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    Burger in a Bowl with Special Sauce (Cheeseburger Salad)

    By April Boller Wright 11 Comments

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    Burger in a bowl aka cheeseburger salad,  is everything you want in a burger but in bowl without bun. This low carb burger salad is so good you won't even miss the hamburger buns. Use a sugar free ketchup to make it ketogenic. If you like this bowl recipes be sure to check out this Spicy Tuna Bowl Recipe.

    A cheeseburger in a bowl salad in a bowl with seasoned ground beef, grape tomatoes, red onions, pickles, turkey bacon and shredded cheese with special sauceIf people refuse to look at you in a new light and they can only see you for what you were, only see you for the mistakes you've made, if they don't realize that you are not your mistakes, then they have to go.” ~ Steve Maraboli

    BURGER IN A BOWL   

    Guys, I'm sharing one of my go-to easy dinner recipes again. Love cheeseburgers? Then this burger in a bowl is for you! It's hearty, fulfilling, loaded with ground beef but not heavy and you won't get hungry an hour after eating it. 

    Vegetable salads are tasty and all but sometimes you just want a heartier protein filled salad. This is perfect for people who dislike salads.  

    My sister made this for her husband and daughter last week. She said they were literally scraping their bowls clean. They loved it just as much as they loved these beef tacos. 

    Her hubby is a huge fan of cheeseburgers but he's on a low carb diet which means no bread for him. 

    WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

    Perfectly seasoned and loaded with ground beef. There's an easy special sauce, pickles, green salad, juicy grape tomatoes, fresh onions and cheese. What's not to love? 

    This burger salad a great choice if you you're trying to eat healthier or on a low carb diet, love heartier salads, or maybe you don't have any bread but you got them burger cravings. 

    This is a super quick prep recipe. While the juicy ground beef is cooking, you can prep the salad first then cook the beef or cook the beef first.

    I prefer to prep the salad first then make the ground beef. By doing so, I'm able to serve my salad a bit warm. Just my personal preference.  

    A cheeseburger in a bowl salad in a bowl with seasoned ground beef, grape tomatoes, red onions, pickles, turkey bacon and shredded cheese with special sauce

    HOW TO MAKE BURGER IN A BOWL

    I've made this recipe a couple times just to test out other seasonings but I think simple ingredients works best. Saute the onion rounds first if you don't like them raw or dice them and cook with the ground beef.

    This recipe is very forgiving. You can add whatever you like in your salad. I added some options below for ya. 

    Ground Beef:
    ground beef 
    salt for taste
    pepper for taste
    onion powder
    garlic powder
    red pepper (just a tiny bit)

    Salad 
    head of Romaine lettuce chopped or your choice (I used a combo of lettuce, spinach and butter lettuce). 
    cup pearl tomatoes sliced in half
    cup shredded cheddar cheese 
    medium red onions sliced thin. 
    pickles
    crumbled bacon ( I used turkey bacon)

    Special Sauce 
    cup ketchup
    cup mayonnaise
    white vinegar
    pepper for taste ( burger in a bowl dressing tastes so much better with pepper so don't skimp on the pepper. It makes the dressing really tasty)
    tablespoons olive oil
    pinch of cayenne pepper

    Cook the ground beef until browned,  drain if necessary. Put the skillet with the beef back on the stove and add the seasoning. 

    To a small bowl, add the ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar and olive oil, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Mix well.

    Drizzle a some of the dressing around the inside of the salad bowl so you'll get special sauce on all of the salad. 

    Add the lettuce, pickles, onions, grape tomatoes, bacon and ground beef to the bowl and give it a good toss. Drizzle more dressing on top of the salad and serve. 

    Step by step photos to make a cheeseburger in a bowl

    MAKE AHEAD SALAD

    To make this burger in a bowl ahead of time. Put each ingredient into separate containers. For instance, put the greens in one container, the onions and beef in another container (or separate depending on how you want to do things), pickles in another container and so on.

    You should keep the lettuce away from the other ingredients that way the salad will stay nice and crisp.  Add the special sauce to an air tight container.

    Put the salad together as soon as you're ready to serve it. 

    VARIATIONS 

    • Use ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken. Use chicken breasts if you don't have any ground meat.
    • Make grilled onions instead of sautéed or raw ones. 
    • Grilled hamburgers on the grill or stovetop.Top the patties with melted cheese and bacon.
    • Make a blue cheese burger salad. Add crumbled blue cheese and blue cheese dressing
    • Use ranch dressing or whatever dressing you like
    • Add mounds of different greens like spinach, butter lettuce, arugula, kale. Use what you have in your fridge. 
    • Add different vegetables like shredded carrots, cucumbers instead of pickles are different but tasty. 

    Get creative and use whatever you have in your refrigerator. It's a super easy burger bowl recipe that anyone whether dieting or not can enjoy! 

