Name: Cheeseburger Salad (Burger in a Bowl)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of light mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon of fat free Greek Yoghurt; 1 teaspoon of tomato paste (puree); 1 teaspoon of American yellow mustard; ½ teaspoon of sweet paprika; ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon of onion powder; Pinch of black pepper; 1 teaspoon of granulated sweetener (optional); little water to loosen; 455g (1lb) of 5% fat ground beef (mince); salt and black pepper; 4 slices of of low calorie bread, sliced into small cubes; 1 head of iceberg or romaine lettuce, shredded; 1 small red onion, sliced thinly; 24 baby roma (grape) or cherry tomatoes, chopped; 160g of cheddar, freshly grated; 20 gherkins slices (pickles) - can use whole pickles diced up if you prefer; Spray oil

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Cheeseburger salad is the ultimate salad for any cheeseburger lover, with all the delicious flavours of a cheeseburger in a bowl. It's a fun and tasty way to turn those classic burger flavours into a filling meal that still feels fresh and balanced.

cheeseburger salad in a white bowl with dressing and croutons placed next to bowl

First came my cheeseburger quiche, then cheeseburger pasta and now I give you my delicious Cheeseburger salad recipe. It is an easy recipe to adapt to your own tastes and a fun way to serve something a bit different that the whole family can enjoy. Simple, tasty and full of flavour, this is the kind of meal that can easily become a regular on your menu.

Calories in Cheeseburger Salad?

This recipe serves 4 people and is 472 calories per serving for this delicious cheeseburger salad (burger in a bowl)

If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 500+ calorie recipes.

If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie needs using a reliable calorie calculator. The calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary depending on the exact ingredients and portion sizes you use. Using your own calculations helps ensure you're meeting your individual needs. A calorie calculator can help you make informed choices and stay on track with your goals.

See the recipe card for full nutritional estimation.

Ingredients Notes

for this cheeseburger salad you need the following ingredients.

5% fat ground beef (mince)
low calorie bread
iceberg or romaine lettuce
red onion
baby roma (grape)
cheddar
gherkins slices (pickles)
Spray oil
light mayonnaise
fat free Greek Yoghurt
tomato paste (puree)
American yellow mustard
seasonings: sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper
granulated sweetener (optional)

Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.

See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.

close up of cheeseburger salad in a white bowl with dressing and croutons placed next to bowl

Variations and Substitutes

This cheeseburger salad is really easy to adapt, so you can switch things up depending on what you have on hand or what you prefer.

Swap the beef mince for ground chicken, turkey for a lighter options or a mix beef, pork, or lamb for more flavour.
Use your favourite meat free burgers, chopped up in the salad for a vegetarian version.
Iceberg or romaine can be replaced with any crisp lettuce.
Red onion can be swapped for spring onion for a milder flavour.
Leave out the gherkins if you are not a fan, or swap for cucumber or sliced radishes for crunch.
Cheddar can be replaced with reduced fat cheddar, mozzarella or burger cheese slices.
Swap the croutons for a few oven chips if you want more of a cheeseburger and fries feel.
Add some cooked bacon for extra flavour.
Add sliced jalapeños if you want a little heat.
A little avocado works well if you want to add some extra creaminess.
Use all light mayonnaise or all Greek yoghurt for the dressing if preferred.
Adjust the mustard, tomato paste and seasonings to suit your taste.

Tip for how make the best burgers

Often I see recipes for a burger where all kinds of things are added, include a beaten egg, which I find is really unnecessary.

The best burgers ever are the ones that use the simplest of ingredients and that is good quality ground beef (mince), I don't recommend using any less than 5% fat ground beef, as otherwise it will just be too lean and dry.

My second tip is to not mix salt into the meat, this tends to draw out the juices of the meat as it cooks and again results in a dry burger.

The best tasting burger is simply just by forming the meat as it is into patties, and season the outside with salt and black pepper just before you add it to a heated pan sprayed with spray oil. Make sure you pan is hot when you add the burgers so that it seals in all the flavour. Then once golden brown flip and cook the other side and the burgers are done.

The perfect low calorie burger salad dressing

No cheeseburger recipe is complete without a delicious sauce, and burger sauce really is the perfect finishing touch.

It's so easy to make and using a mix of light mayonnaise and yoghurt keeps it lighter without losing that creamy, tasty flavour. It's great for this salad, but also works well with all kinds of other recipes too.

In my burger sauce I use the follow:

3 tablespoons of light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of fat free Greek Yoghurt
1 teaspoon of tomato paste (puree)
1 teaspoon of American yellow mustard
½ teaspoon of sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
¼ teaspoon of onion powder
Pinch of black pepper
1 teaspoon of granulated sweetener (optional)
little water to loosen

Storing, Reheating and Prep Ahead

This cheeseburger salad is great for prepping ahead, especially if you want it for lunches or packed lunches.

Store the burgers, salad, croutons and dressing separately so everything stays fresh and crisp. When ready to eat, just add the croutons and drizzle over the dressing.

If you prefer the burgers warm, reheat them in the microwave in short bursts of about 15 seconds until heated through, then add to the salad just before serving.

close up of sauce being spooned onto cheeseburger salad in a white bowl with dressing and croutons placed next to bowl

More Salad Recipes

Love a delicious salad? check out these recipes:

Chicken, Feta and Strawberry Salad
Mexican Chopped Salad
Taco Salad Bowl
Tuscan Chicken Salad
Chopped Chicken Salad
Chicken Strawberry Avocado Salad
Warm Asparagus and Prawn Salad
Curried Chicken Rice Salad Bowl
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Almonds, Apple and Cranberries
Peanut Chicken Noodle Salad Bowl
Roasted Butternut Squash Chicken Quinoa Salad
Watermelon and Feta Salad

or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.

All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.

mixed up Cheeseburger Salad in a white bowl with sauce.

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Recipe Card

Yield: SERVES 4

Cheeseburger Salad (Burger in a Bowl)

Cheeseburger Salad - the ultimate salad for any cheeseburger lover with all the delicious components of a cheeseburger in a bowl.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

455g (1lb) of 5% fat ground beef (mince)
salt and black pepper
4 slices of of low calorie bread, sliced into small cubes
1 head of iceberg or romaine lettuce, shredded
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
24 baby roma (grape) or cherry tomatoes, chopped
160g of cheddar, freshly grated
20 gherkins slices (pickles) - can use whole pickles diced up if you prefer
Spray oil

For the burger sauce (dressing)

3 tablespoons of light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of fat free Greek Yoghurt
1 teaspoon of tomato paste (puree)
1 teaspoon of American yellow mustard
½ teaspoon of sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
¼ teaspoon of onion powder
Pinch of black pepper
1 teaspoon of granulated sweetener (optional)
little water to loosen

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200c, 180c fan, 400f or gas mark 6
Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl, adding a little water if needed so that the sauce can be drizzled.
Place the bread on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spray with olive oil spray to coat, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and bake for about 8-10 minutes until golden.
Form the ground beef (mince) into 16 mini burgers.
Heat a frying pan over a medium high heat with spray oil, once the pan is hot, season the outside of the patties with salt and black pepper. Add to the pan and fry until golden, then flip and cook the other side until golden and the burgers are cooked through. Approx 4 minutes per side.
Add lettuce, tomatoes, onion, gherkins (pickles), croutons and cheddar to a bowl, add the burgers (4 per bowl) and spoon or drizzle on some of the sauce (dressing).
Enjoy!!

Notes

Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:

Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
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Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1 SERVING
Amount Per Serving Calories 472Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 67mgSodium 1040mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 4gSugar 11gProtein 38g

Nutritional information, syn values, points etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.