Healthy Burger Bowls with Special Sauce

These Burger Bowls have all the yummy flavors of hamburgers, including lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles but without the bun. Instead they are layered into bowls on top of cauliflower rice for a lower carb meal option. The healthy Special Sauce makes them irresistible!

Why We Love Homemade Burger Bowls

Last year when I did the Whole30 I fell in love with Burger Bowls. I had come across the idea when I was searching for Whole30 recipes on Pinterest. If you are not familiar with burger bowls, they are basically a grain-free way of enjoying the delicious flavors of a hamburger but without the bun. The hamburger meat is crumbled and browned in a skillet and then the ingredients are arranged in a bowl and eaten with a fork.

This is a version I created for Healthy Seasonal Recipes because I know you would love them too! Once you try them, have fun mixing up the ingredients to customize them how you like them.

Ingredients For Bunless Burger Bowls

For The Hamburger Meat Mixture

• Oil: Use your favorite cooking oil. I suggest avocado oil or organic canola oil because they’re neutral and withstand high-heat
• Chopped Mushrooms: this helps to keep them lower in calories while still high in volume
• Ground beef: Burger bowls can also be made with ground turkey if you do not eat beef. I like 85% lean best
• Finely diced red onion: Some of the onion is cooked with the hamburger meat and some is used for topping
• Seasonings: Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper

For The Special Sauce

• Whole milk Greek yogurt: You can sub mayo or Whole30 compliant mayo to make dairy free and/or Whole30 compliant.
• Ketchup: You can us Whole30 compliant/sugar free if desired
• White vinegar: This gives the special sauce that tangy flavor. Apple cider vinegar works great too!
• Dill pickle relish
• Yellow mustard
• Celery salt

To Assemble The Bowls

• Shredded lettuce, optional
• 1 large tomato, diced
• Frozen cauliflower rice, heated
• Sliced dill pickles
• The diced onion (you’ll cook most of the onion with the beef mixture)
• Plus the beef mixture and dressing

How To Make This Burger Bowl Recipe

Step 1: Cook Beef (or Turkey) with Onions and Mushrooms

Combine the beef or turkey, all but 1/4 cup of the onion, the mushrooms and the salt and pepper in a hot skillet. Cook it and break it up so that it resembles meat for pasta sauce or tacos.

Note: The mushrooms will let off a lot of liquid as they cook. This is normal. Keep cooking until the liquid evaporates, the onions are soft and the meat is cooked through.

Step 2: Add Worcestershire sauce

Take the meat off the heat and add in the Worcestershire sauce.

Step 3: Make The Special Sauce

An essential component of the hamburger bowls is the special sauce which is sort of like Russian Salad Dressing or Thousand Island dressing. To make it, whisk the yogurt (or mayo if you prefer), ketchup, vinegar, mustard, relish and celery salt to combine it.

Step 4: Assemble the Bowls

Heat the cauliflower rice according to the package instructions. (I just microwave it in a glass measuring cup until it is piping hot.)

I like to use a shallow pasta bowl (that’s an affiliate link) like these to serve portions of this recipe.

1. Start with the cauliflower rice and lettuce.
2. Then spoon on the beef or turkey mixture.
3. Top with tomatoes, pickles and onion.

Step 5: Drizzle Special Sauce Over The Hamburger Bowls

Lastly, spoon a generous amount of the special sauce over the beef and veggies just before serving.

FAQs for This Recipe

Make Ahead Tips

• If you are a meal prep lover then you will love this recipe because the meat reheats beautifully. The hamburger meat can be made up to four days ahead.
• The special sauce can also be made ahead as well. The veggies for the topping can also be prepared and stored separately if you like.
• It is important to wait to assemble them after the meat is reheated because the meat and cauliflower rice is best served warm.
• To reheat the meat and cauliflower rice, portion them into a bowl and microwave for two minutes or until steaming hot. Alternatively, you can heat the meat on the stovetop with a little broth or water. Heat until steaming hot.
• The meat can be frozen up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator.

More Recipes You May Like

Easy Pizza Bowl Recipe

Low Carb Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Grain Free Mongolian Beef and Broccoli Bowls

Crockpot Green Chile Chicken

Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Boats

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

Healthy Burger Bowls with Special Sauce

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5 from 7 reviews

• Author: Katie Webster
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

These Hearty lower-carb Burger Bowls with Special Sauce are ready in less than 30 minutes. They have all the flavors of hamburgers but without the bun! There’s a Whole30 compliant option and one for making it even lower in carbs. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For The Meat Mixture

1 tablespoon avocado oil or organic canola oil

1 large finely diced red onion, divided

8 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped

1 pound ground turkey or beef

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

For The Special Sauce

1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt (sub mayo to make dairy-free or whole30 compliant)

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon dill pickle relish

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

For The Bowls

4 cups frozen cauliflower rice

1 1/2 cup shredded lettuce, optional

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 cup sliced dill pickles

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Instructions

1. Make meat: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Reserve ¼ cup diced onion for garnish. Add the remaining red onion, mushrooms and turkey or beef to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until the meat is cooked through and the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle Worcestershire sauce over the meat and stir to incorporate. Remove from the heat.
3. Make Special Sauce: Whisk yogurt, ketchup, vinegar, relish, mustard and celery salt in a small bowl.
4. Assemble Bowls: Heat cauliflower rice according to package instructions. Divide cauliflower rice among four shallow bowls. Top with the meat, dividing evenly. Garnish with lettuce, tomato, pickles and the reserved red onion.
5. Add Sauce and Serve: Drizzle sauce over the burger bowls and serve.

Notes

Make Ahead and Reheating Instructions:

The meat and dressing can be made up to four days in advance. Keep separate. To reheat the meat and cauliflower rice, portion them into a bowl and microwave for two minutes or until steaming hot. Alternatively, you can heat the meat on the stovetop with a little broth or water. Heat until steaming hot. Assemble as directed.

 For Low Carb Option:

Substitute mayonnaise for the yogurt, and use sugar free ketchup. With these alternatives, the calories will be 485 per bowl, 8 g net carbs (13 g total carbs and 5 g fiber.) 

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bowl
• Calories: 330
• Fat: 19 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Carbohydrates: 16 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Protein: 30 g

More Burger Recipes

If you love burgers on actual buns I have a bunch of those too!

Garlic Herb Lamb Burgers

Chickpea Burgers with Lemon Tahini Sauce

Grilled Za’atar Chicken Burgers with Cucumber Mint Tzatziki

Southwest Bean Burgers

Beef Burgers with Mushrooms and Cheese

Black Bean Burgers with Green Tea Basil Aioli

Healthy Burger Recipes