Loaded Burger Bowls – seasoned ground beef, crisp lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, tangy dill pickles and a next level burger sauce. Serve it up with pile of sweet potato fries for an easy, customizable 20 minute meal!
January always feels like a natural reset. Nothing extreme but just a step back – focusing on protein forward meals, making workouts more routine – strong over skinny. I don’t do diets.
Especially when we’re in the middle of a deep freeze. I’m still cravig cozy, comfort food – but the kind without heavy, over-the-top holiday vibes.
This Burger Bowl has everything we love about a classic burger – juicy, perfectly seasoned beef, crip lettuce, juicy tomatoes, melty cheese … dill pickles – but served up in a bowl for a hearty meal without the bun.
All flavor – zero compromise.
Why I love this recipe:
- Perfect for meal prep and a lighter twist on classic burgers and protein forward
- Versatile – easy to customize – every for picky eaters!
- Protein forward – everything I crave on burger night
- Warm, cozy – feels indulgent.
Ingredients needed for Burger Bowls:
- Lean ground beef
- Montreal steak seasoning
- Worcestershire sauce
- Romaine lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes diced
- Dill pickles – diced
- Onion thinly sliced
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sweet potatoes sliced thin into chips
Special Sauce
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Pickle relish
- Apple cider vinegar
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
How to make Burger Bowls:
1. Burger Sauce
Add all sauce ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Cover and pop in the fridge.
2. Cook the sweet potato fries:
Air fry or oven bake your fries.
While the fries are cooking, make the burger.
2. Make the burgers:
Blend 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce with ground beef and form 4 patties. Season with Montreal steak seasoning on both sides.
Add the burger and thinly sliced onins to a frying pan over medium-high heat to get a good sear on both sides of the burger. Reduce heat and cook to your preferred doneness.
Note: burger can also be grilled or air fried.
Optional: drain any excess grease or dab with paper towels.
3. Building a loaded Burger Bowl:
Add shredded or chopped lettuce and diced tomatoes to the bowl.
Place fries, burger, shredded cheese and pickles around them. Drizzle sauce over the burgers or serve in a small bowl. Eat right away.
Subs and variations to this recipe:
Montreal Steak Seasoning: Season with just salt and black pepper if you prefer, but Montreal Steak Seasoning adds a ton of flavor!
Choose your carb: homemade French fries, frozen French fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings or tater tots.
Swap ground turkey or ground chicken for beef.
Iceberg lettuce instead of romaine
Onion – I used red onion – yellow or white onion work too. Slice thin so they cook fast in with the burger
Ground beef can be cooked as patties or broken up and spooned into the bowl.
Grill, air fry or cook burger on the stove in a skillet.
Burger Combo Ideas:
Blue Cheese Burger with caramelized onion
American cheese, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato and thinly sliced raw onion
Mushrooom Swiss with sauteed mushrooms
Avocado (or guacamole) Bacon, lettuce and tomato
Fried egg on top of any burger
Chicken Burger – with pepper jack cheese and chipotle mayo
Tips for the best loaded Burger Bowls:
- Cook the burger however you like best – skillet, grill or air fry
- Crank up the heat initially so you get a good sear (= flavor!) – cook to how you like it done
- Add cheese to the bowl or for melty cheese – right on top of the burger
- Make sauce a day or 2 ahead and store separately in the fridge
More popular ground beef recipes:
Korean Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
Enjoy!
Best Loaded Burger Bowl
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
Burger Ingredients:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons Motreal Steak Seasoning
- 1/2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
Burger Toppings:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups romaine or iceberg lettuce thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes diced
- dill pickle chips or spears diced
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups french fries, sweet potato fries or tater tots
Burger Sauce:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- salt and black peper to taste
Instructions
- Add burger sauce ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Cover and pop in the fridge.
- Air fry or oven bake your fries or tots. Thinly slice the onion.
- While the fries are cooking, make the burgers. Add beef and worcestershire sauce to a bowl. Blend just until mixed (don't overmix!) then form 4 patties. Season with Montreal steak seasoning on both sides.
- Drizzle olive oil into a skillet over medium-high heat. Add burgers and thinly sliced onins. Season onions with salt and pepper. Get a good sear on the burgers. Cook to preferred doneness.Note: burger can also be grilled or air fried.
- Add shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes to the bowls. Place fries, burger, shredded cheese and pickles around them. Drizzle sauce over the burgers or add to a small bowl. Serve right away.