You don't need to break out the grill for this cheeseburger! This burger bowl recipe is what meal prep dreams are made of! It's high in protein, tangy, cheesy, and incredibly satisfying! Top it with a delicious copycat in-n-out burger sauce for more protein! It's everything you'd want in a fast-food burger but made better for you, with better ingredients.
With healthy carbs from the potatoes to imitate french fries and lean ground beef which imitates our burger patty, this burger bowl is way better than fast food! The best part is that it can be as low carb as you want it to be. Just remove or reduce the potatoes. Trust me, it's still just as delicious!
It's also a delicious way to hit your protein goals. Meal prep it at the beginning of the week for an easy on-the-go lunch or quick weeknight dinner. Top it with my high protein burger sauce and it's a sure winner! This bowl doesn't skimp out on flavor!
Need more meal prep ideas? Check out my BBQ tuna sandwich !
What is a Burger Bowl?
A cheeseburger bowl is simply a deconstructed burger in a bowl! This one has all the components of a traditional cheeseburger, including the french fries. Customize it to what you like. This burger bowl recipe can also be made into a salad as a low carb meal and requires no messy hands (my kind of meal)!
Why you'll love this Burger Bowl Recipe
- High protein - It's high in protein, thanks to the ground beef and burger sauce.
- Great for meal prepping - It stores and reheats well, making it a delicious option to eat throughout the week.
- Easy to make - It comes together in one pan! Air frying that potatoes is my preferred method, but the potatoes can be pan fried as well.
- Incredibly flavorful - It's saucy, smokey, tangy, cheesy, and packed with all the flavor and texture!
- Customizable - Not a fan of tomatoes? Remove it! On a keto diet? Omit the potatoes. Customize it to your tastebuds and dietary restrictions.
- Healthy-ish - Made with fresh and high quality ingredients, making it healthier than a typical fast food chain.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Burger meat:
- Ground Beef: 80/20 is ideal for the best flavor!
- Onion: Sautéed onions gives it that fast food burger flavor without being too greasy!
- Cheddar Cheese: Any cheese will do! This will replicate that cheesy melted fast food cheeseburger taste.
- Paprika: For a touch of smokiness and spice.
- Garlic: Adds an aromatic layer to the burger.
- Salt and pepper: To balance out the seasonings.
For the potatoes:
- Potatoes: Russet or yukon gold potatoes work great!
- Paprika: For a bit of smokiness and color.
- Garlic powder: For an aromatic touch.
- Salt and pepper: To bring out the potato flavor.
- Neutral oil: Any oil with a high smoke point. I use avocado oil!
Burger sauce:
- Cottage cheese: The high protein base of our sauce. Use a low fat one for a more macro-friendly sauce.
- Pickle juice: Sweet gherkin or bread and butter juice is my go-to for a hint of sweetness, but feel free to use regular pickle juice.
- Ketchup: Adds that burger sauce color and acidity.
- Greek yogurt: Adds a tang, thickens up the sauce and adds more protein.
- Minced pickles and onions: Gives the sauce that familiar texture!
For assembling:
- Tomatoes: Dice up your favorite type of tomato!
- Romaine lettuce: Chop this up like you would for a salad.
- Red Onion: For a spicy bite to cut through the beef. Totally optional but I love raw onions!
- Pickles: Use traditional sliced pickles or bread and butter for a sweet and tangy taste! Either work great with this bowl.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make this Burger Bowl Recipe
For the potatoes:
- Add diced potatoes to a bowl of cold water and let it soak for 20-30 minutes to remove the starch. This will help the potatoes get crispy. Drain and pat dry.
- Preheat an air fryer to 400F. In a bowl, toss together the diced potatoes, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika and oil. Add it to the air fryer and air fry at 400F for 10-12 minutes or until it reaches your desired crispiness, tossing halfway. Remove and set aside.
How to make the burger meat:
- While the potatoes are air frying, to a pan over medium heat, add ground beef, diced onions, paprika, salt, garlic and black pepper. Brown the beef and break it up. Continue cooking until it is cooked through. Use a paper towel to remove any excess fat and oil and discard.
- Turn off the heat and add in shredded cheese and stir until melted and combined. The residual heat from the beef will melt the cheese.
To make the sauce:
- To a blender add cottage cheese, pickle juice, and ketchup. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed.
- Once smooth, add in onions and pickles. Fold in Greek yogurt to get a thicker consistency. Add more yogurt as needed If the sauce is too runny.
To assemble:
- To a bowl, add lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, burger meat, and air fried potatoes. Top with the burger sauce and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
This cheeseburger bowl is great for everyone because it's flexible and adaptable!
- Cheese - American cheese, Swiss cheese or your favorite cheese works in place of cheddar. Don't love cheese? Omit it completely!
- Greens - Substitute the romaine lettuce for spring mix or spinach for more nutrients.
- Add ins - Bell peppers, a fried egg, caramelized onions, avocado, bacon, or mushrooms would be great additions to this bowl!
- Sauce - Use store bought Thousand Island dressing, barbecue sauce, or your favorite sauce or dressing in place of the burger sauce! Just note it won't be high in protein though.
- Low carb / keto - Omit the potatoes to keep it a low carb salad!
- Meat - Use ground chicken in place of beef.
- Vegetarian - Replace the beef burger with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian.
Storage
To store, place each component of this burger bowl in separate air tight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Separate the meat, veggies, potatoes, and sauce.
Top tip
Don't forget to discard of the excess grease! As the ground beef cooks, it will release fat. Use a paper towel to soak up excess grease. This will ensure the beef isn't soggy!
FAQ
If your blender is too large, you may need to double the sauce recipe to get the sauce to blend it smoothly. Alternatively, you can use a food processor or scrape down the sides of the blender in between pulsing. Adding a little more pickle juice can help as well!
The burger bowl itself can be made without cheese but unfortunately the burger sauce is dependent on the protein from dairy to make it a high protein sauce.
This is one of my favorite meals to meal prep! Make this at the beginning of the week and store each component of the burger bowl into individual air tight containers. Heat it up and assemble it throughout the week for an easy lunch or weeknight meal!
Other recipes to try
Burger Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
For the Burger Meat
- 1 small onion diced, 2 tablespoon reserved to mince for sauce
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2-4 oz cheddar cheese shredded
For the Potatoes
- 2 large russet potatoes diced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more for finishing
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Oil
For the Burger Sauce
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- 3 tablespoon sweet pickle juice
- 4 tablespoon ketchup
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt plus more as desired
- 3-4 tablespoon sweet pickles minced
- 3-4 tablespoon onion
For assembling
- Tomatoes diced
- Romaine lettuce chopped
- Red onion diced
- Pickles sliced
Instructions
To make the potatoes
- Add diced potatoes to a bowl of cold water and let it soak for 20-30 minutes to remove the starch. This will help the potatoes get crispy. Drain and pat dry.2 large russet potatoes
- Preheat an air fryer to 400F. In a bowl, toss together the diced potatoes, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika and oil. Add it to the air fryer and air fry at 400F for 10-12 minutes or until it reaches your desired crispiness, tossing halfway. Remove and set aside.½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon paprika¼ teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon garlic powderOil
To make the burger meat
- While the potatoes are air frying, to a pan over medium heat, add ground beef, diced onions, paprika, salt, garlic and black pepper. Brown the beef and break it up. Continue cooking until it is cooked through. Use a paper towel to remove any excess fat and oil and discard.1 lb ground beef1 small onion1 tablespoon paprika2 garlic cloves½ teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Turn off the heat and add in shredded cheese and stir until melted and combined. The residual heat from the beef will melt the cheese.2-4 oz cheddar cheese
To make the sauce
- To a blender add cottage cheese, pickle juice, and ketchup. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed.½ cup cottage cheese3 tablespoon sweet pickle juice4 tablespoon ketchup
- Once smooth, add in onions and pickles. Fold in Greek yogurt to get a thicker consistency. Add more yogurt as needed If the sauce is too runny.¼ cup Greek yogurt3-4 tablespoon sweet pickles3-4 tablespoon onion
To assemble
- To a bowl, add lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, burger meat, and air fried potatoes. Top with the burger sauce and enjoy!TomatoesRomaine lettuceRed onionPickles
Notes
- To store, place each component of this burger bowl in separate air tight containers in the fridge. This will help make reheating easier and assembling easy!
- To reheat, air fry the potatoes until warm. Microwave the burger meat or add it to a pan until warm.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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