Happy Monday, friends! I hope you had a great weekend and took some time to just relax and do what makes you happy. I did absolutely nothing on Saturday – I slept in a bit, went for a short run, and spent the rest of the day at the pool with a friend. It was so needed after a very crazy week last week!

When I started planning this week’s meal prep, I kept thinking about both the burger bowls I’ve seen around the internet and the burger that my friend made for me when I visited her in DC a while ago. She put this incredible Onion Tomato jam on a typical burger and it was just so, so good. So, I’ve made a burger bowl with that same jam! Let’s look at all of the elements.

The Recipe

I really wanted this meal to be full of flavor and variety so each bite would be a little bit different but also absolutely delicious. I think I nailed it!

• the meat – I kept it simple and flavorful. ground turkey, salt, pepper, lots of garlic, and worcestershire sauce for some depth
• the onion tomato jam – so, so good and so simple! it takes a bit of time to get the onions good and cooked, but it’s worth every second. maybe even make a double batch so you can put some on a good crusty bread with some cheese??
• the crunchy veg – the lettuce, red onion, and pickles all work together to bring some crunch to this burger bowl, and add some acid too to balance all the richness that’s happening with the meat and the jam.
• the sauce – it brings a fun new flavor to the party, and a tiny bit of heat!

Storage & Meal Prep Tips

If you’re using this as a meal prep, there are a couple of tips to ensure the meal stays as fresh and delicious as possible all week long:

• store all the elements separately – I know it’s a bit of extra work if you’ve got to pack up your lunch every morning, but storing each element separately and assembling the morning that you’re going to eat it keeps everything fresher and keeps the crunchy elements crunchy
• storing the lettuce – lettuce can be tricky to use in a meal prep because it can easily wilt and go bad if not stored properly. use a sturdier type of lettuce and, after washing and thoroughly drying it, store it in a ziplock bag with a couple of pieces of papertowel to absorb any excess moisture that’s hanging out in there to prevent any weirdness from happening

Variations

There are so many options for variations with this one!

• the meat – use whatever kind of ground meat you’d like, and switch up the spices and flavorings for it!
• the toppings – think about what you love to have on a burger and use it here! a fried egg would be delicious, or some crunchy onions too, or even some roasted veggies
• the sauce – truly any sauce you would put on a burger would be good here! try a pesto mayo, or lean into the spicy side with a more heat forward sauce.

I really love this meal prep, y’all! It’s so good, and so filling. Let me know what you think and what kind of variations you come up with!

Yield: 5 servings

Burger Bowls with Onion Tomato Jam

Quick, delicious, easy - you'll love this Burger Bowl recipe for meal prep or a weeknight dinner! The onion tomato jam is really the perfect touch to an already amazing dish.

Print

Ingredients

for the onion tomato jam

• 1 yellow onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tomato
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp concentrated stock
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste

for the ground meat

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

for the sauce

• 1/4 cup mayo
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp mustard
• 1 Tbsp sriracha
• 1/2 Tbsp pickle juice
• 1/2 tsp arlic powder
• salt & pepper to taste

for serving

• romaine & spinach
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• dill pickles

Instructions

1. start the onion tomato jam: in a large pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat while you thinly slice the yellow onion. add it to the pan and stir frequently for 15-20 minutes
2. cook the turkey: while the onions are cooking, heat a separate pan over medium heat. add the oil, then press the ground turkey into the pan in one layer and leave undisturbed for 6-7 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and worchestershire sauce and flip the meat, crumbling it into small pieces, and cook until cooked through. set aside
3. make the sauce: in a small container, combine all of the sauce ingredients. give it a taste and adjust as desired. set aside.
4. finish the onion tomato jam: once the onions are translucent and slightly browned, dissolve the granulated stock into the water. add everything into the pan and cook until the tomatoes have slightly broken down. taste and add salt if needed, it will depend on how salty your stock was. place in a container and set aside
5. enjoy! if eating immediately, place the romaine lettuce and spinach in a bowl and top with some of the meat, jam, sauce, and other toppings. if using for meal prep, store each element in a separate container and assemble right before eating or in the morning before leaving for work. see the tips in the post above for how to store the lettuce so it stays fresh!