Burger Salad with Special Sauce – Easy and Healthy Dinner

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This Burger Salad recipe is an easy and healthy dinner option that has a zesty and delicious homemade special sauce drizzled on top as a dressing and roasted diced sweet potatoes for a healthy fry option. It is perfect for a busy weeknight or for a lower-carb meal prep. 

I love making healthy salads, but not just any ol’ plain boring healthy salad. I need a salad that is bursting with flavor and full of interesting, fresh ingredients. And this Burger Salad recipe checks all those boxes! This recipe has all of your favorite burger ingredients but in salad form. It has a seasoned burger patty on top of a bed of lettuce with red onions, tomatoes and dill pickles. Then you will make a super easy special sauce to use as a homemade salad dressing to drizzle on top and roasted sweet potatoes as a healthy version of sweet potato fries and a healthy carb. 

Meal prep tips

This recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight or to prep ahead of time for meal prep. It can easily be taken to work for a healthy lunch or just to have a healthy dinner waiting for you at home! Here are a few meal prep tips:

• To make meal prep easy, you can pre-make the burgers ahead of time, or use pre-shaped burger patties so you can easily cook them up. 
• Pre-make the roasted sweet potatoes and just pop them in the microwave when you are ready to assemble the salad. I also like to double up the amount of cooked sweet potatoes and use it the next day for a healthy carb with breakfast. 
• I like to keep frozen precooked burger patties in my freezer so I can pull one out and cook it really quickly for an easy lunch. 

Is this Burger Salad gluten-free or dairy-free?

Yes! This recipe is written to be both gluten-free and dairy-free, making it a great recipe for those with gluten or dairy allergies or sensitivities. (Browse more Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free recipes.) 

Is this Burger Salad recipe low-carb?

This recipe is a lower-carb option. It does have sweet potatoes on the salad, but sweet potatoes are a complex carbohydrate, meaning they take longer to digest and help give a steady stream of glucose for stabilized energy. They also are lower on the glycemic index, which means they have a lower effect on the blood glucose levels. Carbs are a healthy part of your plate, but choosing the right carbs is key! If you need a low-carb option, you can also omit the sweet potatoes and just have the burger patty and salad. 

Tools to make this recipe

Sheet Pan– You will need a sheet pan to roast the sweet potatoes on. This is my favorite sheet pan! It is made from stainless steel so it is nontoxic. 

Cast iron skillet – I love to use a cast iron skillet because it helps create a beautiful crust on the burger patties. You can also just use a regular frying pan if you do not have a cast iron. (Although I highly recommend adding one to your kitchen!) 

Burger Salad Ingredients

• Lettuce – I like to use either mixed salad greens or romaine lettuce, but you can use whatever type you prefer. 
• Tomato – Sliced Roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes are both great options. But again, use whatever you have!
• Red onion – Sliced or chopped red onions
• Dill pickles – Dill pickle slices really give the salad a burger feel!
• Ground beef – This recipe will walk you through how to make burger patties and cook them on the stovetop, but you can use preformed patties or cook them on your BBQ. I like to use ground beef with at least 15% fat for flavor, but if you prefer lean ground beef, that works too! If you do not eat red meat, feel free to sub for ground turkey or chicken. 
• Seasoning for the burger patties – To season, you will use a combo of salt, garlic powder and onion powder.
• Avocado oil – I love using avocado oil for all of my cooking, but you can sub for olive oil if that is what you have on hand. 

Sweet potatoes

• Sweet potato – I like to dice the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces so they cook quickly and they are easy to eat. You can also do fry shape if you’d like, but they will take a little longer to cook. 
• Salt – I like a mineral-rich salt like Redmond Real Salt. 
• Garlic powder – to season and add flavor to the sweet potatoes 
• Avocado oil – You will toss the sweet potatoes in oil before baking. 

Special sauce dressing

• Mayo – The base of the special sauce to make it creamy. 
• Ketchup – Adding the ketchup gives the special sauce a 1000 island dressing vibe. 
• Pickle juice – Pickle juice adds acidity and thins out the sauce. 
• Pickles- finely chopped to add a little crunch 

Other optional ingredients

Feel free to have fun with it and add your favorite burger toppings! Some ideas include:

• Cheese – either shredded cheese on top of the salad, or melt it over the burger patty for a cheeseburger salad. Use cheddar cheese for a classic cheeseburger feel, or use blue cheese to kick up the flavor!
• Sliced Avocado 
• Bacon – I mean, everything is better with crispy bacon!
• Caramelized onions
• Barbecue sauce – Add a drizzle of BBQ sauce on top of the burger or mix with ranch to create an easy BBQ ranch. I love brands like Primal Kitchen or The New Primal for healthier store-bought BBQ sauces. 

Directions to make the Burger Salad

First, preheat the oven to 425F degrees. 

Toss the diced sweet potatoes with avocado oil, salt, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Then, add them to a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. 

Meanwhile, take the ground beef and divide it into 4 burger patties. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, and onion powder on each side to season. Heat a large skillet or cast iron over medium heat and add a tablespoon of avocado oil. Add the beef patties and cook 4-5 minutes per side or until preferred doneness. 

Add all of the ingredients for the special sauce in a small bowl and mix to combine.

Next, assemble the salad. Add the lettuce, onion, tomato, and pickles to a large plate or bowl. Add a heaping portion of the roasted sweet potatoes and a burger patty on top. Finally, drizzle with special sauce and serve. 

How to store

To store the Burger Salad, I prefer to store the salad ingredients and the sweet potatoes, and cooked patties in separate containers so you can reheat the patties and sweet potatoes. The burger patties will be good for up to 3-4 days stored in the fridge, so you can easily prep this ahead of time for a healthy meal prep option!