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Home » Recipes » Lunch » Salad

June 29, 2021

Burger in a Bowl (No Bun but Loads of Flavour)

Published June 29, 2021 | Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

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Everything you love in a burger without the mess! This burger in a bowl recipe is light, delicious and satisfying! Load it with anything you love and make it your own.

If a burger salad is not your thing, take a look at our Epic Smash Burger for your next BBQ party! 

loaded burger in a bowl salad

If you are the type who can eat burgers every day and never get tired of them, this recipe is for you! My summer burger edition is for the nights when you crave those juicy beef patties but you also want it to be a touch more nutritious ! This burger salad is it.

Loaded with healthy greens and vegetables, it is delicious, and what is even more important satisfying! Before I go any further, let me tell you that I stuffed my salad with all things I love in my burgers.

However, you might disagree with my choice of toppings, and that is perfectly fine. Choosing your perfect burger is a serious business. So go ahead, customise it to your liking. I dare you! 

top down view of a salad with hamburger

Bunless Burger Bowl 

The idea for this recipe came a friend of mine, who’s got celiac disease and always orders her burgers in lettuce leaves instead of a burger bun. I remember watching her eat it on our last road trip and thinking there’s gotta be a better/less messy way to do that!

I love my carbs but I can only eat bread once a day without feeling bloated. So this recipe is an ideal solution for people like us as well as those following the Keto diet.  This bowl has all the components of a classic burger, which makes it very filling and super delicious! 

Ingredients

The only compulsory ingredients in this burger bowl are the ground beef and salad greens. Everything else is up to you but let me tell you what I love in my burger. 

First of all, there has to be cheese. I can sacrifice a lot in my hamburger but not cheese.  Number two is a slice of tomato. I feel like my burger needs that juicy goodness only a ripe tomato can deliver. Finally, a good burger sauce can change the entire eating experience! In the case of a burger in a bowl, I turned my favourite burger sauce into an epic dressing!

The rest are as listed in the order of importance for me. Dill pickles. Bacon. Fried mushrooms. Avocado. Onions. I actually prefer caramelised onions on a proper burger but thinly sliced raw red onions are more suitable for a salad. 

After enjoying this salad my son said that adding croutons would make it taste like a real burger. Fair enough but I wanted to avoid bread. 

However, like I mentioned earlier, my choices are not yours. Make it your own! What will you add to your perfect burger? 

side view of burger in a bowl

Recipe Tips and Notes

The only three things you will need to cook for this recipe are ground beef, bacon and mushrooms if you choose to use them. 

Use whatever ground beef you like. You can also substitute with ground turkey or pork or even a plant based mince. I added a couple spices to my beef to make it more flavourful. 

Apart from salt, I used garlic powder and smoked paprika. Since we are eliminating grilling of our “burger”, putting a bit of smoky flavour via the paprika is a good idea. 

After the beef I fried the mushrooms with salt and pepper. The main thing here is to get your heat on medium high to get a nice colour on them!

If you are in the UK, make sure to go for the streaky bacon instead of the regular kind. So much more crunch! 

The rest is a matter of assembling the burger bowls, which is the easy and fun part! 

More Favourite Loaded Salad Bowls:

  • Falafel Salad Bowl with Tabbouleh and Hummus (Vegetarian and Vegan)
  • Italian Salad with Tuna, Corn and Mozzarella
  • Chicken Fajita Bowl 
  • Cobb Salad 
  • Mediterranean Salad with Hummus and Fried Halloumi (Vegetarian)
loaded burger in a bowl salad

Loaded Burger in a Bowl

Julia Frey of Vikalinka
Everything you love in a burger without the mess! This burger in a bowl recipe is light, delicious and satisfying! Load it with anything you love and make it your own.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 764 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 strips bacon streaky bacon in the UK
  • 1 lbs ground beef I used 5% fat
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 4-6 button mushrooms
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 avocados
  • 60g/1/2 cup grated Cheddar or cheese of your choice
  • ¼ red onion thinly sliced
  • 2 dill pickles sliced
  • 600g/8 cups salad greens such as lettuce, spinach and arugula/rocket

For the dressing

  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp sriracha
  • 1-2 tbsp water

Instructions
 

  • Prepare all ingredients before you start cooking the beef, bacon and mushrooms. Slice the toppings and make the salad dressing by combining the mayonnaise, ketchup and the sriracha sauce in a small bowl, then adding a splash of water until desired consistency. Arrange salad greens and other toppings in bowls.
  • Cook the bacon in a frying pan until the fat renders and the bacon is crispy. Remove to a separate plate and discard all but 1 tbsp of bacon grease. Add the ground beef, seasoned with salt, garlic powder and smoked paprika to the same pan with reserved 1 tbsp of bacon grease and cook over medium high heat. Approximately 5 minutes later add the quartered mushrooms to the same pan and continue cooking until the beef is no longer pink inside and the mushrooms are golden. Don't stir the mixture too much to allow caramelisation develop.
  • Top the salad bowls with all toppings, cooked beef, mushrooms and bacon. Drizzle with the salad dressing and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 764kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 34gFat: 62gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 29gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 1559mgPotassium: 1401mgFiber: 10gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1810IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 195mgIron: 4mg
Keyword burger in a bowl
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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About Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.
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Julia from Vikalinka

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.

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