Burger Bowl with (Not-So-Secret) Sauce

Easy Burger Bowl with (Not-So-Secret) Sauce. This is one of the simplest and tastiest dinners on the blog that is adaptable to any diet or mood & is sure to be a favorite in the family (it is in mine). It’s basically a burger salad with a delicious dressing, and it really never disappoints. We have phases where the burger bowl is in weekly rotation: it’s easy to get really good ground beef, easy to meal prep and quick to make. Take a shortcut with the fries by using frozen. You can go with sweet potato fries or plain. There have been many days where we use any random potato we have on hand! Add onion, tomatoes, cheese. I even love to toast half of a bun if we have them and use it as a crouton

I fully embrace being the person that wants a salad & a side of fries. Oh and the sauce? I am tired of my favorite burger places not telling me their sauce recipes!

Home Cook’s Notes/ FAQ – Burger Bowl Options

Can I substitute ground beef?

Yes. This recipe is awesome because it is so easy to make substitutions. I love to use a good grass fed ground beef, but ground turkey and ground chicken work just as well if that’s your preference.

Other lettuce options?

I love to change it up. I find that romaine is the best for a good crunch, texture and freshness. Mix in some spinach or even use finely chopped iceberg for that McDonalds vibe.

I want to add cheese!

If you want to add cheese, I would personally add it at the end of cooking the ground beef. Once the beef is cooked through, top with your favorite burger cheese and let it melt over the ground beef. You can also stir it in with the last few minutes of cooking. I’d suggest American or Cooper Sharp because I love the flavor – but really any cheese at all will work.

(Not-So-Secret) Sauce

Ah, the sauce. My favorite part of this dish. When I eat a burger I want all of the condiments – mayo, mustard, ketchup, pickles. This sauce has all the fast food burger flavor. Instead of drizzling the burger bowl with a bunch of different condiments, this not-so-secret burger sauce is an all-in-one, super delicious topping that gets thinned out and works perfectly as a dressing. (And it’s actually amazing with the sweet potato fries.)

The Pickle Juice

So you hate pickles. That’s not something I understand, but you do not have to use it if you are a pickle hater. That being said, no substitute will match its salty, tangy-ness and the flavor it adds to the sauce. For example, Nick hates ketchup, but still eats the sauce as is because of what it does as a whole! I’ll stop trying to convince you. Feel free to skip the pickle juice and use water to thin.

I do not have a substitution for the mayo, mustards or ketchup. Feel free to leave them out if you don’t like them and adjust the sauce to your liking. The mayo is really just a base, so I am not sure how to best substitute it. You could try to make the suace with plain greek yogurt instead, but I haven’t tried that!

Grab a bowl, fill it with lettuce, add with your burger meat & fried onions (and more pickles). Crispy, roasted sweet potato fries line the edges, and a drizzle of Not-So-Secret sauce will totally have you making it weekly like I do. Feel free to add your favorite cheese, but this bowl is so good, you won’t realize it’s missing.

From the Kitchen

Connect with Me

If you make this, tag me on Instagram @quartersoulcrisis or comment here & leave a rating, I love to hear your thoughts. How do you eat your burger bowl?!