Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Salad (Printable)

A savory low-carb salad featuring bacon, ground beef, avocado, pickles, and cheddar cheese with a flavorful sauce.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 8 slices bacon
02 - 1 pound ground beef (80/20 blend)

→ Vegetables & Fresh Produce

03 - 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 avocado, diced
06 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1/2 cup dill pickle slices

→ Cheese

08 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

→ Burger Sauce

09 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
10 - 2 tablespoons sugar-free ketchup
11 - 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
12 - 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
13 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Seasonings

15 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
16 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How To Make:

01 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp, approximately 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and crumble once cooled.
02 - Discard excess bacon fat, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon in the skillet. Add ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook until browned, breaking into bite-sized pieces, approximately 5-7 minutes. Drain excess fat and allow to cool slightly.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sugar-free ketchup, mustard, dill pickle juice, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until well combined.
04 - Arrange romaine lettuce in a large salad bowl or individual serving plates. Top with cooked ground beef, bacon pieces, tomatoes, avocado, red onion, pickles, and shredded cheddar cheese.
05 - Drizzle burger sauce over salad immediately before serving to maintain optimal texture and temperature.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgent while actually fitting your low-carb goals, which means no compromise between flavor and health.
  • Everything comes together in under 35 minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners when you're tired of cooking.
  • The warm beef and bacon contrasting with crisp lettuce and cool avocado keeps every bite interesting.
02 -
  • Don't drain all the fat from the beef—a little goes a long way toward keeping it juicy and flavorful, and most of the excess will cook off naturally anyway.
  • Assemble the salad in layers rather than tossing everything together, which keeps the lettuce crisp and lets you control how much sauce hits each bite.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer if you're cooking for people with strong opinions about beef doneness—ground beef reaches food-safe temperature at 160°F, though it can look slightly less brown than you expect.
  • If your salad bowl feels crowded, use individual plates instead and build them one at a time, which also lets everyone customize their cheese-to-sauce ratio without negotiation.
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