty in your bowl and proceed. Having the option of making a bowl instead of buns or lettuce wraps is a great way to lighten it up and get in some extra veggies.

Assemble your bowl, drizzle with sauce and dive in!

Burger bowl sauce ingredients in a glass bowl with a white spatula.
Mix sauce ingredients first.
Burger bowl seasonings in a small white dish with measuring spoons and a package of ground beef in the background.
Season your ground beef.
Ground beef cooking in a skillet with seasonings and a wood spatula.
Cook meat until no longer pink.

Tips for making the best burger bowls

  • Make sure your lettuce base is super fresh and that you dry it thoroughly. There are a lot of toppings in these bowls and you don’t want limp, soggy greens at the bottom.
  • Don’t overcook your ground beef! No one likes dry, chewy hamburger meat. Also use a slotted spoon when removing it from the pan to drain the excess fat.
  • If you’re making burger patties, melt the cheese right on it just like you would a regular hamburger, then add it to your bowl.

This recipes is super flexible and perfect for feeding one or a crowd. You can mix and match the ingredients to accommodate nearly all dietary needs including keto, low-carb and Whole30!

Leave a comment below if you try the recipe!

Bowl of lettuce with crumbled hamburger meat, cherry tomatoes, red onion, pickles, bacon, avocado and shredded cheese, drizzled with honey mustard sauce.

Loaded Burger Bowls

Jessica
These loaded burger bowls are a healthier option for whenever the burger craving hits. Seasoned ground beef and your favorite burger toppings on a bed of crisp lettuce and drizzled with a tangy honey mustard vinaigrette, these bowls, or burger salads, are easy to make and totally customizable.
5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Mains
Cuisine American
Servings 4 Bowls
Calories 686 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the burger meat

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Black pepper to taste

For the honey mustard sauce

  • ¼ cup good mayo
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice see substitution in notes
  • pinch of salt

For assembling the bowls

  • 8 cups about 2 medium heads chopped romaine lettuce
  • ½ cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced red onions
  • 6 slices cooked crumbled bacon
  • 1 avocado
  • ½ cup shredded cheese
  • ¼ cup dill pickle slices

Instructions
 

  • Start by mixing all of the ingredients for the sauce so that the flavors have time to meld. Set aside.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in ground beef. Add seasonings as it cooks, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook beef just until it's no longer pink, do not overcook.
  • Add lettuce to the bottom of large bowls. Top each bowl with seasoned ground beef, burger toppings and drizzle with sauce.

Notes

Use a slotted spoon to serve beef to drain excess fat.
If making burger patties, simply skip the bun and add your patty to a bowl and follow the same directions.
If you don't have dill pickle juice in your fridge, substitute with white vinegar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 686kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 43gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 29gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 1278mgFiber: 7gSugar: 10g
Keyword burger bowl, burger in a bowl, cheeseburger bowl, cheeseburger salad, hamburger bowl
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Filed Under: Gluten Free, Mains, Recipes, Salads, Uncategorized Tagged With: Gluten free

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle Lee

    September 02, 2022 at 3:50 pm

    5 stars
    My 5-year old requested this as her birthday meal. Out of literally everything in the entire world including Chick-fil-A and pizza. *chef’s kiss*

    Reply
  2. Jen

    May 18, 2022 at 5:38 pm

    5 stars
    This burger bowl was filled with flavor! I gobbled it down in seconds. I plan to make another bowl next week and add pickles – Yum!

    Reply
  3. Kaluhi

    May 05, 2022 at 8:08 am

    5 stars
    The photography drew me in and I love that I made this because not only was it super yummy, it was also very very filling and I enjoyed each bite!

    Reply
  4. Jazz

    May 04, 2022 at 5:38 pm

    5 stars
    Love a good burger bowl and this one came out so tasty! Thank you for the hot honey and dill pickle juice tips in the sauce–a must!

    Reply
  5. Robin Sparks

    May 03, 2022 at 11:47 am

    5 stars
    This is such a brilliant idea! And frankly, surprisingly, I didn’t miss the bun.

    Reply
  6. Stephanie

    May 01, 2022 at 6:15 pm

    5 stars
    Such a delicious and easy recipe. I subbed the ground beef for a vegetarian option and it didn’t miss a beat. This bowl was loaded with flavor.

    Reply
  7. Britney

    April 28, 2022 at 12:12 am

    5 stars
    I literally felt like I was having a burger eating this salad and I didn’t even miss the bread! Perfect recipe for when I’m craving something filling and healthy but still delicious. Thanks!!

    Reply
  8. Lilly

    April 27, 2022 at 10:57 pm

    5 stars
    My burger cravings are almost daily so this recipe is just what I needed! I love how easily it came together! It satisfied my burger craving and I felt good eating it 🙂

    Reply
  9. Marta

    April 27, 2022 at 10:17 pm

    5 stars
    I’m doing this dumb thing called “a no carb diet” so I was glad to find something that didn’t make me want to cuss. These loaded burger bowls made my heart and belly happy, so thank you for bringing light to this stupid diet.

    Reply
    • Jessica

      April 27, 2022 at 10:22 pm

      If my recipe makes like you feel you can have it all, I’m doing my job! LOL

      Reply
  10. Sydney Kronfle

    April 06, 2022 at 5:13 pm

    5 stars
    I believe I was one of the first to try this recipe, and it was delicious. You won’t even miss the bread!

    Reply

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