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This burger bowl is the best way to get all of the flavors of a burger without the burger bun. Served over a bed of fresh lettuce, it’s a healthier way to enjoy flavorful ground beef and your favorite burger toppings. It’s one of those 30-minute meals that will become a favorite for burger night.
Love healthy bowls? Try Cava honey harissa chicken bowls, harvest bowls, or salmon rice bowls next.
The inspiration for the special sauce on top comes from this Smash Burger recipe by Pinch of Yum. It’s incredible. We changed it slightly to our taste!
If you love burgers and are looking for burgers that are easy to make, but have a unique flavor, try our grilled Hawaiian Teriyaki burger. It’s topped with grilled pineapple, red onion, and a creamy sriracha mayo sauce and is full of Hawaiian flavor!
Why this Healthy Burger Bowl Recipe Works
- Healthy alternative: These low-carb burger bowls are the perfect way to take care of burger cravings.
- Family favorite: They’re a great option for an easy dinner the whole family will love.
- Versatile: Add your favorite burger toppings like bacon, blue cheese, caramelized onions, or more fresh veggies.
Grab These Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients for this delicious Burger Bowl recipe. Most are pantry staples and easy (and affordable) to find in the grocery store. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
Burger Bowl Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: You can peel the sweet potatoes or leave the skin on. This comes down to personal preference.
- Olive oil: Avocado oil is a good substitute.
- Seasoning salt: We love to use Lawry’s seasoning salt. You can also use a combination of paprika, salt, and garlic powder.
- Ground chuck: Ground chuck is a specific type of ground beef that is made from the chuck cut of beef. There’s no stronger protein source than beef! One 3 oz cooked serving of beef provides half your Daily Value of protein (25 grams), for under 200 calories.
- Seasonings: Seasoning salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cracked black pepper.
- Toppings: We love adding avocado, dill pickles, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and romaine or butter lettuce.
Did you know? Beef supports a healthy lifestyle, especially during the active summer months! Research shows that enjoying protein-rich foods can help maintain healthy levels of blood sugar and cholesterol.
Pro tip: Choose a burger that is at least 20% fat for a tender, juicy burger. Lean ground beef is prone to drying out. We like to use ground chuck, but any type of ground beef will work.
House Sauce
- Mayonnaise: Provides a creamy, neutral base for this sauce.
- Ketchup: Any ketchup is fine, but we used Primal Kitchen.
- Worcestershire sauce: Is a natural pairing for meats that adds an interesting depth of flavor and enhances the basic beefy taste. Coconut aminos can be used as a substitute.
- Sriracha: You can substitute with BBQ sauce.
- Smoked paprika: Adds a delicious smoky flavor. Chili powder can be used as a substitute.
- Shallot: Quick a quick rundown of how to cut shallots.
- Garlic: Mince fresh garlic or substitute with garlic powder if needed.
How to Make Grilled Burger Bowls
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through the steps with some photos and a video so you have a clear idea of what to expect. These healthy burger bowls are really easy and these step-by-step instructions will make sure they turn out every time.
Video: Watch How to Make It
Make the sweet potato fries: Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil and seasoning salt on a large baking sheet pan. Bake for about 25 minutes and 425°F, until the potatoes are fork-tender and crispy, stirring halfway through.
Grill the hamburgers: Form the ground beef into 4 (6-ounce) burger patties about 4 ½ inches in diameter and ¾ to 1 inch thick. Press your thumb into the center of each burger patty to form a small indent.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (400-425°F). While it’s preheating, mix the seasonings together in a small bowl. Then sprinkle both sides of the burger patties generously.
Become a grill master this summer: Follow these simple grilling guidelines to learn approximately how many minutes to grill steaks, burgers, and kabobs to achieve the perfect temperature.
Place the burgers on the hot grill with the lid closed for 4-5 minutes per side. (Or until the internal temperature of the cooked ground beef reaches 160°F.) Transfer the burgers to a clean plate or cutting board to rest while you assemble the burger bowls.
Want to become a grill master? Use this guide for how long to grill hamburgers for perfect temperature and timing.
Make the sauce: Mix the homemade burger sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt as needed. Drizzle on top of the loaded burger bowls before serving in a serving bowl.
