These ground beef burger bowls were born on a night when someone asked for burgers and I just wasn’t feeling it. I love a good burger, but I do not love cooking beef patties on the stove, dealing with splatter, or holding my breath waiting to see if the smoke alarms are about to go off. So instead, I put all the flavors into a bowl: seasoned ground beef, lettuce, tomato, crispy fries, and a quick burger sauce. Same comfort, way less cleanup.
This is a 15-minute meal in our house because the only real clock you’re watching is the fries in the air fryer. While those cook, the ground beef browns, the sauce gets stirred together, and everything’s ready at the same time. It’s fast, straightforward, and doesn’t leave your kitchen looking like a disaster zone.
That’s exactly how Cooking Burnout Club works for me. When I’m tired and low on patience, I look for ways to keep dinner simple without disappointing anyone. I don’t have the energy for complicated clean-up or fussy steps, so I rethink the format instead of forcing myself to cook the “right” way. Until it’s warm enough to grill outside, this is how we’re doing burgers.
If burgers are on repeat in your house, I have a few other Cooking Burnout Club options that keep things manageable. My air fryer chicken burgers, air fryer frozen turkey burgers, and chipotle chicken burgers are all easy ways to switch things up without adding a lot of extra effort. Same burger energy, just different ways to make it work for your night.
Ingredient spotlight
This is a quick spotlight on some of the ingredients in the recipe that I think are worth pointing out. The full recipe is below in the recipe card.
- Ground beef – I like using lean ground beef (90/10 or 93/7) so there’s less grease and nothing to drain. Use whatever you have on hand, though. You could also do half ground beef and half ground turkey if that’s what your family prefers.
- Coconut aminos (optional) – I add a splash for extra depth of flavor, but it’s not required. Soy sauce or gluten-free tamari work just as well, or you can leave it out entirely.
- Burger sauce – The sauce is just mayo, ketchup, mustard, and relish. If you don’t have relish, finely chop a couple of pickles instead. If you don’t love burger sauce, use some ranch dressing.
Recipe tips
- Swap the protein – Ground turkey or ground chicken work well here if you prefer them over beef.
- Swap the fries – Frozen hash browns crisped in the air fryer are a great alternative.
- Shred the lettuce finely – I like mine very thin, but pre-shredded lettuce works if you’re short on time.
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Special Sauce
- 3 tablespoons mayo
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1.5 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon sweet relish
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For Serving
- 1 package French fries – cooked according to package directions
- 1 cup Chopped lettuce – about 1 head of romaine, finely chopped
- 1 cup Chopped tomato
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Cook the fries – Prepare fries in the air fryer according to the package directions.
1 package French fries
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Cook the ground beef: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, dried chives, paprika, ground mustard seeds, salt, cayenne, and coconut aminos.
1 pound lean ground beef, 1 tablespoon dried chives, 1 teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, pinch cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
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Cook, breaking the beef up, until fully cooked through.
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Make the special sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the mayo, ketchup, yellow mustard, sweet relish, and salt until smooth.
3 tablespoons mayo, 3 tablespoons ketchup, 1.5 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon sweet relish, 1/4 teaspoon salt
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Assemble the bowls: Add fries to the bottom of each bowl. Top with the seasoned ground beef, lettuce, and tomato. Drizzle generously with the special sauce.
1 cup Chopped lettuce, 1 cup Chopped tomato
- Cook the fries until crispy – I prefer making fries in the air fryer because they get crispier. I use an oven-style air fryer with a mesh tray. If you’re making a large batch, the oven may be easier.
- Don’t overcook the beef – Cook the ground beef through, but try not to let it dry out.
- Meal prep tip – If you’re making this for a few days, store all components separately. Reheat the beef and fries, then add lettuce, tomato, and sauce just before serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
Topping Ideas
This is meant to be simple, but you can absolutely build it out if you want to.
- Red onion or pickled red onions
- Pickles
- Avocado
- Cheese
- Bacon
- Extra burger sauce
Keep it minimal on low-energy nights or load it up when you feel like it.
