Never in a million years would I have thought of satisfying my cheeseburger cravings with a salad. It really doesn’t seem possible, but this recipe idea is next level, low carb genius. I remember when I first started on my own ketogenic journey, one of the hardest things I had to wrap my head around was having to skip out on my favorite foods of all times, cheeseburgers. There is nothing quite biting into a thick, juicy burger that is loaded to the brim with toppings and special sauces.
Of course having a lettuce wrapped burger is always a great option, it simply isn’t the same in my book. It hardly comes close to the real thing and the worst part is how messy they get. Instead of enjoying each glorious bite, your toppings become dislodged and your hands are covered with sauce. That is hardly an enjoyable experience.
Eventually it dawned on me that instead of having my favorite food of all time served as a boring lettuce wrap, how about trying a deconstructed cheeseburger loaded with all of the fixings and all of my special toppings? It was genius! One bite of this low carb cheeseburger salad and I was hooked. I may even go out on a limb and say I actually prefer this over a traditional hamburger simply because I can get as much or as little of each and every ingredient that I want! An added bonus is I can really load up on the veggies to ensure this is a truly nutrient dense meal.
I have no doubt that you will fall in love with this keto salad recipe and it may even just serve as a permanent replacement when that cheeseburger craving hits you! That’s exactly what happened to me and it immediately became a staple in my low carb salad arsenal.
Keto Cheeseburger Salad Ingredients
- Ground Beef- organic, grass fed beef or you can use ground turkey if preferred
- Worcestershire Sauce- adds a rich and unique flavor to the meat
- Vegetables- red cabbage, green cabbage, tomatoes, and red onion
- Cheese- cheddar cheese or any preferred shredded cheese of you choice
- Mayonnaise- avocado oil or homemade mayo
- Pickles- no sugar added dill pickles
- Ketchup- no sugar added ketchup
How to Make Keto Cheeseburger Salad
Make Sauce
Prepare the thousand island-style sauce by adding mayonnaise, ketchup, chopped pickles, apple cider vinegar, and monk fruit to a small bowl.
Whisk well to combine and add salt/pepper to taste.
Prepare Meat
Brown meat with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
Prep Vegetables
Finely slice cabbages, lettuce, and red onions. Roughly chop tomatoes and dill pickles.
Build Salad
Add vegetables to each bowl, add prepared seasoned ground beef, then top with shredded cheese. Drizzle thousand island sauce over the top to serve.
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Keto Cheeseburger Salad
This keto burger salad is best made to order and eaten fresh. However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container, but lettuce may get soggy if you have added the sauce. To keep salad fresh, wait until serving to add the sauce. You can also keep the meat separate from the vegetables and reheat them in a small skillet over medium heat for 5-6 minutes.
Keto Cheeseburger Salad FAQs
Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef?
Yes! The resulting taste will be even lighter. You could also use ground chicken if desired. Season meat just the same with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
Can I substitute store-bought thousand island dressing?
Yes! Go for an avocado oil-based dressing instead of soybean oil.
Can this cheeseburger salad be prepared ahead of time?
Yes! To keep everything as fresh as possible, keep all ingredients separate (vegetables, meat, sauce). Build salad fresh and add sauce just before serving.
Keto Cheeseburger Salad
Enjoy all of the things you love about your favorite cheeseburger salad, minus the carbs. Load up your bowl and dive into this healthy flavor explosion!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the burgers-
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups iceberg lettuce (roughly chopped)
- 1 cup red cabbage (shredded)
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/4 cup pickles (sliced)
- 1/2 cup red onion
- 1/4 cup tomatoes (roughly chopped)
- 6 slices of bacon (cooked and crumbled)
For the sauce-
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons no sugar added ketchup
- 2 tablespoons pickles (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon monk fruit
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make sauce by adding all sauce ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk well until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add ground beef, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until browned. Remove from heat.
- Build salad by adding lettuce to the bottom of each bowl. Add desired toppings and ground beef. Top with shredded cheese, bacon, and sauce to serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 561
- Fat: 47 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g (Net Carbs: 3 g)
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
Keywords: keto cheeseburger salad