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Burger Bowls with Special Sauce

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 4-8 slices cheese of choice (American, cheddar, Swiss, etc…)
  • 6-8 cups thinly sliced raw veggies*
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes or ripe summer tomato, sliced or chopped
  • Potato chips

For the special sauce:

  • ¼ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup finely chopped dill pickles
  • 1 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp dill pickle juice
  • 2 tsp dijon or yellow mustard
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • *Use any combination of raw crunchy veg (cabbage, fennel, radish, carrot, snap peas, and/or cucumber, etc…)
  • Note: ~ I like to divide the patties into 2 (2 oz) patties and make thin crispy smash burgers in a skillet (two patties per person). This is messier and a lot more work, but a lot more delicious - see Smash Burger recipe for instructions. 

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

 
  • Form the patties
  • Slice or chop 1 cup tomatoes
  • Thinly slice 6-8 cups cabbage and/or fennel
  • Toss veggies in vinegar/salt

Instructions

  • Form patties to your desired size and sprinkle generously on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
  • Cook your burgers on the grill or pan-fry them in a skillet. Once they are nicely browned or have nice grill marks (about 3-5 minutes), flip them, top with cheese, and let them cook to your desired doneness and until the cheese is melted.
  • In a large bowl, add the thinly sliced veggies, vinegar, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and toss to coat.
  • To make the sauce, add all ingredients to a medium bowl and mix to combine. If it’s too thick to drizzle, thin it out with a bit more pickle juice.
  • Divide the veggie slaw between your bowls and  top with burger, tomatoes, potato chips, and plenty of special sauce.

Notes

Substitutions:

  • To make vegetarian, make my black bean burger patties instead!
  • To make vegan, see above + use a vegan cheese or skip it and use a dairy-free/vegan yogurt or mayonnaise alternative. You could also just simply top with ketchup, mustard, and pickles. 
  • Use any ground meat in place of beef. 
  • Any combination of  thinly sliced raw veggie works (cabbage, fennel, radish, carrot, snap peas, cucumber, etc…)
  • Skip the tomatoes and sub with another cup of raw veggies.

Storage:

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge:
    • Burgers: up to 4 days
    • Special sauce: up to 7 days
    • Veggie slaw: up to 6 days

Leftovers + Repurposing:

  • Make an actual burger!
  • Make a burger quesadilla or grilled cheese and dip in special sauce.
  • Leftover veggies can be added to bowls, salads, or tacos. 
  • Leftover sauce is great for tacos, quesadillas, or burgers.