Ingredients
🛒 Ingredients
For the Cheeseburger Beef
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- 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
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- 1 teaspoon salt
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- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the Salad Base
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- 4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
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- 4 cups fresh spinach
Cheeseburger Toppings
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- 1 Roma tomato, diced
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- ¼ cup diced white onion
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- ¼ cup dill pickle chips
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- 1 Hass avocado, diced
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- ¼ cup sliced jalapeños (optional)
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- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
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- 5 slices cooked bacon, chopped (optional)
Sauce Options
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- Mustard
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- Hot sauce
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- Primal Kitchen Burger Sauce
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- Greek yogurt burger sauce
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- Ranch dressing
Optional Side
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- Air-fried potato slices tossed with olive oil and sea salt
Instructions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the ground beef, salt, and black pepper. Break the meat apart slightly, but do not constantly stir it. Let parts of the beef sit against the pan long enough to develop dark crispy edges.
Cook until fully browned and cooked through.
💡 Flash Tip:
The crispy browned bits create the biggest cheeseburger flavor in the entire salad.
Transfer the cooked beef to a plate and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
This helps keep the lettuce cold and crunchy once assembled.
💡 Flash Tip:
Resting the beef prevents the salad from turning warm and soggy.
In a large bowl, combine the shredded iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach.
Top with diced tomatoes, onions, pickles, avocado, jalapeños, shredded cheese, and chopped bacon if using.
💡 Flash Tip:
Using both iceberg and spinach gives better texture and more flavor than using only one type of lettuce.
Add the slightly cooled beef over the salad.
Sprinkle over the cheese, bacon, jalapeños, and any extra toppings you like.
💡 Flash Tip:
Layering the toppings instead of tossing everything together gives the salad more visual appeal.
Drizzle the salad with burger sauce, mustard, hot sauce, ranch, or your favorite dressing.
Toss lightly or leave layered for a burger-bowl presentation.
💡 Flash Tip:
Burger sauce works best when lightly drizzled instead of drowning the entire salad.
Serve the cheeseburger salad immediately while the beef is still slightly warm and the lettuce stays crisp.
For a more filling dinner, pair it with crispy air-fried potato slices tossed with olive oil and sea salt.
💡 Flash Tip:
Air-fried potato slices give the meal classic burger-and-fries energy without feeling overly heavy.