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    Home ยป Keto

    Cheeseburger Bowl (Keto Big Mac Salad)

    Published: Oct 9, 2023 Updated: Oct 9, 2023 By: Cassidy May earn from affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    big mac salad with the name of the recipe at the top.

    This cheeseburger bowl (or Keto Big Mac Salad) has all the delicious flavors of a cheeseburger but is made into a crisp salad, including a copycat Big Mac sauce!

    It's a delicious, filling, and easy recipe that can be made in only 20 minutes and will convince you to skip the drive-through!

    overhead shot of cheeseburger bowl with garnishes.

    Craving fast food? Try this ground beef cheeseburger bowl recipe instead! It's a quick, easy, delicious, and low-carb salad with all your favorite cheeseburger toppings - including copycat Big Mac sauce!

    A typical Big Mac is full of gluten and carbs, but since this recipe is made into a salad and uses a homemade sauce, it's gluten-free and keto-friendly.

    Even if you don't follow any special diet, it tastes just like a Big Mac in salad form, and you won't be disappointed!

    ❤️ Why You'll Love This Keto Cheeseburger Bowl Recipe: 1) Quick and easy to make, only taking 20 minutes! 2) Uses basic ingredients. 3) Tastes like a Big Mac Cheeseburger in salad form. 4) Hearty and filling. 5) Is gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly.

    If you're looking for more filling salad recipes and wraps, be sure to check out this Keto Chicken Taco Salad, Keto Thai Chicken Salad, Keto Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and Turkey Lettuce Wraps recipes!

    Jump to:
    • Big mac sauce
    • Ingredients
    • Easy instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Storage
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Top tips
    • ๐Ÿ“– Recipe
    • ๐Ÿ’ฌ Comments

    Big mac sauce

    Whether you call this Big Mac sauce, burger sauce, special sauce, or any other name, this will be your new burger condiment!

    It has all the classic flavors of Big Mac sauce and is creamy, easy to make, and keto-friendly!

    I use low-carb ketchup and allulose to reduce the carbs in the sauce, but if you don't watch carbs, feel free to use any ketchup and sweetener you prefer!

    Here are the ingredients you will need:

    sauce ingredients in bowls with labels.
    • Yellow Mustard: I like yellow mustard, but feel free to use Dijon if you prefer.
    • Worcestershire Sauce: Adds depth of flavor and umami. If needed, you can replace it with Tamari, gluten-free soy sauce, or coconut aminos.
    • Seasonings: These are a simple combination of sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
    • Water: Add more as needed for blending.
    • Mayonnaise: Be sure to use a mild-tasting mayo; otherwise, your sauce may have an aftertaste! Or make your own homemade mayo.
    • Sriracha: Optional, adds a slight kick to the burger sauce.
    • Dill Pickles:
    • Low-Carb Ketchup: I like to use Primal Kitchen Ketchup (the sweetened variety has the same number of carbs as the unsweetened) because many sugar-free ketchup brands use artificial sweeteners, which I don't recommend. If you're not watching carbs, use any ketchup you prefer.
    • Allulose Or Preferred Sweetener: Optional, adds sweetness. I use allulose because it has ZERO aftertaste, zero net carbs, and dissolves beautifully.

    Ingredients

    salad ingredients on the countertop with labels.

    For the cheeseburger salad bowl, you will need:

    • Lettuce: Use any lettuce you prefer. I like to use Romaine or Iceberg.
    • Beef: I use beef for a classic cheeseburger flavor, but you also use ground chicken or turkey.
    • Seasonings: A simple blend of sea salt, pepper, garlic, and onion to season the beef.
    • Dill Pickles: These add crunch and flavor.
    • Tomatoes: I like to use roma, cherry, or grape tomatoes. Smaller tomatoes are firmer and hold less water, which works better in salads!
    • Onion: Use white, yellow, or red - whichever you prefer!
    • Bacon: This is optional, but who doesn't love bacon?! Make bacon in the oven or on the stovetop.
    • Shredded Cheddar Cheese: I recommend sharp cheddar, but use any variety you prefer.

    Easy instructions

    blended sauce ingredients in the jar of a blender.

    Step #1: Blend all of the sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

    close up of cooked beef in a skillet.

    Step #2: Brown the beef and seasonings on the stove. Drain the fat if desired, but do not rinse, and set aside.

    overhead shot of cheeseburger bowl with garnishes.

    Step #3: Assemble the salad!

    Evenly divide the lettuce between 4 bowls. Then, top each bowl of lettuce with the beef, bacon, tomatoes, cheese, onion, and pickles, evenly dividing each topping.

    Serving suggestions

    Serve each salad drizzled with keto Big Mac sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds if desired.

    It would also be great with some keto almond flour dinner rolls or keto drop biscuits for some (non!) carby goodness!

    Storage

    • Store: Keep each ingredient stored separately in the fridge for up to 4 days. If the salad is assembled with dressing, it will last about one day.
    • Meal Prep: Prepare and store the beef in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
    • Reheat: When ready to eat, reheat the beef in the microwave or on the stovetop and assemble the salad as directed.

