Quick Cheeseburger Salad
This is my go-to busy weekday Quick Cheeseburger Salad. This delicious, low-carb salad is a cheeseburger in a bowl, but with a heavy emphasis on vegetables, making it a slightly healthier and naturally gluten-free option. (And you won’t miss the bun!) Perfectly seasoned mini-burgers, topped with sharp cheddar on a bed of butter lettuce, ripe tomatoes, crisp red onions, avocado, and tangy pickles. This salad is perfect with my Spicy Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing or your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Typically, I like to eat my salad with two 2-ounce mini-cheeseburgers, but hey, you do you. Add as many as your heart desires! This recipe yields eight burgers.
Ingredients for the mini-burgers
- Ground beef -use 85/15 or lean ground beef, which is 92% lean/8% fat.
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Minced or finely chopped white onion
- Worcestershire sauce.
- Sharp cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese!)
- Ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
I use 85/15 fat, grass-fed ground beef; however, this recipe works perfectly with ground chicken, ground turkey, or Beyond Beef. The seasoning mix is versatile and works well with a variety of proteins.
Step-by-step directions
Using a medium bowl, break up the ground beef, add paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, finely chopped white onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix the ground beef until it’s just mixed. Overworking the mixture will result in tougher burgers.
Form two-ounce patties, about 3-inch diameter patties. Set aside.
Grill or pan-fry the mini-burgers until they reach the desired doneness. Top with plenty of cheese and allow it to melt.
Ingredients for the salad
Just like a cheeseburger, this simple Cheeseburger Salad is fully customizable. The following ingredients are my favorite for salad and burger toppings.
- Butter lettuce
- Ripe tomatoes
- Fresh red onions or Marinated Balsamic Red Onions
- Avocado
- Pickles (I love gherkins for this salad)
- Bacon (cooked and crumbled)
- Cheddar cheese
- Good salad dressing is like a delicious ranch dressing, like my Spicy Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing or a good blue cheese.
How to assemble the Cheesburger salad
I love to use shallow bowls for this salad. Arrange the lettuce leaves, onions, tomatoes, avocado, pickles, and grilled burger patties. Sprinkle the salad with cooked bacon pieces and drizzle the dressing over it.
Tried and true tips and substitutions
- I love butter lettuce for this salad, but iceberg, baby gem, and romaine lettuce work beautifully.
- Instead of sliced tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are good substitutes.
- Grilled onions are a delicious alternative to fresh or marinated red onions.
- Suggested salad dressings: Ranch, blue cheese, or Thousand Island dressing. Creamy dressings are delicious with this salad.
- Salad and fries? Yes please! French fries are the perfect side for this salad.
- For an extra-tasty burger, brush yellow or Dijon mustard onto the burger while grilling. This gives the burger a tangy taste with a slightly crispy texture.
Make ahead and storage
This salad can be prepared ahead of time. Arrange the salad vegetables on a plate: lettuce, onion, and tomatoes. Add the pickles, avocado, warm burger patties, bacon, and dressing at the time of serving.
For meal prep: Add the salad vegetables to a container with an airtight lid. In the morning, add pickles, avocado, and bacon. Wrap the burgers separately in plastic wrap or a microwave-safe container to warm them before eating the salad. Pour dressing into a separate small container to add to the salad when you are ready to eat it.
Enjoy!
If you tried this recipe, please help other readers by commenting below and sharing some stars! We 🫶🏼 appreciate you!
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
Quick Cheeseburger Salad
July 30, 2025
Equipment
- 1 grill pan
- 4 shallow bowls
Ingredients
Mini-burgers
- 1 pound ground beef 85% lean/15% fat
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt kosher
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 tablespoon Worcestshire sauce
- 1/2 cup Onion finely minced or grated
- 3 ounces Cheese cheddar
Salad
- 1 head Butter lettuce washed and leaves separated
- 1 large Tomato ripe, sliced
- 4 slices Onion red
- 1 whole Avocado sliced
- Pickles sliced or gherkins
- 2 slices Bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
- 1 cup Spicy dill pickle dressing
Instructions
Mini-burgers
- Using a medium bowl, break up the ground beef, add paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, finely chopped white onion, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Mix the ground beef until it’s just mixed. Overworking the mixture will result in tougher burgers.
- Form two-ounce patties, approximately 3 inches in diameter. Set aside.
- Grill or pan-fry the mini-burgers until they reach the desired doneness. Top with plenty of cheese and allow it to melt.
Cheeseburger salad
- Arrange the lettuce leaves, onions, tomatoes, avocado, pickles, and grilled burger patties.
- Sprinkle the salad with cooked bacon pieces and drizzle the dressing over it.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Tried and true tips and substitutions
- I love butter lettuce for this salad, but iceberg, baby gem, and romaine lettuce work beautifully.
- Instead of sliced tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are good substitutes.
- Grilled onions are a delicious alternative to fresh or marinated red onions.
- Suggested salad dressings: Ranch, blue cheese, or Thousand Island dressing. Creamy dressings are delicious with this salad.
- Salad and fries? Yes please! French fries are the perfect side for this salad.
- For an extra-tasty burger, brush yellow or Dijon mustard onto the burger while grilling. This gives the burger a tangy taste with a slightly crispy texture.
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
Love this salad! Especially good for protein and fiber intake.
Glad you like it Penny!