Description
This burger bowl is everything you love about a juicy burger—minus the bun! Packed with perfectly seasoned beef, crisp veggies, and melted cheese, and drizzled with a creamy special sauce, it’s a quick, easy, and healthier twist on a classic favorite. Perfect for keto, low-carb, Whole30, and paleo diets, this meal is completely customizable to fit your taste.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Burger Bowl:
- 1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey/chicken)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for cooking)
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup pickles, sliced
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ avocado, sliced (optional)
- 2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)
For the Special Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon dill relish
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
1. Cook the Protein
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
- Add ground beef (or chosen protein) and break it apart using a spatula.
- Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully browned.
- Remove from heat and let it rest while preparing the toppings.
2. Make the Special Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle juice, dill relish, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Cover and let it sit for at least 10 minutes to enhance the flavors.
3. Assemble the Burger Bowl
- Start with a bed of romaine lettuce in each serving bowl.
- Add cooked ground beef on top.
- Layer on tomatoes, pickles, red onion, shredded cheese, avocado slices, and crumbled bacon.
- Drizzle with special sauce just before serving.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Make it keto-friendly: Skip the tomatoes and use extra cheese and avocado.
- Make it Whole30 & Paleo: Use Whole30-compliant mayo and ketchup with no added sugar.
- Make it dairy-free: Use a dairy-free cheese alternative or skip the cheese.
- Meal prep tip: Store the cooked beef separately from the veggies for freshness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger bowl
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
Keywords: Burger Bowl, Low-Carb Burger Bowl, Keto Burger Bowl, Paleo Burger Bowl, Whole30 Burger Bowl, Deconstructed Burger, Healthy Burger Bowl