Burger in a Bowl: A Family Favorite Dinner

Move over taco Tuesday, burger in a bowl night is officially the new family favorite dinner!

Burger night works well for families for several reasons:

It’s customizable. It’s essentially a topping buffet where each family member can create a plate they will happily gobble down.
It works for all ages. Doing baby led weaning? Cut hamburger, pickles, and tomatoes into small pieces. Make it dippable for toddlers. Let teens doctor up a real thick burger.
It works for all eating styles. I will opt for a potato over a bun every time, so a burger in a bowl allows me to pick the carbs that mean the most to me while my family can do the same.
It’s nutrient-dense. A grass-fed and grass-finished burger alongside fresh veggies, fermented foods like dill pickle kraut, and roasted sweet potatoes makes for a well rounded meal.

What is a burger in a bowl?

It’s essentially a hamburger in salad form, but doesn’t the alliteration of burger in a bowl sound so much better?

I post my dinners on Instagram stories almost nightly. Every time a burger in a bowl makes an appearance I have at least a handful of messages asking for the specific ingredients involved. So, let’s break it down.

What’s in a burger in a bowl?

The burger. We are a fan of Butcher Box burgers because they are grass fed and grass finished and you cook the right from frozen. We’ve also had success with turkey burgers and black bean burgers, too!
Roasted sweet potatoes – Bring a big pot of water to boil and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dice the potato and boil until fork tender. Drain, dry, toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Then roast for 15-20 minutes while the burgers are grilling.
Crunchy romaine lettuce
Red onion (or pickled red onion) – thin sliced or small diced
Tomato – diced
Avocado – sliced
Dill pickle chips – cut in half so I can have one with almost every bite
Garlic dill pickle sauerkraut – for gut healthy nutrition and great flavor
Pickled jalapenos – for heat
Mustard
Ketchup

What else can I add to my burger in a bowl?

Really feel like kicking things up a notch? Or makin an epic burger bowl buffet for a gathering? Add some of these to your spread:

Shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, mozzarella, blue cheese)
Bacon, crispy and crumbled
Sliced green onions
Sautéed mushrooms and onions
Onion straws
Roasted veggies – like Brussels or broccoli
Buttermilk ranch
Buffalo sauce

How to make a burger in a bowl

Luckily, there is no wrong way to do this, but since we first eat with our eyes, I feel making it look pretty before diving in is worth it.

First, layer the bowl with chopped romaine lettuce. Then comes the hearty layer of roasted potatoes, diced tomato, and a cut up burger.

The next layer adds a ton of flavor. Dill pickles, kraut, jalapenos, avocado, and onion. Then just top it off with a squirt of mustard and ketchup.

Burger in a bowl vs a lettuce wrap burger

I’ve had a lettuce wrap burger before and the taste was good but the functionality? Lacking.

If you’ve had a lettuce wrap burger than you, too, understand the dripping of sauces and falling out of the toppings with every bite.

It actually surprises me that more restaurants that offer the lettuce wrap haven’t caught on and started offering burger in a bowl options!

Tips for the best burger in a bowl

If using beef, cook the burger to an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Don’t overcook it; you still want it juicy and delicious!
Cut toppings into similar, bite-size pieces. The best outcome is when you can get a lot of the flavors in every bite!
Start with a conservative amount of sauce (mustard, ketchup, etc). It’s easy to add more and you don’t want your first couple bites to be saturated with sauce.

If you like the classic burger in a bowl combination, you might also like: