Description
A Big Mac Bowl has all the delicious flavors of the double stacked cheeseburger, but without the bun. This low carb burger bowl is a overflowing with cheesy bites of burger, lettuce, dill pickles, tomatoes, cheese, onions and a simple homemade Big Mac sauce. You won't even miss the bun with this Big Mac salad bowl.
Ingredients
for the cheeseburgers
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 4 slices American cheese
for the Big Mac special sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
for the bowls
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce, chopped in bite sized pieces
- 1 cup chopped dill pickles
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- For the burgers, in a medium sized bowl combine the ground beef, onion, kosher salt and pepper. Form the mixture into 4 burgers.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the butter. When it has melted, add the burgers. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until your desired burger doneness. During the last minute of cooking, top each burger with a slice of American cheese. Place a lid on the skillet to melt the cheese. Remove the cooked burgers to a cutting board. Cool slightly and cut in to bite sized pieces.
- While the burgers are cooking, make the Big Mac special sauce. In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish and sour cream. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- To assemble each Big Mac Bowl, place about 3 cups of lettuce in a large shallow bowl. Top the lettuce with the cheeseburger pieces from 1 of the burgers and 1/4 of the pickles, tomatoes, red onion, and cheddar cheese. Drizzle with some of the special sauce. Go sparingly. You can always add more if you'd like.
- Enjoy the bowl as is or toss the ingredients to make a Big Mac salad.
Notes
Can you make big Mac Bowls in advance? Yes! This is a great low carb meal prep recipe. Make and cook the burgers. Mix up the special sauce. Chop, dice and slice all the salad ingredients. Assemble the bowls in airtight containers except don't add the sauce. These meal prep containers are some of my favorite. And these condiment cups are perfect for the special sauce. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To serve, toss the bowls with the sauce.
Is a Big Mac Bowl healthy? When compared to a Big Mac with a bun, a Big Mac Bowl is like a big salad loaded with vegetables. It's healthier than the traditional burger. But to keep it as healthy as possible, limit the special sauce and go easy on the shredded cheese.
Do you have to make burgers for Big Mac Bowls? It's not necessary to make individual burgers for each bowl. However it's my preference. I like having bite sized pieces of the juicy cheeseburger throughout the bowl. As an alternative, cook crumbled ground beef with the finely chopped onions and season with kosher salt and pepper. Divided the cooked meat evenly between the bowls.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: entrée
- Method: cook on stove top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 594
- Sugar: 14.4 g
- Sodium: 980 mg
- Fat: 34.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 18.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.2 g
- Fiber: 2.9 g
- Protein: 37.2 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg