When you are craving a big juicy hamburger but want to keep it lighter, this Healthy Burger Bowl is the way to go. It's become my new favorite easy summer meal and it's gluten-free & low-carb.
Why this Hamburger Bowl Recipe is Amazing: This meal idea is 100% customizable so kids & adults love making exactly when they love. The DIY recipe is basically a deconstructed burger with endless vegetable, topping, dressing, & patty options from a vegan black bean patty to a fancy grilled wagyu burger.
I admit, I haven't met a burger I haven't liked (ok except when someone forgets to hold the mayo). I love it in all forms - on a bun, as a lettuce wrap, smash burger style, and especially as a Cheeseburger Slider.
Make this when you want a new recipe for ground beef with few ingredients. Ok, now we cook!
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Ingredients for Burger Bowls
It's a quick & simple meal planning to prep ahead for lunch or dinner. Great way to get in your daily dose of fresh veggies & protein all at once with little effort. For sure better for you than the fast food drive-thru!
Note: Per a poll on on What Americans like on a Burger, these are some of the most popular ingredients. But don't stop there. See the"burger bowl topping ideas" section below for more.
Here are important notes for some ingredients:
- Hamburger Patty - ground beef fresh or frozen (or try turkey, chicken, salmon, tofu/meatless, black bean) cooked
- Lettuce - the most common greens are romaine or iceberg
- Tomatoes - dice cherry tomatoes or diced beefsteak
- Pickles - slices of dill, sweet, or bread & butter
- Red Onion - thin slices raw or pickled
- Dressing - any creamy favorite such as ranch, blue cheese, thousand island, honey mustard, green goddess, etc.
- Optional - sliced cheese for cheeseburgers
See the recipe card for full list, quantities, & any substitutions/variations.
How to Build a Healthy Burger Bowl
The difference between this bowl and others is that the base for this recipe is fresh lettuce. Other bowls include lettuce but the base is often some sort of potato (fries, baked wedges, roasted).
This recipe is all about layers of savory meat, crisp crunchy veggies, and a creamy dressing. All of that comes together in every tasty bite once mixed up.
Cook & Prep
Begin by gathering all the ingredients you want to add to your bowl. Clean, dry, or chop/dice/slice the vegetables and salad greens. Make everything bite-sized so it is easy to eat.
Begin cooking your hamburger patty either on the grill, flat griddle, air fryer, skillet, or oven. Make sure to cook beef burgers to a safe temperature (160°F). If using chicken or turkey, 165°F is the safe internal temperature.
Divide the ingredients evenly between two bowls. Add the romaine lettuce & top with the remaining ingredients.
Add other toppings or have them on the side to add as you eat.
Burger Bowl Topping Ideas
Don't just stop there. Here are other fun & tasty ingredients to add to your burger bowl. These are just a few of our favorites, go crazy and add anything you love!
- Shredded Cheese (cheddar, American, Blue Cheese, Swiss, Jack etc)
- Avocado
- Fried or Hard Boiled Egg
- Crumbled Bacon
- Jalapenos
- Sauteed or Raw Mushrooms
- Croutons
- BBQ Sauce
Serving & Storing
Toss with your favorite salad dressing and enjoy immediately. Thousand Island, Blue Cheese, or my Homemade Ranch Dressing without mayo are favorites here.
For meal prep ahead of time: assemble the bowls & keep the dressing on the side. Or add the dressing to the bottom of a large mason jar next add the diced burger, pickles, onion, tomatoes, & lettuce on top before add the lid.
What to Serve with Burger Bowls : This is great all year long but we tend to cook these more in spring & summer when fresh produce is at it's peak. Any side dish that goes well with hamburgers goes well with this!
A classic pairing would be some Air Fryer French Fries. Keep the summer vibes going with a soup/salad pairing with a cup or bowl of Creamy Roasted Tomato Garlic Soup.
Keep it light and serve with a fruit cup or wedges of watermelon. Or save room for a scoop of Homemade Blueberry Ice Cream.
Recipe Tips & Behind the Scenes
Here's my recipe for success - including what I learned when testing, fun stories, recipe history, and more.
- #1 Tip - make sure your meat is cooked to a safe internal temperature (160°F for ground beef & 165°F for ground poultry)
- Use frozen ground beef patties from Costco or any grocery store. You can also form your own patties from fresh ground beef - 80/20 works best but 90/10 lean is good too.
- There is no wrong way to make this burger salad so get creative & go wild.
- Any salad greens work; try spinach, arugula, mixed greens, or romaine.
- Picky eaters even love this. A toddler friend likes just lettuce, beef, pickles and a squirt of ketchup & mustard.
- Italian dressing or oil/vinegar based vinaigrettes also work but I find don't give the same burger vibe or flavor.
FAQ
Yes! Ground turkey or chicken burgers work great. You can even use fried chicken patties or tenders diced up.
Besides store-bought sauces or dressings, try a drizzle of hot honey to make it spicy. Or try this smash burger sauce my son loves.
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Healthy Burger Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 hamburger patties cooked from fresh or frozen
- 3 cups romaine lettuce shredded
- 12 cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 2 red onion slices (or diced)
- ½ cup sliced pickles
- 4 tablespoons Ranch or Blue Cheese salad dressing
- sliced cheese optional
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables as needed. Wash, dry, & cut in bite-sized pieces.
- Cook the hamburger patties until medium-well (160°F internal temperature). Any method works; bbq grill, flat-top griddle, cast iron pan, air fryer, oven, etc.Dice into bite-sized chunks.2 hamburger patties
- Divide the lettuce evenly between two individual bowls. Top each with the hamburger pieces from one of the patties.3 cups romaine lettuce
- Top with equal amounts of the vegetables. Serve with dressing of your choices12 cherry tomatoes, 2 red onion, ½ cup sliced pickles, 4 tablespoons Ranch or Blue Cheese salad dressing
- Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Enjoy with dressing immediately or store for later without the dressing.
- Place each bowl in an air-tight container without the dressing added. Store in the fridge for up to 48 hours - add dressing when ready to eat.
- Avocado, Fried Egg, Bacon, Grilled Onions or Mushrooms, Jalapenos, BBQ sauce, etc.
- Substitute beef with ground turkey or chicken burgers, black bean patties, meatless patties, or fried chicken patties.
Nutrition
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