Burger bowls are just another way to take a classic dish and reinvent it! I’m always looking for new ways to take something I love and make something new. In this case, I love salads, but I also enjoy a burger.
This recipe came to me one night when I didn’t have any hamburger buns but I really wanted an Impossible burger. Rather than order one for delivery I decided to just throw it on top of all the things I like in my burger minus the bun. What came out was a burger bowl! That night I only had store-bought thousand island dressing and no French fries, but today I’ll show you how to make my special sauce and oven-baked French fries.
What you need to make burger bowls:
The ingredients for a burger bowl are simple! What do you like on your burger? Me, I like a patty topped with cheese, tomato, pickles, lettuce, and avocado. I love thousand island dressing and ketchup as well. And no burger is complete without French fries! What I’m saying is you can put into your burger bowl whatever you want or have on hand.
Here’s what I recommend. First, start with a base of crisp Romaine or Red leaf lettuce. Then, add your toppings such as diced tomatoes, pickles, sliced red onion, and avocado. Next, add a burger patty of your choice. I’m a vegetarian so I opt for a plant-based patty like an Impossible Burger. Any burger patty will do like turkey, chicken, or beef. Feel free to top the patty with cheese, but again, that’s up to you! Lastly, I drizzle my special sauce over the entire bowl.
No burger is complete without French fries, so I like to add oven-baked fries around the side of my bowl.
How to make oven-baked French fries:
To begin with, I like using Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes. If I had to choose, I would pick Yukon Gold for its creamy texture and thin skin. After you have scrubbed the potatoes, slice them into wedges. Next, add the cut wedges to a large bowl and cover the potatoes with HOT tap water.
After that, you are going to soak the potatoes for at least 10 minutes. This is a step I would not skip. By soaking the potatoes in hot water before baking it essentially par-cooks them first then you are not as worried about the outside browning before the inside is soft and tender. I find this extra step really helps.
Once the potatoes have soaked, drain them and lay them out on a clean dish towel. Use the towel to dry them off as much as you can. A dry potato crisps up better in the oven. Now, return the wedges to the bowl that you wiped out with a paper towel. Add some olive oil, salt, and pepper to the potatoes and toss to evenly coat them.
Finally, dump the potatoes on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Spread the potatoes out evenly so they are in one layer and not overlapping. The more room they have the better. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip them over. Return the pans to the oven and continue cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes until they are golden brown.
Some tips when assembling your burger bowls:
There are no rules when it comes to bowl-making, but here are some tips that may make it more enjoyable to eat. First off, I cut all my toppings into bite-size pieces. When eating a salad I do not like getting a big bite of tomato or protein. They should be cut small so that many things fit on my fork. Secondly, drizzle the special sauce over the lettuce base first so it has a little “something-something” on it and the lettuce isn’t just naked! Thirdly, don’t add the burger until you’re ready to eat because the heat from the patty will wilt the lettuce. Finally, I like another drizzle of the special sauce over the whole bowl and maybe some ketchup for the baked fries.
Watch a video of me making burger bowls! https://www.instagram.com/p/Cci99Itg8s4/
Some other recipes you might like are:
Burger Bowls
Burger bowls are a fun twist on the classic burger. Put everything you like on a burger into a bowl, minus the bun. Topped with a special sauce and baked French fries!
These burger bowls can be made with a plant-based patty, turkey, or ground beef.
Ingredients
- 4 COOKED Plant based patties (ground beef or turkey are ok too!) Can be topped with cheese and cut into bite size pieces after its been cooked.
- 1/4 Red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 Avocado, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 whole pickles, diced
- 1-2 heads Romain lettuce, shredded
- Drizzle of Special Sauce-(aka Thousand island aioli)
- Baked French Fries
Ingredients for Special Sauce
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup finely diced pickles or relish
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. Paprika
- 1/2 garlic powder
- 1/2 salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Ingredients for Baked French Fries
- 4 Yukon Gold Potatoes, rinsed and scrubbed
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Directions for Burger Bowls:
1. Use a shallow bowl.
2. Place a handful of romaine lettuce on the bottom for the base of the burger bowl.
3. Drizzle special sauce over the top of the lettuce and give it a quick toss so the lettuce is lightly coated.
4. Then add whatever toppings you like. Add the meat patty last so your lettuce doesn’t get soggy. I also like to cut up my burger patty into bite-size pieces before adding it to my bowl. Garnish with a few baked fries on the side and maybe even a drizzle of ketchup.
Directions for Special Sauce:
Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and stir to combine. Drizzle over the top of the lettuce in the burger bowls. Then add toppings. Top the bowls again with a drizzle. If everyone loves this kind of sauce I would recommend doubling the recipe!
Directions for Baked French Fries:
Preheat oven to 450
Place the oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven
1. Cut potatoes into wedges and add to a large bowl. Add hot tap water to the bowl until potatoes are covered and let soak for at least 10 minutes.
2. Drain water and lay potatoes out on a clean dish towel. Dry the potatoes as best as you can. Return the potatoes to the bowl. (Which you have wiped out with a paper towel)
3. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper. (Add any other spices you like.). Toss to coat the potatoes evenly.
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer potatoes to the baking sheets and spread out in an even layer. Try not to overlap the potatoes, but give them some space to brown. You will most likely need to use 2 baking sheets.
5. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip over.
6. Continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes until browned to your liking.
7. Remove from oven and enjoy while hot!
Notes
- Plant-based “meat” that I recommend are Impossible Burgers, Beyond Burgers, Veggie Patties by Dr. Praeger’s, or Morning Star Farms.
- After cooking the patties you can either leave the patty whole or cut it into bite-size pieces. I like all the ingredients in my bowl to be cut small so that you get many flavors in one bite!
- When baking the fries, rotate the baking pans from one rack to the other at least one time.
- If you think everyone will enjoy the special sauce (aka thousand island dressing) I highly recommend doubling the recipe. My kids also love to use it for dipping their fries into!
