These delicious loaded Burger Bowls are an easy dinner the whole family will love - perfect for your next burger night! Juicy ground beef or turkey is served with roasted sweet potatoes reminiscent of sweet potato fries and served over crispy lettuce with your favorite burger toppings and a tangy special sauce. It's a great way to enjoy all the flavors of classic burgers and make it customizable for everyone!
As a dietitian, I'm a big fan of easy recipes that provide tons of nutrition, especially for busy weeknights. And these hamburger bowls are a unique spin on a traditional burger. You don't even need to form a burger patty or have a grill to make it! It's also a great option if you have all the ingredients for burgers but forgot the burger buns. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 😊
If you're looking for more healthy recipes like this, you may enjoy my Southwest Chicken Rice Bowls, Chicken Fajita Bowls, Sweet Potato Black Bean Skillet, or Hot Honey Ground Beef Bowls.
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Key Ingredients and Substitutions
These healthy Burger Bowls are made with fresh ingredients. Here's some ingredient notes, but be sure to check the printable recipe card for the exact amounts.
Burger Bowl Salad Ingredients
- Ground Turkey or Ground Beef - You can use either lean ground turkey, lean ground beef, or ground chicken. All of these are high-quality protein sources and relatively budget-friendly.
- Romaine Lettuce - I love using a crispy lettuce like romaine for this Big Mac bowl but any fresh lettuce or greens will work! Baby spinach, spring mix, butterhead lettuce, green leaf lettuce, or arugula are all options here.
- Favorite Toppings - I use fresh veggies including cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and avocado. Some other great options for topping are white onion, sauteed mushrooms, red bell pepper, or tangy dill pickles. Add cheddar cheese and turn them into cheeseburger bowls.
- Sweet Potatoes - roasted sweet potatoes add a rich texture and nutrients like dietary fiber to support a healthy gut, and vitamins A and C. If you prefer, you can use regular potatoes instead.
- Yellow Onion - a diced yellow onion adds a deeper and more complex flavor to the ground beef or turkey.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - or avocado oil to cook the meat in.
- Worcestershire sauce - this is optional to add umami flavor to the meat.
- Seasonings - use a blend of onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika to season the burger meat.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper - to tie everything together.
Special Sauce Ingredients
- Greek Yogurt - one of the main ingredients in many homemade versions of special sauce is mayonnaise. By replacing part of the mayo with plain Greek yogurt, you still get the tangy goodness, but cut down on saturated fats and add a boost of nutrition with protein and probiotics.
- Mayonnaise - all you need is a small amount of mayo (a little goes a long way!). I use mayonnaise made with either olive oil or avocado oil, but you can use any mayo here. If you prefer, you can cut out the mayo altogether and use extra Greek yogurt.
- Yellow Mustard -Yellow mustard adds the perfect balance of sweet tanginess without being overpowering. I tried making it with Dijon and it was a bit spicy.
- Ketchup - I like to use Primal Kitchen's unsweetened ketchup. It doesn't contain added sugars like many ketchups do.
- Dill Pickle Relish & Splash of Pickle Juice - to add a briny salty component. If you prefer, you can use sweet pickle relish.
- Seasonings - paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt & black pepper add flavor and tie everything together.
How to Make Burger Bowls
Below are the instructions for how to make this deconstructed burger bowl recipe with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425℉ (218°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spray with olive oil spray. Wash and peel your sweet potatoes. On a cutting board, use a sharp knife to cut them into 1 inch cubes. In a large bowl or directly on the baking sheet, coat the sweet potato cubes with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Add to the baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Oven times will vary.
- Step 2: While the potatoes roast, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add olive oil until heated. Lower to medium heat and add the onion. Saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the ground meat break it apart with a wooden spoon or masher. Cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown and then add the seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Step 3: Make the burger sauce by combining the ingredients in a small bowl and stirring with a whisk or fork.
- Step 4: To assemble the bowls, add the romaine lettuce, meat, sweet potatoes, tomato, red onion, cucumbers or pickles, avocado and any other toppings you like. Add the special sauce on top.
Hint: if you have an air fryer, you can make the sweet potatoes in it instead. Preheat your air fryer to 400℉ (200°C) for a couple of minutes. Add your seasoned sweet potato cubes to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry for 10-12 minutes, giving them a good shake about 5 minutes through. Cook time may vary slightly depending on your air fryer.
Dietitian Tip
Making nutrient-rich dinners like these burger bowls leave tons of room for customization and can be served family style! And you still get the flavor of your favorite burger recipes, but it's a great option next time you don't feel like turning on the grill and want something a bit lighter. The homemade special sauce is what really pulls all the flavors together so don't skip it!
Variations
The best part about these homemade burger bowls is you can customize them! Below are some suggestions, but feel free to get creative:
- Spicy - add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper while cooking the juicy beef and throw some in the sauce, too.
- Deluxe - add guacamole or crispy fries to take it up a notch.
- Cheeseburger Bowl - add your favorite cheese to turn it into a cheeseburger bowl!
- Umami - add more umami with sauteed mushrooms and blue cheese.
Equipment
You'll need a good nonstick pan for these burger bowls. I use my Caraway skillet which is a non-toxic PFOA and PTFE-free saute pan.
Meal Prep and Storage for Burger Bowls
- Meal Prep - prep ahead of time by roasting your sweet potatoes in advance. You can also make the sauce ahead of time and prep your toppings.
- Refrigerator - make for the week and portion them in separate airtight containers for up to 3-4 days. Or store the components separately in the refrigerator in airtight containers with a tight-fitting lid for up to 3-4 days and assemble when you're ready to eat.
Expert Tips
- The most time consuming part of this recipe is roasting the sweet potatoes. Go ahead and throw those in the oven first while you make the other components.
- Use pre-cut sweet potatoes to make this recipe even easier.
- Flip the sweet potatoes halfway through cooking.
- If you're using a beef with higher fat content, drain off the excess grease.
- Break up the ground meat as soon as you add it to the skillet. Then let it sit a bit on each side to let it brown. From there, stir occasionally until it's cooked through.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, these burger bowls are a nutrient-rich option. The ground beef, turkey, or chicken provides high quality protein and other nutrients like iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. And the delicious toppings like juicy tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and cucumbers provide antioxidants, dietary fiber which has been shown to support gut health, and vitamin C. The homemade special sauce is lightened up by using Greek yogurt to replace some of the mayo.
Absolutely! I personally love sweet potatoes but any potato works here, including homemade fries.
Yes, this is a gluten-free recipe.
Related
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Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Burger Bowls:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG:@mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Easy Burger Bowl with Special Sauce (Big Mac Bowls)
Ingredients
Burger Meat Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken (once cooked, it's ~¾ c per bowl)
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper more to taste
Sweet Potato Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet potatoes 2 medium potatoes (once cooked it's ~¾ cup sweet potato per bowl)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Special Sauce Ingredients
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon your favorite mayo
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish or sweet pickle relish
- ½ tablespoon pickle juice
- ¼ teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika
- pinch kosher salt & black pepper optional
For Assembling
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped (1 cup per bowl)
- cherry tomatoes optional
- cucumber slices or hamburger dill pickles optional
- red onion, diced optional
- avocado, diced optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ (218°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spray with olive oil spray. Wash and peel your sweet potatoes. On a cutting board, use a sharp knife to cut them into 1 inch cubes.
- In a large bowl or directly on the baking sheet, coat the sweet potato cubes with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Add to the baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Oven times will vary.
- While the potatoes roast, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add olive oil until heated. Lower to medium heat and add the onion. Saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the ground meat break it apart with a wooden spoon or masher. Cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown and then add the seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Make the burger sauce by combining the ingredients in a small bowl and stirring with a whisk or fork.
- To assemble the bowls, add the romaine lettuce, meat, sweet potatoes, tomato, red onion, cucumbers or pickles and any other toppings you like. Add the special sauce on top.
- Hint: if you have an air fryer, you can make the sweet potatoes in it instead. Preheat your air fryer to 400℉ (200°C) for a couple of minutes. Add your seasoned sweet potato cubes to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry for 10-12 minutes, giving them a good shake about 5 minutes through. Cook time may vary slightly depending on your air fryer.
Notes
- The most time consuming part of this recipe is roasting the sweet potatoes. Go ahead and throw those in the oven first while you make the other components.
- Use pre-cut sweet potatoes to make this recipe even easier.
- Flip the sweet potatoes halfway through cooking.
- If you're using a beef with higher fat content, drain off the excess grease.
- Break up the ground meat as soon as you add it to the skillet. Then let it sit a bit on each side to let it brown. From there, stir occasionally until it's cooked through.
- Meal Prep - prep ahead of time by roasting your sweet potatoes in advance. You can also make the sauce ahead of time and prep your toppings.
- Refrigerator - make for the week and portion them in separate airtight containers for up to 3-4 days. Or store the components separately in the refrigerator in airtight containers with a tight-fitting lid for up to 3-4 days and assemble when you're ready to eat.
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