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High-Protein Cheeseburger Bowls: Low-Carb Meal Prep Delight

A close-up view of a delicious cheeseburger bowl featuring seasoned ground beef, melted cheddar cheese, special sauce, diced tomatoes, pickles, and red onions.
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Make satisfying cheeseburger bowls without the bun. This recipe delivers all the classic flavor using seasoned ground beef, fresh toppings, and a tangy sauce. It is a quick, high-protein, low-carb dinner perfect for weeknight meals or meal prep.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 lb lean ground beef (90/10 or leaner)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 cup water or beef broth
  • 4 slices cheddar cheese (or preferred cheese)
  • 4 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
  • 1/2 cup sliced dill pickles
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • For the Tangy Burger Sauce:
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon pickle relish (or 1 teaspoon pickle juice)
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

  1. Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish or juice, apple cider vinegar, and smoked paprika. Mix well until smooth. Set the sauce aside.
  2. Cook the beef: Place the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Break the meat apart with a spoon. Season the beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
  3. Brown the beef until fully cooked, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain any excess grease from the skillet.
  4. Stir in the water or beef broth and let it simmer for 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  5. Add the cheese: Reduce the heat to low. Place the cheese slices directly on top of the cooked beef. Cover the skillet for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and gooey.
  6. Assemble the bowls: Divide the shredded lettuce evenly among four bowls. Spoon the cheesy ground beef mixture over the lettuce base in each bowl.
  7. Top each bowl with pickles, diced red onion, and diced tomatoes.
  8. Drizzle the prepared Tangy Burger Sauce generously over the toppings. Serve immediately for a warm meal, or chill components separately for meal prep.

Notes

  • For a keto cheeseburger bowl, skip the relish and use pickle juice in the sauce for fewer carbs.
  • You can swap ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken to make a lighter version.
  • Prepare the sauce and chop all vegetables ahead of time to make assembly faster.
  • This recipe works well with cauliflower rice as a base if you prefer a grain base instead of lettuce.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://mistyplate.com/cheeseburger-bowl-high-protein-low-carb-recipe/