Cheeseburger Salad

This cheeseburger salad is a delicious bowl of all your favorite burger ingredients, just without the bun. This healthier low-carb version of a juicy cheeseburger is loaded with seasoned beef, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and pickles and then tossed in a delicious dressing.

I love salads loaded with fresh ingredients that are both healthy and bursting with flavors. This popular salad is always a crowd-pleaser! But I like to serve my wedge salad because it’s so easy and it looks as good as it tastes! Another salad that everyone goes crazy over is this antipasto salad! It’s always a favorite.

Top view of the cheeseburger salad in a large tan bowl. The salad is tossed with a thousand island dressing with a small bowl of the dressing on the side.

What is Cheeseburger Salad?

Have you ever heard of a “burger in a bowl” or “big mac salad”? That’s what a cheeseburger salad is! It takes all of the tasty things that you love about a cheeseburger and instead of putting it on a bun, you toss it into a salad! It’s a great low-carb option but is hearty and filling all at the same time.

I love making this cheeseburger salad because it acts as the main dish. I can whip it up and not even need any other side dishes because everything is already on the plate! Plus, that homemade thousand island dressing really takes this cheeseburger salad over the edge. But don’t you worry, if you’re still missing the bun, you are more than welcome to make a real cheeseburger. Try my favorite smash burger, this easy air fryer burger, or keep it classic with this grilled burger. All of them are delicious choices!

What Goes In Cheeseburger Salad?

This salad is so simple and easy that it comes together even quicker than a real cheeseburger. Trust me when I say that this is going to become a new favorite! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Ground Beef: Instead of a patty, You will cook your ground beef up in a skillet.
Worcestershire Sauce: This adds the best flavor to your ground beef.
Garlic Powder: I like to season this beef with garlic powder.
Salt and Pepper: Salt and pepper are always a must and enhance all of the other flavors!
Iceberg Lettuce: I typically use iceberg lettuce but feel free to use any kind of lettuce that you have on hand.
Roma Tomatoes: Roma or any kind of diced tomatoes will work in this salad.
Pickles: Dill hamburger pickles are best for that classic hamburger flavor.
Red Onion: Sliced, diced, or even sauteed onions taste delicious!
Cheddar Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese is a MUST to get that cheeseburger flavor! It will even get melty if your meat is warm.
Thousand Island Dressing: Use as little or as much of this delicious homemade dressing as you would like! Another delicious option is this In-N-Out Spread.

How to Make Cheeseburger Salad

This cheeseburger salad can be made on those busy nights when you need a fast meal! It’s easy to chop everything up and make it ahead of time. Then, all you have left to do is cook the meat and toss everything together!

Cook: In a medium skillet over medium-high heat add the ground beef. Cook and crumble for about 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink.
Season: Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir together to season the meat well. Remove from heat.
Assemble: In a large bowl combine the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onion, cheddar cheese, and ground beef. Add the desired amount of thousand island dressing and toss until combined. Serve and enjoy right away!

A top view of the salad ingredients separately sectioned in a large bowl.

Variations

I love this cheeseburger salad because you can add or switch out ingredients to make it your own. It’s fun to be creative and make the salad taste exactly how you want it to!

Add or Swap the Protein: Crumbled bacon would be a delicious addition to this salad! You can also swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken. You can even leave out the meat and make it vegetarian.
Try Different Dressings: Instead of using thousand island dressing, ranch or blue cheese dressing would be delicious on this salad! You can also just drizzle the salad with mustard if you want a healthier option.
Additional Salad Ingredients: If you like it spicy like me, pickled jalapenos on top of this salad would give this salad a nice kick. I also like to add some french fries on the side. It might sound funny but it really tastes like a cheeseburger with a side of fries mixed in.

A top view of salad ingredients in a large bowl before they are tossed together. The thousand island dressing is drizzled over the cooked meat.

How to Store Leftovers

The trick to storing leftovers of this cheeseburger salad is to store the ingredients separately. Keep the all in the refrigerator in their own containers and then assemble them before you eat!

Storing and Reheating Ground Beef: Cook your ground beef and let it cool. Then, put it into an airtight container and store it in your fridge. It will last for about 4 days! Reheat the ground beef in the microwave, or in a pan on the stovetop.
Storing the Salad and Toppings: Prep and slice all of the toppings that go into the salad. Store them in separate airtight containers in your fridge until you are ready to put your salad together.
Assemble: Once the meat is reheated, you can assemble the salad by following the instructions on the recipe card.