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Burger Bowls

Burger bowls with deeply browned, crumbled seasoned beef and extra-crispy fries piled over shredded lettuce. Finished with cheddar, pickles, and a zigzag drizzle of special sauce for a deconstructed smash-burger bowl texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

ground beef
  • 1.5 lb ground beef 80/20 preferred for rich browning
seasonings
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
  • 0.25 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 0.25 tsp onion powder to taste
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
fresh toppings
  • 4 cup shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 0.5 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup dill pickle slices
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
crispy base
  • 2 cup frozen fries or tater tots, cooked crispy Cook until extra crispy per package directions
  • 2 cup frozen fries or tater tots (used for cooking)
special sauce
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp sweet pickle relish
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 0.25 Sesame seeds for garnish optional but recommended

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the special sauce
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish, and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Refrigerate while you cook the beef and fries.
Cook the seasoned beef
  1. Season the ground beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking into large crumbles, for 6-8 minutes until deeply browned, then drain fat.
Crisp the fries or tots
  1. Cook frozen fries or tater tots until extra crispy according to package directions. Keep them hot so they stay crunchy for assembling.
Assemble the burger bowls
  1. Divide shredded lettuce into 4 wide bowls as the base. Top each with beef crumbles, fries, cherry tomatoes, red onion, pickles, and shredded cheddar.
Finish and serve
  1. Drizzle special sauce generously over everything in a zigzag pattern. Scatter sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Notes

Pro tip: drain the beef well after browning so the bowls don’t get soggy once the warm fries and sauce meet the lettuce. Refrigerate leftover sauce in a sealed container for up to 5 days and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days, but assemble fresh for best crunch; the fries/tots don’t freeze well. If you want a lower-carb swap, use cauliflower tater tots or baked zucchini fries instead of regular fries.