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. Or try a Grilled Halloumi Burger for a vegetarian option!
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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!
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.
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.
- 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 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
- Italian Salad with Tuna, Corn and Mozzarella
- Chicken Fajita Bowl
- Cobb Salad
- Mediterranean Salad with Hummus and Fried Halloumi
Loaded Burger in a Bowl
Ingredients
- 8 strips bacon streaky bacon in the UK
- 500g / 1 lbs ground beef I used 5% fat
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp This is an affiliate link.smoked paprika
- 4-6 button mushrooms
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 avocados
- 60g / ½ 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.
Wilhelmina says
This is incredible! I loved that it had all the flavors I wanted and no bread filler. Our house gives this two thumbs up!
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
So glad you loved it!
Rob Valentine says
Where does all the carbs come from? I’d subtract the tomatoes, as I don’t really care for them. I’d also use no sugar added ketchup Thanks
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
Vegetables also have carbs.
Beth says
This is such a great idea to loose the carbs. Looks fantastic and packed with so much flavor! Can’t wait to try this for lunch or dinner!
Toni says
This is such a perfect idea! It really hit the spot at my house!
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
Thanks so much, Toni!