California Burger Bowl Recipe (Healthy Low Carb Burger Bowl)
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California burger bowl is an easy low-carb dinner that gives you all the flavors of a juicy burger without the bun. It’s a healthy recipe that’s built with juicy ground beef, crisp salad greens, juicy tomatoes, onions, and creamy avocado for a fresh, filling meal that feels lighter but still satisfying. Perfect for busy nights, it comes together fast and is easy to make your own with different toppings and sauces.
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When I make burgers, I love topping them with onion, lettuce, tomato, and fresh avocado. Sometimes I like to lighten things up and make a bun-less burger bun for a low-carb option. That’s exactly what these juicy burger bowls are. They’re also great for meal prep, so go ahead and make a few extra burgers to enjoy during the week. It’s a fresh, low-carb twist on a classic favorite that I always look forward to.
Recipe Highlights
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 12 Minutes
Total Time: 22 Minutes
Serves: 2 – easy to scale
☑️ Tested in my home kitchen
- What I like about it: Made with a real burger patty instead of beef crumbles, so it keeps that classic burger feel while staying fresh and low-carb.
Burger Bowl Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef – Lean beef works best, and you can use turkey, chicken, pork, bison, or a veggie burger instead.
- Lettuce – Any variety will work like romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, or any variety of lettuce will work.
- Tomatoes – Fresh is best and any variety works, I like cherry tomatoes in this dish.
- Dressing – The dressing for these bowls is a simple mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. You can also use store bought if that’s easier for you.
Missing an ingredient? Find a substitute with the ingredient swap assistant!
If you are looking for more easy and delicious ground beef recipes, check out these Grass Fed Ground Beef Recipes!
How to Make a California Burger Bowl
- Prep the ingredients: Chop the veggies, form 2 patties and season them, mix the dressing, then preheat the grill.
- Grill the burgers: Grill the patties over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes per side, until they reach 145 F.
- Assemble the bowls: While the burgers are cooking, fill them with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and avocados, then mix the dressing.
- Add the burger and dressing: Top the salad with the cooked burger, then pour the dressing over.
Change up Your Burger Bowl
- Greek Style: Use turkey burgers instead of beef and skip the avocado. Add chopped cucumbers, olives, and feta cheese. Finish with a quick dressing made from equal parts lemon juice and olive oil plus a pinch of garlic powder and oregano.
- Tex-Mex Style: Sprinkle the burgers with chili powder before cooking. Top with cotija, cheddar, or Monterey Jack cheese, add black beans to the bowl, and swap the dressing for salsa or cilantro lime dressing.
- Plant-Based Style: Replace the beef burger with a veggie burger, mushroom burger, or Beyond Burger for a meat-free option.
- Loaded Burger Bowl: Add classic burger toppings like dill pickles, chopped red onion, cheddar cheese, avocado, and crumbled bacon slices s. Think backyard burger, minus the bun.
- Lettuce Wrap Style: Skip the bowl and use large lettuce leaves instead. Add the burger, tomato, onion, and avocado, then wrap it up for a hand-held version.
How to Meal Prep Burger Bowls
Even though this recipe comes together quickly, it’s also a great option for meal prep and can be prepared up to three days ahead.
Store the vegetables and meat separately: rinse and dry the lettuce, chop the onions, and refrigerate them. Keep the cooked burgers in a separate container in the fridge.
Prepare the dressing and refrigerate it as well. When ready to serve, quickly reheat the patties on the stove before assembling the bowls, or enjoy them cold.
Serving Suggestions
These are a fillng meal, but if you would like to add a side, try steak fries, butternut squash fries or air fryer avocado fries.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover burger bowls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy the leftovers cold or heat the burger separately in the oven or microwave.
Burger bowls are very versatile; you can top them with your favorite burger toppings to make your own loaded beef burger bowls or try one of these variations below.
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Click on serving size to scale this recipe
California Burger Bowl
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- romaine lettuce field greens or romaine work well use enough to fill 2 bowls.
- 1 to 2 to tomatoes
- 1 small red onion sliced
- 1 avocado
DRESSING INGREDIENTS
- 1/3 cup [olive oil]
- 1/3 cup [balsamic vinegar]
- 1 clove crushed garlic or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- A sprinkle of sea salt onion powder and black pepper
Instructions
- use your hands or a burger press to form the ground meat into two 1/4 pound hamburgers.
- sprinkle the patties with sea salt , onion powder and black pepper to taste and preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- add the burgers to a heated grill with a medium flame and cook for approximately 6 to 8 minutes, flip and cook for approximately 4 to 8 minutes longer until burgers reach the desired internal temperature at least 145 degrees f.
- while the burgers are cooking, place the lettuce, chopped tomatoes, onions and avocados into two bowls and make the dressing by adding all ingredients to a small mason jar and shake well.
- place a burger in each bowl on top of the lettuce, onions, avocado and tomatoes and top it with the dressing or just plain oil and vinegar.
Video
Notes
- If the meat sticks to the grill, the burgers aren’t ready to flip over. Allow the burgers to cook for a bit longer and try flipping them.
- If you prefer the ground beef crumbled, break it into bite-sized pieces before adding it to the bowl.
- Medium Rare 145 degrees
- Medium 160 degrees
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you don’t have a grill, you can make the burgers on top of your stove. Preheat a skillet over high heat with olive oil. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and cook the burgers for 5 to 8 minutes on each side.
You can freeze the cooked burgers for up to three months. Once they reach room temperature, wrap the cooked burgers tightly or place them in a freezer safe container for up to three months.
Check out more of our Appetizer and Snack recipes here!
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I had saved this receipe & use it when I’m in the mood for burgers, but I’m unable to find the dressing receipe that went with it. It’s so good it makes this whole burger bowl a delectable meal for me!! Would you please send me that balsamic dressing receipe? Thanks.
Perfect weeknight meal! I love that dressing recipe – so simple! Thanks!