Everything you love about burgers (without the excess carbs!)
I love cheeseburgers. But the sad reality is that the bun – or at least the carbs in the bun – don’t love me back. As a private chef, and as someone with dietary restrictions myself, I’ve had to take the foods that my clients and I love to eat, and make adjustments so that I/we can still enjoy them. Think you have to give up cheeseburgers because you’re watching your carbs? Not so, my dear friends. Experience all of the wonderful elements of a juicy, tasty cheeseburger (minus the carbs) in this yummy deluxe cheeseburger bowl.
The Best of Both Worlds
Behold, the deluxe cheeseburger bowl! You can still enjoy your favorite toppings, without the hit on your blood glucose or any unpleasant side effects often caused by consuming a fast-food cheeseburger. Love grilled onions and bacon? No problem. Gooey cheese your thing? Unless you have a lactose issue, or are watching your fat consumption, go for it! While you’re at it, pile on some delicious, nutritious veggies to get those vitamins and fiber you won’t often get visiting a typical burger drive-thru. Ready? Here we go! You’ll thank me later.
Gather Up Your Ingredients and Get Cooking!
Begin by combining the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Cook four slices of bacon in a skillet until crispy. Reserve the bacon fat in the skillet. Let the bacon cool before chopping it into little bits.
Now for the beef – use 1 pound of 90/10 beef or leaner. 93/7 is usually the leanest you will find at the grocery store. Season it with salt and black pepper and then cook the beef in the reserved bacon fat until it’s fully browned. Drain the excess grease and set the beef aside.
Next up, melt the butter in the skillet and sauté a thinly sliced onion until translucent. Then, dice the tomato, chop your dill pickle chips into rough pieces, and shred the cheddar cheese. Now we’ve got all the fixings for these sensational cheeseburger bowls!
Divide the spinach evenly between 4 bowls and top with ground beef. Add the onion, tomato, pickles, cheese, bacon, and finally the dressing you made at the beginning. Note: thousand island dressing is similar to McDonald’s Big Mac sauce – you can try that instead of making your own if you’d like!
Choose Your Own Toppings
Who says the deluxe cheeseburger bowl has to include bacon, or spinach (Romaine would be nice and crisp!)? Try swapping out different ingredients and tailor the bowl to your liking! You can add/omit pretty much any burger topping that you wish! This burger bowl leaves a lot of room for creativity! Here’s a list of some unique and popular toppings:
Avocado or guacamole
Mushrooms (sautéed or grilled)
Fried egg
Jalapeños
Banana Peppers
Relish
Barbecue sauce
Garlic Aioli
Sriracha or hot sauce
Coleslaw
Pineapple
Blue cheese dressing or crumbles
Horseradish
Peanut butter
Fig jam
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is pretty straightforward but here are some of the most commonly asked questions! Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? No problem! Drop your question in the comments!
Why is a deluxe cheeseburger bowl better than an actual burger?
Why not a regular cheeseburger you ask? Well, a deluxe cheeseburger bowl is perfect for keeping carbs low, and veggies high! Bowls are also great for keeping your portions in check and making sure you manage your weight without stress.
Do I have to use ground beef?
Certainly not. Feel free to use ground chicken (or grilled, or shredded, for that matter), turkey, or even salmon or black beans!
I love carbs. How can I add them and still keep the burger bowl healthy?
Consider adding roasted sweet potato or quinoa for a boost without the refined carbs. Roast some cauliflower and other vegetables to add more nutrients and fiber.
Can I cut the fat in my burger bowl without compromising flavor?
Of course! Use turkey bacon instead of pork bacon. Use a leaner ground beef, such as 93/7, or use ground turkey or chicken instead. You can also use a lower fat mayo in the dressing!
1/4 cup mayonnaise1 tablespoon yellow mustard2 tablespoons dijon mustard4 bacon slices cut into small pieces1 pound lean ground beef 90/10 or higher (see note 1)1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper ground1/2 tablespoon butter1 onion small, thinly sliced4 cups baby spinach leaves1 tomato small, diced1/2 cup dill pickle chips roughly chopped1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Combine mayonnaise, yellow mustard and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.Cook bacon pieces in a skillet on medium until golden brown and crispy. Reserve the bacon fat in the skillet, remove the bacon and place on paper towels to drain.Season ground beef and brown in reserved bacon fat until golden brown and cooked through, breaking up large pieces as you go.Drain and set aside. While the ground beef is cooking, in another skillet, melt butter and caramelize the sliced onions until golden brown and fragrant. Drain on paper towels.Divide spinach, between 4 bowls. Add ground beef. Top each bowl with tomatoes and pickles, then onions.Crumble cooked bacon and cheese on top and drizzle with dressing.
I prefer a 90/10 mixture of ground beef, but feel free to use a leaner ground beef.
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 874mg | Potassium: 769mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3202IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 4mg |
Keywords Budget-Friendly, Diabetic-Friendly, Gluten-Free, High Protein, Low-Carb
Have you made this recipe?Tag @skinnyms on Instagram or hashtag it #skinnyms
Now that you have the basic formula and techniques down, let your preferences and tastebuds be your guide. Whether you prefer turkey, chicken, beef, tofu, or even a veggie powerhouse, go for it! Share your favorite variations of our deluxe cheeseburger bowl with us in the comments below.
Want More Burger Recipes?
If you enjoyed this deluxe burger bowl, you might also like to try these healthier burger recipes:
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