Burger Bowls with Crispy Onions and Special SauceĀ
By Sammi Brondo ā February 16, 2026
I love a burger. And the more toppings, the better.
But I’ll be honest – I don’t always love the bun. Of course, it’s not about skipping carbs (insert eye roll here). I usually find that the bun overpowers the burger. I prefer the taste of the burger and the toppings more.
Burger bowls give you just that: they’re like taking the best parts of a burger and throwing it all into a big bowl. They’re almost like a deliciously loaded salad.
They’re full of nutrients too. These bowls are high in protein, full of iron, and contain plenty of calcium, vitamin C, and antioxidants.
But most importantly, let’s talk about the sauce. Because this special sauce is something you’ll want to add to everything. It’s that good.
While the individual components might sound strange, please don’t shy away from it. Combined, they make a sauce that you will truly want to eat with a spoon.
And while I highly recommend making this sauce as part of the recipe, you can of course buy a store-bought special sauce too. Anything that saves you much needed time in the kitchen is a win in my book.
Customize these however you like: add bacon, red onion instead of crispy onion, skip the cheese, swap regular fries for sweet potato fries. Just make them š
Prep the ingredients
Preheat the oven 425 F.
Bake the fries
Add the fries to a large baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside.
SautƩ the onion
Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and sautƩ for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Once they start to brown, turn the heat down to medium and let them sit another minute until they start to get crispy. Remove from the pan.
Add the ground beef
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan over medium high heat. Add the ground beef, using a spoon or meat chopper to break it up into small pieces. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper and mix to combine.
Cook until brown
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fully cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Prepare the sauce
Prepare the sauce. Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Assemble bowls
Assemble the bowls (this recipe makes 3-4 bowls). In each bowl, add equal amounts of the lettuce, crispy onions, cooked beef, cherry or grape tomatoes, cheddar cheese, pickle chips, and fries.
Toss with sauce
Toss with the special sauce and serve.
Notes
- Lettuce: I like any crisp lettuce here – romaine or crispy green leaf work well.
- Fries: Any frozen French fry works great! I’ll often make my fries in the air fryer too to get them extra crispy.
- Ground beef: I used a 92% lean ground beef. While the heart of a burger bowl is the burger, you can also make these bowls vegetarian by using crumbled tempeh or seitan.
- Pickles: What is it about bread & butter pickle chips thatās so good?! Theyāre sweet, theyāre salty, and theyāre ideal in this recipe.
- Onion: Watch closely so that the onion gets crispy but doesn’t burn while sautĆ©ing. If you prefer raw onion, opt for red onion that’s more milder than white.
- Cheddar cheese: Use fresh or a pre-shredded option for convenience.
- Tomatoes: Either grape or cherry tomatoes work well. They give a perfect burst of flavor.
- Sauce: Add this slowly per your preference – you may end up with extra sauce (which is delicious on anything!). You can store the special sauce in the fridge after making. If there’s some separation while storing, simply whisk again before eating.
- Storage: To make these bowls ahead of time, cook the ground beef, fries, and prepare the sauce. Before eating or serving, assemble the bowls. Keep everything in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend crisping the fries slightly before serving – either in the air fryer or in the oven on broil for just a few minutes.
Ingredients
- 1/3 28- ounce package frozen French fries
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 medium white onion thinly sliced
- 3/4 lb ground beef I used 92% lean
- 2 tightly packed cups crisp lettuce
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese about 1 cup, shredded
- 3/4 cup bread & butter pickle chips
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
Special Sauce
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 425 F. Add the fries to a large baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and sautƩ for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Once they start to brown, turn the heat down to medium and let them sit another minute until they start to get crispy. Remove the pan.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan over medium high heat. Add the ground beef, using a spoon or meat chopper to break it up into small pieces. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper and mix to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fully cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce. Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Assemble the bowls (this recipe makes 3-4 bowls). In each bowl, add equal amounts of the lettuce, crispy onions, cooked beef, cherry or grape tomatoes, cheddar cheese, pickle chips, and fries.
- Toss with the special sauce and serve.
