These easy burger bowls have everything you love about a classic cheeseburger, no bun required! Seasoned ground beef is piled over crisp Romaine and your favorite burger toppings, then drizzled with a quick-fix In-N-Out-inspired burger sauce. Ready in just 20 minutes and totally customizable, this is an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
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Nothing quite hits the same as a good ol’ hamburger and French fries. Name your favorite fast-casual burger spot. I’ll go first: In-N-Out.
But when I’m craving all those classic burger flavors without actually firing up the grill, these burger bowls are the answer.
They start with seasoned ground beef piled over crisp Romaine with juicy tomatoes, red onion, cheddar cheese and pickles. But the real star? A generous drizzle of my homemade burger sauce. It’s my copycat take on In-N-Out’s famous spread.
And because a burger bowl should be every bit as customizable as the real deal, consider this recipe your ultimate template. Add avocado, bacon, caramelized onions, mustard or whatever normally earns a spot on your burger. Serve it with tater tots (my kids’ favorite), crispy French fries or sweet potato fries and dinner is done.
The beauty of a burger bowl is that anything you’d pile onto a burger is fair game here. Put all the ingredients out in small bowls and let everyone build their own. Start with these basics:
- Ground beef: It’s a weeknight dinner MVP in my house because it’s quick-cooking, budget-friendly and endlessly versatile. I use it here, but ground turkey or chicken work, too.
- Romaine lettuce: I like Romaine because it has plenty of crunch and holds up well underneath the warm ground beef and burger sauce. Chop or shred it into bite-sized pieces.
- Roma tomatoes: They’re firm, meaty and less watery than some varieties, which makes them perfect for dicing. Cherry or grape tomatoes work great, too.
- Red onion: My usual burger order either includes grilled onions or no onions at all, but in a burger bowl I love the sharp bite and crunch of diced red onion. Not a raw onion fan? Skip it or swap in grilled or caramelized onions instead.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar is my go-to for that classic cheeseburger flavor, but use whatever cheese you prefer. I like to add it while the beef is still warm so it gets a little melty.
- Pickles: That sweet-and-tangy crunch is so good with the savory beef and creamy sauce. Store-bought work just fine, or make a batch of my bread and butter pickles.
- Burger sauce: This is the real star! My copycat In-N-Out burger spread takes just 5 minutes to make and is creamy, tangy and just a little sweet. Or switch things up with your favorite creamy dressing, like my buttermilk ranch or blue cheese dressing.
I keep the seasoning simple with salt and garlic powder, but how you cook the ground beef makes all the difference. Rather than chopping it into crumbles as soon as it hits the skillet, add it in one large piece and let it sear undisturbed until a deep brown crust develops. Flip it, sear the other side, then break it into smaller pieces and continue cooking until it’s cooked through.
Brown = FLAVOR! Think of it like cooking a steak: A good sear gives you so much more flavor than constantly stirring the beef and essentially steaming it.
Pile On Your Favorite Toppings
- Bacon: Start with my oven-baked bacon recipe, then crumble it and sprinkle it on top.
- Cheese: Swap the cheddar for American, Pepper Jack, Swiss or whatever cheese you usually order on your burger.
- Onions: Stick with raw red onion for crunch, swap in grilled or caramelized onions for something sweeter, or pile on pickled red onions for a sweet, tangy kick.
- Avocado: Add sliced or diced avocado for a little extra creaminess.
- Jalapeños or pepperoncini: Fresh or pickled jalapeños bring the heat, while pepperoncini add more of a tangy kick. For even more heat, drizzle on a little spicy ketchup.
- Mushrooms: Sauté sliced mushrooms until browned, then pile them on while they’re still warm.
- Fried egg: Take a cue from my Korean beef bowls and top your bowl with a yolky over-easy egg. So dang good!
A Major Meal Prep Win
When homework, baths and bedtime routines all start colliding, having dinner mostly prepped before the chaos begins is a major win around here. Burger bowls are perfect for meal prep, but store the components separately so everything stays fresh.
Cook the ground beef and prep the toppings ahead of time, then refrigerate them in separate airtight containers. The burger sauce can be made up to 1 week in advance. When it’s time to eat, reheat just the beef and assemble the bowls with the cold lettuce and toppings.
And if you’re looking for even more weeknight inspiration, don’t miss all of my favorite ground beef recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
- 1 cup diced Roma tomatoes
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- Bread and Butter Pickles
- Homemade Burger Sauce
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef in one large piece and season with salt and garlic powder. Cook, undisturbed, until well browned on the bottom. Flip the beef and cook until browned on the second side, then break it into smaller pieces and continue cooking until cooked through.
- Add the lettuce to two serving bowls then divide the cooked ground beef among the bowls. Add the tomatoes, onions, shredded cheese and pickles then drizzle with the burger sauce.
Kelly’s Notes
- Make it your own: Swap in your favorite burger toppings, from bacon and avocado to grilled onions, jalapeños or even a fried egg.
- Meal prep: Cook the beef and prep the toppings ahead of time, then refrigerate everything separately. Reheat only the beef before assembling so the lettuce and toppings stay fresh.
- Burger sauce: Make it up to 1 week in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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