Loaded Burger Bowl with "Special Sauce" Recipe
Craving a juicy burger but without the bun? This Loaded Burger Bowl Salad has all the flavor of a burger, but is Whole30- and paleo-friendly!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 1055kcal
Ingredients
For the “Special Sauce”
- 2 pitted Medjool dates
- Boiling water
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice/brine from jar
- 2 teaspoon coconut aminos
- ½ cup mayonnaise make sure to check for Whole30 compliance
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce make sure to check for Whole30 compliance
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup chopped dill pickle
For the Seasoned Beef
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning or Burger/Steak Seasoning optional
For the Salad
- 2 heads romaine or green leaf lettuce chopped
- 2 large tomatoes diced, or 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion sliced
- ½ cup dill pickle slices
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled (make sure to check for Whole30 compliance)
- 2 avocados sliced
Instructions
- In a heat-proof container (like a glass measuring cup), cover the dates in boiling water to soften. Let soak for 5 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the dates from the soaking liquid (reserve the liquid) and place in the basin of a high-powered blender. Add in the pickle juice, coconut aminos, mayo, tomato paste, hot sauce, and garlic. Blend on high until very smooth, adding some of the soaking water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin out, if desired. Stir in the chopped dill pickle, and place the sauce in the fridge to chill while you make the rest of the burger bowl.
- In a medium-size skillet over high heat, combine the ground beef, onion, garlic powder, black pepper, sea salt, and steak seasoning, if using, and sauté until beef is cooked through and onions are tender. If the beef has released a lot of grease, drain all but about a tablespoon.
- To assemble the salad, layer lettuce, tomatoes, red onion slices, dill pickle slices, bacon, avocado slices, and seasoned beef in a large bowl. Drizzle on the Special Sauce.
Notes
- If you don’t need a Whole30- or paleo-compliant recipe, adding chunks of sharp cheddar cheese turns these into Cheeseburger Bowls—my daughter’s favorite!
- If red onions are a bit too spicy for you raw, take the bite out of them by submerging the cut red onions in a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes. Then drain and add to the salad.
- If you do not have coconut aminos, then Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or tamari will work in place of the aminos, just be aware that those items are not usually Whole30- or paleo-compliant.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1055kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 71g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 47g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 1925mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 21g