Assemble the bowls: Divide the lettuce evenly between 4 bowls then top each with sliced avocado, sliced dill pickles, red onion, and sliced tomatoes. Top with the burger patty.
Recipe FAQs
How long you grill your burgers depends on how you like them done, how large the patties are and if you’re using a gas grill or charcoal grill. For a 4 ounce burger, cook the burgers 8-10 minutes on a charcoal grill and 7-9 minutes on a gas grill to reach medium doneness (160°F). For a 6 ounce burger. cook the burgers 11-15 minutes on a charcoal grill and 13-14 on a gas grill. Use an internal thermometer to truly know when you’re burgers are done. Follow the guidelines for how to cook the perfect burger on the grill.
It mostly comes down to personal preference, but typical toppings for burgers include onions, pickles, tomatoes, pickled relish, lettuce, bacon, fried egg, ketchup, and mustard.
Serve the burger sans bun on a fresh bed of lettuce or ancient grains. Forego the toppings and condiments that are more calorie dense. The additions can add up quickly.
Recipe Variations
- Make a lettuce wrap burger with romaine lettuce. Or make it a true burger salad by serving it over a bed of lettuce like a spring mix.
- Put it over a bed of rice or ancient grains.
- Have it with french fries instead of sweet potato fries.
- Make it a cheeseburger bowl by adding a cheese of your choice like cheddar cheese or blue cheese.
Freezing and Storing Tips
Store the toppings, meat, and sauce in separate containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you need to store burgers for a longer period, you can freeze them in airtight containers. Cooked burgers can typically be frozen for up to 3 months.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
This post is sponsored by The Ohio Beef Council. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to brands like them who believe in our recipes, so we can keep sharing them free of charge.
Visit www.OhioBeef.org, and follow the Ohio Beef Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for beef nutrition facts, cooking tips, recipes and to meet Ohio’s beef farming families.
More Delicious Bowl Recipes
Bowls are also a great way to meal prep and to incorporate fresh vegetables. We love healthy recipes that are thrown together in a large skillet or large bowl. Prepare parts of the meal ahead of time and combine it all together when you’re ready to enjoy. Add your favorite toppings and vegetables for a healthy, delicious meal ready in 30 minutes or less.
This salmon rice bowl features flakey salmon coated in a honey garlic sauce on top of coconut rice with a fresh cucumber avocado salad. Our sheet pan burrito bowl is gluten free, dairy free, anti-inflammatory and filled with quality protein, veggies and carbs. Fiesta lime shrimp bowls are seasoned with bold spices and fresh lime juice, served over a bed of cilantro lime rice and fresh veggies.
And they’re not just for dinner! This savory quinoa breakfast bowl is a healthy and filling way to start your day.
Burger Bowl with House Sauce
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Ingredients
Sweet Potato Fries
- 2 large sweet potatoes cut into matchsticks (Note 2)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt (Note 3)
Burger Bowls
- 1 ½ pounds ground chuck 80% lean (Note 4)
- 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon EACH: paprika garlic powder, and onion powder
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 avocado sliced
- Dill pickles to taste
- 1/2 Red onion sliced
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 4-6 cups chopped romaine or butter lettuce
House Sauce (Note 5)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons ketchup we used Primal Kitchen
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- 2 teaspoons sriracha or BBQ sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 minced shallot
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add the sweet potatoes to a large sheet pan and drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Toss to coat. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the potatoes are fork-tender and crispy.
- While they’re baking, grill the hamburgers. Form the ground beef into 6 (4-ounce) burger patties about 4 ½ inches in diameter and ¾ to 1 inch thick. Press your thumb into the center of each burger patty to form a small indent.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (400-425°F). Brush the grill grates clean and use tongs to wipe them down with a lightly oiled paper towel.
- While it’s preheating, mix the seasonings together in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of the burger patties generously with seasoning.
- Place the burgers on the hot grill grill with the lid closed for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Transfer the burgers to a clean plate or cutting board to rest while you assemble the burger bowls.
- Divide the lettuce evenly between 4 bowls then top each with sliced avocado, sliced dill pickles, red onion, and sliced tomatoes. Top with the burger patty.
- Mix together the sauce ingredient in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt as needed. Drizzle on top of the hamburger bowls before serving.
Notes
Video
Equipment
- Gas or Charcoal Grill (Note 1 Stovetop)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.