Healthy Cheeseburger Bowls (2024)

Need a healthy dinner for busy weeknights? Try these loaded cheeseburger bowls for a tasty, filling, and super easy recipe that’s dietitian-approved!

Everyone needs a solid rotation of go-to healthy recipes for busy weeknights.

You know, the ones that are as easy as they are satisfying. The recipes that align with your health goals AND hit the spot so you don’t immediately head to the pantry after dinner is done.

These loaded cheeseburger bowls are one of those recipes for me.

They’re essentially a deconstructed burger with all the tasty and nutritious toppings this dietitian could ask for. I eat them on the regular–and once you see how easy they are to make, they’ll be a favorite for you too.

Why you’ll love these burger salad bowls

Cheeseburger bowls have it all:

Nourishment

Delicious-ness

And best of all, ease.

This recipe takes a little chopping, but otherwise it’s not a lot of prep.

It’s also great because it takes all the tasty toppings of your favorite burger and puts it over lettuce. That means more volume (to fill you up), more micronutrients (to fuel your health), and more balance (so you finish feeling satisfied but not stuffed).

You can also make a lot of ingredient swaps to fit your preferences, budget, and health goals.

Ingredient notes

Here’s what you’ll need to make these deconstructed cheeseburger bowls:

• Romaine
• Dill pickles
• Tomatoes
• White or red onion
• Banana peppers
• Sharp cheddar
• Frozen fries
• Oil or cooking spray
• Lean ground beef
• Salt and pepper

If you want to make the mustard vinaigrette that goes with it, you’ll also need mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and a few seasonings.

How to make cheeseburger bowls

Here are the step-by-step introductions to make deconstructed burger salad.

1. Prepare romaine, pickles, tomatoes, onion, banana peppers, and shredded cheese. Set aside.
2. Add all ingredients for mustard vinaigrette to a small bowl or jar and gently whisk until smooth. Set aside.
3. Cook frozen fries according to package directions and set aside.
4. While your fries are cooking, prepare beef. Heat a large skillet with olive oil or cooking spray to medium heat. Add beef. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up beef into small, uniform crumbles throughout the cooking process. Cook beef until no pink remains and some crumbles begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
5. Assemble burger bowls in four separate bowls or meal prep containers. Add romaine, pickles, tomatoes, onion, banana peppers and shredded cheese evenly amongst the bowls. Spoon 2 tbsp of mustard vinaigrette or dressing of choice over each bowl, and if desired, toss each salad to coat ingredients. Add ground beef and fries and serve immediately.

See Also

17 Healthy Power Bowls To Meal Prep For Lunch - Clean Healthy Meals26 Healthy Vegetarian Bowl Recipes You Can Make Ahead of Time20 Healthy Poke Bowls (+Easy Recipes)15 Healthy Salmon Bowl Recipes You'll Want to Make Right Now

Meal prep instructions

This recipe is perfect for meal prep! Here’s how:

Prepare all your ingredients as normal (steps 1-4). Wait for ground beef and fries to cool before assembling salads in four individual food containers. Portion salad dressing into 4 single-serve condiment containers and store separately. Add vinaigrette right before serving.

If you’d prefer to serve your salads with warm ground beef and fries, store those ingredients separately. Heat as desired and add to burger bowls with the salad dressing before serving.

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• Salad containers
• Condiment containers

Additional toppings

• Pickled jalapeños
• Bacon crumbles
• Sauerkraut
• Fried egg
• Kimchi
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Caramelized onion
• Pickled red onion
• BBQ sauce

Variations

The best part about this recipe is that it’s so customizable!

Try one of these variations to better fit your taste or dietary needs:

Swap frozen fries with crushed Doritos, hash brown, tater tots, air fried potato wedges, sweet potato fries, roasted chickpeas, or croutons.

Try a different protein like ground turkey, ground chicken, plant-based ground, frozen veggie burger, frozen burger, or chopped chicken tenders.

Experiment with dressings like ranch, BBQ sauce, garlic aioli, chipotle mayonnaise, caesar dressing, or big mac sauce.

Use a different cheese like feta cheese, fried halloumi, or shredded Mexican blend.