Viral Burger Bowls Recipe (In-N-Out Style)
These viral Cheeseburger Bowls are loaded with cheesy burger meat, caramelized onions, crisp iceberg lettuce, dill pickles, and oven-baked fries, then finished with a creamy homemade In-N-Out-inspired burger sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Burger Bowls
- 4 cups frozen French fries such as Alexia House Cut Fries
- Salt for seasoning fries
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 medium yellow onions diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for onions as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices American cheese
- 1 head iceberg lettuce finely shredded
- 3/4 cup dill pickle slices
- chopped Calabrian peppers optional, to taste
In-N-Out-Inspired Burger Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle brine or white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons finely diced dill pickles
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch of salt
- pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the burger sauce. Add the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle brine, diced pickles, sugar, and garlic powder to a small bowl. Season with a pinch each of salt and black pepper, and stir until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Bake the fries. Preheat the oven according to the fry package directions. Arrange the frozen fries in a single layer on a large sheet pan and cook according to package instructions until golden and crispy. Season with salt immediately after removing from the oven.
- Cook the onions. While the fries cook, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and a small pinch of salt. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently, until very soft and deeply golden. If the skillet becomes dry or browned bits begin sticking, add a small splash of water and scrape the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the onions to a bowl and tent loosely with foil.
- Cook the beef. Return the same skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into crumbles. Season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Add the Worcestershire sauce and yellow mustard and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the beef is browned and completely cooked through.
- Melt the cheese. Spread the cooked beef evenly across the skillet. Arrange the American cheese slices over the beef, cover with a lid and remove the skillet from the heat. Let stand for 2–3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Assemble the bowls. Divide the finely shredded iceberg lettuce among four bowls. Top each with one-quarter of the cheesy burger meat, caramelized onions, and dill pickle slices. Add crispy fries and chopped Calabrian peppers, if using.
- Finish and serve. Generously drizzle the burger sauce over each bowl and serve immediately while the beef and fries are hot and the lettuce is cold and crisp.
Notes
- Pickles: About 3/4 cup sliced dill pickles is a more consistent measurement than counting slices. Feel free to adjust depending on how pickle-heavy you like your burgers.
- Onions: Fifteen to twenty minutes produces very soft, deeply golden onions. Keep the heat moderate and add small splashes of water as necessary to release browned bits and prevent scorching.
- Burger sauce: Pickle brine is my first choice because it reinforces the pickle flavor, but white vinegar works as a substitute.
- Fries: I use Alexia House Cut Fries, but any frozen fry you love will work. Cook them until especially crisp because they'll eventually be topped with sauce.
- Meal prep: Store the lettuce, sauce and pickles separately from the cooked beef and onions. Reheat the hot components and fries before assembling.