    A cheeseburger in a bowl salad in a bowl with seasoned ground beef, grape tomatoes, red onions, pickles, turkey bacon and shredded cheese with special sauce

    Cheeseburger Salad

    April Boller Wright
    Burger in a bowl is healthier way to get the flavors of a cheeseburger but without the bread. Basically just all the topping for a burger but in a bowl form.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 7 mins
    Total Time 12 mins
    Course Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 430 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Ground Beef

    • 16 oz ground beef
    • salt for taste
    • pepper for taste
    • ¼ tsp garlic powder plus additional ⅛ tsp
    • ¼ tsp onion powder plus additional ⅛ tsp
    • 1 pinch cayenne pepper

    Salad

    • 12 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon
    • 1 head of Romaine lettuce sliced I used a combo of different lettuces
    • 1 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half
    • 1 medium red onions sliced thin
    • ½ cup pickles
    • ½ cup shredded cheese

    Special Sauce

    • ½ cup ketchup
    • ¼ cup mayonnaise
    • 1 tsp white vinegar
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • ⅛ tsp pepper add more for taste if you like

    Instructions
     

    • Cook the ground beef until browned,  drain if necessary. Put the skillet with the beef back on the stove and add the seasoning. 
    • To a small bowl, add the ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar and olive oil, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Mix well.
    • Drizzle a some of the dressing around the inside of the salad bowl. This will help coat the salad with the sauce. 
    • Add the lettuce, pickles, onions, grape tomatoes, bacon and ground beef to the bowl and give it a good toss. Drizzle more dressing on top of the salad and serve immediately. 

    Notes

    TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE THIS 

     
    Make ahead:
    Put each ingredient into separate containers. For instance, put the greens in one container, the onions and beef in another container (or separate depending on how you want to do things), pickles in another container and so on.
     
    You should keep the lettuce away from the other ingredients that way the salad will stay crisp.  Add the special sauce to an air tight container. Put the salad together as soon as you're ready to serve it. 
     
     

    VARIATIONS AND IDEAS 

    • Use ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken to make this salad. Don't have any ground beef? Make grilled chicken breast instead.
    • Make grilled onions instead of sautéed or raw ones. 
    • Grilled patties on the grill or stovetop. Top the burgers with melted cheese and bacon. 
    • Make it a blue cheese burger salad. Add crumbled blue cheese and blue cheese dressing.
    • Add different greens like spinach, butter lettuce, arugula, kale. Get creative and use what you have in your fridge. 
    • Add different vegetables like shredded carrots, cucumbers instead of pickles.
     
    Originally posted on 6/22/2017 updated 4/26/2019
     
     
    Follow Whisk it Real Gud on Instagram.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 430kcal
    Keyword burger bowl, burger in a bowl, burger salad, cheeseburger salad
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    If you think this burger in a bowl looks good, save it to your Pinterest Board or share it on Facebook. Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest too!

    YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE GROUND BEEF RECIPES:

    Beef Taco Casserole
    Best Beef Tacos
    Salisbury Steak
    Best Meatloaf
    Lazy Lasagna 

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jacqueline Debono

      May 25, 2019 at 12:30 pm

      I have never thought to turn a burger into a salad but it sounds like a really tasty idea! Can't wait to try it!
      Jacqueline Debono My Profile5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        May 28, 2019 at 9:21 am

        You won't even miss the bread. It's so good! Thank you Jacqueline!

        Reply
    2. Natalie

      April 28, 2019 at 5:27 pm

      This salad sounds and looks absolutely delicious. It's definitely something I would love to try. I bet my hubby will like it too since there's meat too. Love the addition of pickles. I'm saving this.5 stars

      Reply
    3. Jo

      April 28, 2019 at 12:57 am

      I'd love myself a big bowl of this cheeseburger salad. And that special sauce is everything! Love it.
      Jo My Profile5 stars

      Reply
    4. Mahy Elamin

      April 27, 2019 at 7:18 am

      This salad should be made in McDonalds😉 Looks great and probably taste the same.5 stars

      Reply
    5. Cheese Curd In Paradise

      April 26, 2019 at 10:53 pm

      What a great way to enjoy a burger! I love the addition of the pickles and the bacon as well. The sauce sounds incredible too!5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        April 29, 2019 at 9:53 am

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    6. Mirlene

      April 26, 2019 at 9:32 pm

      NOW, THIS IS A SALAD! This cheeseburger salad takes traditional cheeseburger to a whole new level. I love all of the fixings that are added. I like that fact I can use any meat I want. This is the type of meal I would want to eat on a Wednesday while getting over the hump. The special sauce is top notch - vinegar is always a nice touch. Saving this so I can make it later!5 stars

      Reply
      • April

        April 29, 2019 at 9:54 am

        Yes a hearty protein filled salad that's not only filling but really good! Thank you!

        Reply
    7. Leo Tat

      June 28, 2017 at 3:11 pm

      That's how I like my cheeseburger, exchange the bun for salad. It's best adding the cheese when the meat is still hot.
      Leo Tat My Profile

      Reply
      • April

        June 30, 2017 at 12:56 pm

        Thanks so much for stopping by Leo!

        Reply

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    April Wright Whisk it Real Gud_I'm April and I hope you stay for a while. Being a mom (plus a bonus mom) with kids on the autism spectrum, I need to be super efficient with my time. That’s why I create simple recipes that are delicious and don’t require a lot of steps. On this site you'll find all kinds of easy recipes. Comfort foods, southern recipes, restaurant favorites, salads and ethnic recipes and more! Read more .

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