This Low Carb Burger in a Bowl is inspired by Five Guys and is a healthier low-calorie option for burger night – cheese and bacon included!
Ingredients and substitutions
Ingredients and substitutions- Turkey bacon – you can use pork bacon, but use half the amount to keep this recipe on the healthier side.
- Extra-lean ground beef – any other variation of ground meat can be used like ground chicken or turkey.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Cheddar cheese – shredded or sliced cheddar is recommended to keep this copycat recipe authentic, but you can swap it out for another kind of cheese of your choice.
- Iceberg lettuce – use another leafy green like romaine, butter lettuce or even spinach.
- Cherry tomatoes – cherry or grape tomatoes will store the best but if you’re planning on eating this dish right away, use another tomato variety like Roma or heirloom tomato.
- Pickles – buy pre-cut pickles or regular dill pickles that you can slice. Leave the pickles out altogether if you’re not a fan.
- Red onion – yellow onions or white onions can also be used or you can substitute for another veggie of your choice.
- Jalapeno – to lessen the heat, remove the seeds or replace it with pickled jalapeno peppers or banana peppers. You can also leave the peppers off altogether if you don’t like spice.
Dressing
- Light mayo – use plain Greek yogurt or sour cream as a healthier option (just keep in mind it will alter the flavour).
- Ketchup – BBQ sauce can be used instead but it will change the taste of the dressing.
- Dijon mustard – another variety of mustard like yellow mustard can also be used.
How to make a burger in a bowl
- Cook the turkey bacon.
- Assemble your ingredients.
- Make the dressing.
- Roll the beef into balls.
- Smash and cook the beef balls.
- Assemble your bowls and dig in!
How does this recipe compare to Five Guys?
This recipe is a restaurant copycat of the secret menu burger bowls from Five Guys! My recipe includes all the same great ingredients that you would find in their burger bowl including lettuce, bacon, tomatoes and cheese. The main difference between the Five Guys bowl and mine is that this recipe is more of a salad rather than a disassembled burger.
If you're not a fan of any of the ingredients that Five Guys includes (like the jalapeno peppers or the pickles) then you can switch them out for another veggie of your choice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A burger in a bowl is quite simply a burger that's been disassembled into the form of a salad. It includes all the parts you may expect from a traditional burger, but without the bun! Burger bowls are a great way to satisfy your burger cravings if you're on a low-carb diet or if you have a gluten intolerance. Plus, they’re high protein and taste amazing!
Since the Five Guys burger bowl is a secret menu item, there aren't many sources on the nutritional info. I did find that Five Guys buns are roughly 290 calories. This would still leave their cheeseburgers to be around 550 calories without the bun. In comparison, this recipe creates an identical product with a calorie count of only 392 calories.
A keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that helps you achieve a state of ketosis so you can burn fat fast. Those who are on a keto diet are limited to a maximum of 35 net carbs within their meals for the day. Since this recipe is 10g of carbohydrates per serving, this burger-in-a-bowl is definitely a great option for a low-carb keto diet! Not only is this recipe low-carb, but it is also high-protein and full of great nutrients.
Storing and reheating
The best way to store this salad, like any salad, is in a mason jar! Mason jars are great for meal prepping salads because you don't need any extra containers for the dressing and the salad doesn't get soggy or wilted after the first day. Layer all your burger bowl ingredients in a mason jar and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you're making extra dressing, it will last for longer in the fridge so you can prepare it in advance to cut down on prep time.
Since this is a salad, you won't need to reheat anything, but if you prefer to have warm beef and bacon, you can store them separately and warm them up when you're ready to enjoy the full salad. To eat, shake up the jar so the ingredients combine and serve your salad in a bowl. If you're on the move, you can probably manage to eat it from the mason jar as well.
Freezing the beef patties
To lessen meal prep time for a future meal, you can freeze the beef patties raw. Flatten the burger balls and stack them with a small piece of wax paper or parchment paper in between each patty to ensure they don’t stick together in the freezer. Place the stack inside of an airtight container or Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, you can cook them directly from frozen.
You can also freeze any leftover cooked patties in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wait for the patties to cool down, then place them in an airtight container or a freezer bag until you're ready to enjoy them. To reheat, cook them on a pan from frozen until fully warmed or allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.
More burger-inspired recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this meal into leftovers.
- I get all my ground beef from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
- Here's the brand of light mayo I use to make the dressing.
Low Carb Burger in a Bowl {Five Guys Copycat}
Ingredients
- 4 slices turkey bacon
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced pickles
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced optional
Dressing
- 1/4 cup light mayo
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Cook turkey bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 6-7 minutes until cooked through. Let cool, then cut slices in half.
- Meanwhile, prepare veggies, dividing everything up among 4 large salad bowls. Mix ingredients under the dressing heading together and set aside.
- Mix salt & pepper in with ground beef in a large bowl, then form beef mixture into 8 equal-sized balls. Heat a skillet over med-high heat, then smash each ball until super thin, frying for about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Add cheese to 4 of the burger patties, then top with another patty so cheese can melt. Add double burgers to each bowl, topping with bacon then drizzling the whole bowl with sauce. Serve and enjoy!
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