Enjoy this delicious Burger Bowl Recipe which features layers of seasoned ground beef, fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and crisp pickles, all drizzled with a tangy special sauce. This low-carb alternative to a traditional burger is both flavorful and satisfying.
OMG, Big Mac Burger Bowls
Ooo baby, well my Big Mac Casserole recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my site and it’s for a good reason. Take the nostalgia of a Big Mac and combine in a bowl – how could it be bad?
I made this Burger Bowl Recipe for my whole family in Northern Michigan over Memorial Day weekend. Then Jack and I had them on repeat for a week straight – that’s how tasty they are. Tastes like fast-food classic burgers without making you feel like you consumed fast food.
This deconstructed burger bowl is loved by all and can be customized to your liking. Whether you like extra pickles, no onion, more or less condiments, craft it as you please. Think of this recipe as the (healthier) McDonald’s version of Chipotle Burrito Bowls.
And if you love a bowl meal, also check out this Falafel Bowl Recipe, this Seared Tuna Poke Bowl, or this Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl which I know you’ll enjoy, too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Beef – For flavorful ground beef, we will use onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire and paprika for seasoning.
- Big Mac Sauce – For the homemade special sauce we will combine mayo, pickle juice, ketchup and mustard (I like dijon mustard for a little bolder flavor).
- French Fries – I recommend the frozen brand: Idaho Potato, shoestring fries
- Veggies – Lettuce, tomato (roma or cherry tomatoes), onion, and pickles.
- Cheese – I used shredded cheddar, but pepper jack, swiss, provolone, or American are good options, too.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
What are your favorite burger toppings?! MAKE IT JUST FOR YOU, BOO!! Some suggestions below:
- Fresh Veggies: Add mushrooms, avocado, pickled red onions or peppers. You could also grill veggies like zucchini or eggplant to add to your bowl, too.
- Meat: Use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of lean ground beef.
- Carbs: Swap the shoestring fries for sweet potato fries or Carrot Fries. Or if you want to add burger buns, chop one into cubes and broil for a couple of minutes to make croutons for the top of your Big Mac salad.
- Add ons: Are you a bacon burger fan? Or do you like fried egg on top? Try adding either.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Start by cooking the fries according to bag instructions in the method that works best for you. I like to cook in my air fryer because they get extra crispy. Spray with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to replicate it just like Micky D’s!
2.Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat with a little oil. Once heated, add the ground beef and break up with a meat masher. Add the diced white onion and sprinkle with salt. After beef is halfway cooked, add the remaining seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce.
3. While the fries and ground meat cook, prepare the other ingredients for the salad. Dice pickles, white onion, tomatoes, lettuce (if needed). In a pyrex measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the Special Sauce. Tip: finely dice the pickles and white onion – makes for a smoother consistency to the delicious sauce!
4. Build the cheeseburger bowl: lettuce, meat, cheese, onions, tomatoes, pickles, fries and a drizzle of homemade burger sauce!! 🍔🍔🍔🍔
PRO TIPS
CRISPY FRIES, EXTRA SALT!! Use avocado spray oil on the fries (since it has a high smoke point) and air fry frozen fries with a little extra love. You’ll love the crispy crunch the potatoes add
DOUBLE THE SAUCE!! Have extras on hand to dunk fries into or just for the spoonful (trust me on that one;)).
Recipe FAQs
To store leftovers or if you’re making for meal prep, you can store the assembled salad and sauce, but keep the cooked ground beef and fries in separate containers. That way you can reheat these ingredients and add after to have both hot and cold ingredients just like a normal burger would!
Healthy can mean a lot of different things depending on your goals… but generally YES! This big mac bowl is high in protein, low carb and has plenty of fresh veggies. This cheeseburger salad recipe can be part of a very well balanced diet.
If you’re using a fattier beef (lower than 90% lean), you’ll likely end up with excess grease in the pan after cooking the hamburger meat. I suggest draining this to avoid a soggy salad.
To do so, push the ground meat to one side of the pan. Then tilt the pan on an angle with the meat side higher up so the grease pools toward the side closer to the stove. Use a spoon to scoop out the excess grease or a turkey baster also works great to suck this up! Note: Do not discard your grease down the drain as it’ll ruin your pipes.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and comment in the recipe card below. Thanks for visiting!
Burger Bowl Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- glass beaker/small bowl
- vegetable chopper optional
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Air fryer
- skillet
- Meat masher
- Tongs
Ingredients
Meat
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1 lbs lean ground beef, 90-96% lean
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Big Mac Sauce
- 1/2 cup light mayo
- 1/4 cup pickle juice
- 1/4 cup finely diced dill pickles
- 2 tbsp finely diced white onion
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 tbsp mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch black pepper
Bowls
- 2 cups frozen french fries, Idaho Potato shoestring fries
- 10 oz romaine lettuce
- 7 oz roma tomaotes, diced
- 1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 1 cup pickles, chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, thick cut
Instructions
- Start by cooking the fries according to bag instructions in the method that works best for you. I like to cook in my air fryer because they get extra crispy with spray with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat with a little oil. Once heated, add the ground beef and break up with a meat masher. Add the diced red onion and sprinkle with salt.
- After beef is halfway cooked, add the remaining seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce
- While the fries and ground meat cook, prepare the other ingredients for the salad. Dice pickles, white onion, tomatoes, lettuce (if needed).
- In a pyrex measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the Special Sauce.
- Build the cheeseburger bowl: lettuce, meat, cheese, onions, tomatoes, pickles, fries and a drizzle of homemade burger sauce. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
more of our favorite Burger Recipes…
- Chicken Feta Burgers
- Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers
- California Burger
- Oklahoma Onion Burgers
- Mini Burger Skewers
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Burger Bowl Recipe calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
It’s the American version of taco salad. Obsessed!
cannot get enough of these bowls – so easy to make and flavorful!
Burger without the bun – deliciousness!!
I tell ya what- these are INCREDIBLE. Can’t miss. As a creature of habit, I’ve had these every night for the past WEEK and they just hit every time. Well done Paige!
Oh this is THE BEST. The fries and sauce are game changers. I even cooked my fries on a George Forman grill and it was an awesome combination!
Do I dare say this is my family’s most cooked and possibly favorite apaigeofpositivity recipe???
😀
Even my kids loved it! 2 thumbs up from my 8yo!
Love this!
These bowls are the best! The sauce recipe and adding fries to the bowl are game changers. The meat seasonings are great too. Easily adjustable based on what you have on hand and great for leftovers. Highly recommend!
Made this for the fam tonight. 10/10 no notes! Slay queen!!