    Substitutions

    • If you don't have ketchup, you can use tomato paste. However, if you make this substitution, be sure to taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings and sweetener as needed.
    • You can replace the Worcestershire sauce with gluten-free soy sauce, Tamari, or coconut aminos.
    • Replace the lettuce with leaves of iceberg or Romaine lettuce and serve them as lettuce wraps!
    • Swap the protein with ground turkey or chicken.
    • I prefer to use sharp cheddar cheese, but you can use any cheese you prefer.

    Variations

    Here are some variations to make this keto cheeseburger bowl fit more diets:

    • Dairy-Free: Omit the cheese.
    • Paleo: Omit the cheese and use Paleo-compliant mayonnaise and ketchup.
    • Whole30: Omit the cheese, replace the Worcestershire sauce with coconut aminos, and use whole30-compliant mayonnaise, ketchup, and bacon.
    • Vegetarian: Use meatless crumbles and omit the bacon.

    Top tips

    • Be sure to use a mild-tasting mayonnaise in the sauce! Otherwise, it may have an aftertaste. Or make homemade mayonnaise.
    • Feel free to customize the salad toppings to your liking!
    • I use low-carb ketchup and allulose to reduce the carbs in the sauce, but if you don't watch carbs, feel free to use any ketchup and sweetener you prefer!

    Have you tried this cheeseburger bowl recipe? If so, let me know what you think in the comments below 👇

    Craving more? FOLLOW ME on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or E-Mail to find more delicious food!

    ๐Ÿ“– Recipe

    square image of cheeseburger bowl with garnishes.

    Cheeseburger Bowl (Keto Big Mac Salad)

    This cheeseburger bowl (or Keto Big Mac Salad) has all the delicious flavors of a cheeseburger but is made into a crisp salad, including a copycat Big Mac sauce!
    5 from 1 vote
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    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, grain free, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    CALORIES :590kcal
    CARBS :8g
    FIBER :3g
    Author: Cassidy Stauffer

    Ingredients

    • 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil - + more as needed, or oil of choice
    • 1 Pound Ground Beef
    • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
    • 6 Cups Romaine Lettuce - or iceberg lettuce, chopped
    • ¾ Cup Shredded Cheese
    • ½ Cup Dill Pickles - diced
    • ¼ Cup White Or Red Onion - diced
    • 1 Cup Tomatoes - chopped
    • 6 Slices Bacon - cooked crispy and chopped, optional
    • Sesame Seeds - for garnish

    Sauce:

    • ½ Cup Mild-Tasting Mayonaisse
    • 2 Tablespoons Low-Carb Ketchup - or ketchup of choice
    • 2 Tablespoons Dill Pickles - finely diced
    • 2 teaspoons Yellow Mustard
    • 1 teaspoon Worchestershire Sauce
    • 2 Tablespoons Allulose - optional, or 1 ยฝ Tablespoons of another sweetener of choice. Not included in nutrition facts.
    • 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
    • ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
    • 2 teaspoons Sriracha Sauce - optional, for added spice
    • 1-2 Tablespoons Water - optional, or as needed for blending
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    Instructions

    • Prepare the bacon in the oven or on the stovetop and set aside.
    • Heat the avocado oil over medium heat in a medium to large-sized skillet. Once hot, add the ground beef, sea salt, ground black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
    • Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until browned, stirring and breaking the beef apart with a spatula as it cooks. Drain off fat if desired, but do not rinse. Set aside.
    • Add all of the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water as needed to help facilitate blending. Taste and adjust the sweetener and seasonings as needed. Set aside.
    • Divide the lettuce between 4 bowls. Then, evenly dividing between each bowl, top with the shredded cheese, diced dill pickles, diced onion, chopped tomatoes, chopped bacon, and cooked beef.
    • Drizzle each salad with the burger sauce and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds as a garnish if desired.

    Add Your Own Notes

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Notes

    • Using allulose in the sauce adds 2 Total Carbs and 0 Net Carbs per serving.
    • Allulose isn't as sweet as other sweeteners, this is why you will only use 1 ยฝ Tablespoons if using another sweetener. 
    • I use low-carb ketchup and allulose to reduce the carbs in the sauce, but if you don't watch carbs, feel free to use any ketchup and sweetener you prefer!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/4th of recipe | Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1625mg | Potassium: 750mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 6669IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 4mg

    NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber - Allulose - Xylitol

    Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols, xylitol, and allulose are included in the total carbs and fiber.

    Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my

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    Cassidy is a certified keto and intermittent fasting health coach and a mom of two teenagers, one of whom has autism and epilepsy. For the well-being of her family, she serves up easy, kid-approved recipes that are gluten-free and keto with many dairy-free and paleo options. She's passionate about creating healthy, allergy-friendly food that's just as good as the original!

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    Hi, I'm Cassidy! I'm a certified keto and intermittent fasting coach and am a mom of two teenagers, one of whom has autism and epilepsy. For the well-being of my family, I serve up easy, kid-approved recipes that are gluten-free and keto with many dairy-free and paleo options. I'm passionate about creating healthy, allergy-friendly food that's just as good as the original!

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