Unbelievably Easy Keto Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe for Low-Carb Lovers!

Are you craving the flavors of a classic cheeseburger but want to avoid the carbs? This Keto Cheeseburger Casserole delivers all the flavors without all of the carbs. It’s a hearty, comforting, and filling dish that’s perfect for a weeknight meal. This recipe significantly transformed my low-carb diet landscape.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Easy to Make: Casseroles are easy. You place a few ingredients in a baking dish, put it in the oven, and dinner is ready 30-60 minutes later! The best thing about this recipe is how simple it is to make. This decadent dinner has a total time of only 20 minutes! That means you can whip it up after work in the middle of the week. The flavors in this cheeseburger casserole are complex, but making it is not. This is a one-pot meal.
Keto-Friendly: This Keto Cheeseburger Casserole is a perfect low-carb alternative to the classic cheeseburger, eliminating the unneeded carbs! This recipe has less than 5 grams of net carbs per serving. Rather, it’s loaded with premium ground beef and cheese protein and maintains a low carb count by excluding bread and sweet condiments.
Delicious and Satisfying: This cheeseburger casserole is delicious in a delightfully non-gourmet sort of way. Grownups and kids alike enjoy it. This keto cheeseburger casserole skillet is one of my favorite casserole recipes. It’s rich, full of melted cheese, and loaded with meat. It has all your favorite cheeseburger elements: ground beef, bacon, cheese, mustard, and onions. Sometimes a decadent and hearty meal is exactly what I’m craving. When that’s what I want, this recipe hits the spot. It has ground beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese. This comforting Keto Cheeseburger Casserole combines the rich, creamy texture of cheese, the tangy zest flavor of pickles, and the succulent goodness of ground beef.
Storable: I’m a big fan of having convenient meals. Not only is this recipe quick and easy to make, but it’s great for storing in the fridge or freezer. This dinner will last for up to 4 days in the fridge. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container. I love to freeze this casserole for easy meals. Store it in an airtight container and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Versatile: You can easily customize this recipe to your liking. Add your favorite spices, even if they're not classic cheeseburger seasonings. Smoked paprika and chili powder are excellent in this recipe. You can add a teaspoon of each. If you'd like to turn this casserole into a complete meal, add 1-2 cups of uncooked riced cauliflower to the ground beef/onion and cook everything together. You can also add two cups (about 2 ounces) of raw baby spinach leaves to the beef mixture when it's done cooking. Add the spinach right before adding the seasonings and mix it in until it wilts very slightly. You can make this recipe with ground chicken or turkey. It won't be the same, but it's still good.

Ingredients You'll Need

Here’s everything you need to make this meaty and cheesy casserole recipe:

Ground Beef: I typically use extra-lean ground beef (93% lean). Use 93% lean ground beef to cut down on fat because you’ll be adding some rich ingredients like cream and cheese. It's fine to use 85% lean. If you use 80/20, you may want to drain the excess fat off. This is entirely a personal preference. I like using 80/20 for the perfect balance of flavor and juiciness.
Onion and Garlic: I suggest using fresh ones for greater flavor. When I’m feeling lazy, I occasionally substitute two teaspoons of each onion and garlic powders.
Bacon: Use your favorite variety. Crispy, smoky, and the real star here. Cook it up fresh or use pre-cooked bacon crumbles. Add crumbled cooked bacon. I love the flavor it adds.
Shredded Cheddar: I use sharp or extra-sharp cheddar. For best results, grate your own cheese. Cheddar is a classic hamburger combination, but use whatever kind of cheese that you like. To avoid the additional starches present in pre-shredded cheeses, it is suggested to shred your own.
Mayonnaise: Or sriracha mayo for some heat. Did you know that many brands of mayo contain sugar in them in small amounts?
Mustard: I usually prefer Dijon mustard. Just like the tomato paste, the mustard helps add a true cheeseburger flavor.
Tomato Paste: A hint of tomato paste adds an authentic cheeseburger flavor.
Spices: Onion powder, Garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
Broth: Add ⅓ cup beef broth and scrape up any browned bits.
Cream Cheese
Dill Pickles and Pickle Juice: Make sure you read the label! Some dill pickle brands have sugar, and many also have artificial colors that you may want to avoid. Dill pickles give it a crunchy, tangy taste.
Ketchup: I make my own sugar-free ketchup. If you don't want to do this, look for a sugar-free version. Primal Kitchen makes one, but there are others out there. As most ketchup contains a lot of sugar, you should make sure to carefully read the labels. I like Heinz Ketchup with no added sugar. It has a low-carb content and is sweetened with sucralose.
Worcestershire sauce.

How to Make Keto Cheeseburger Casserole

The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here are the instructions to make this 20-minute cheeseburger casserole recipe:

Oven Instructions

Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. First things first-preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with olive oil.
Cook the bacon: Heat a skillet over medium heat, and spray it lightly with cooking spray. Add the chopped bacon and cook until it’s crispy, then remove from the skillet and set aside.
Sauté the meat and onions: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and onion to the skillet and cook until the ground beef starts to brown. Add ground beef, onion, and garlic, and cook until the ground beef starts to brown. Really brown the meat. The secret to getting the best hamburger flavor is to brown the ground beef. Make sure your pan is sufficiently hot before adding the beef, and don’t stir it too often. Let the beef get a good color on it before you add the next ingredients. Spread the browned beef evenly in your casserole dish. Sprinkle the crispy bacon pieces all over the top. Try not to snack on the bacon while you do this…or do.
Drain and add seasonings: If there are liquids at the bottom of the skillet, carefully drain the mixture and return it to the skillet. Stir in the kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 more minute.
Make the sauce: Put the spices, broth, mustard, tomato paste, and cream cheese in the skillet. Stir in cream cheese and continue to cook until the meat is browned and the cream cheese melts. Off heat, stir in condiments: Mayo, ketchup, and mustard. Stir in the pickles, ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
Add the bacon and cheddar: Add the bacon and cheddar. Stir in pickles, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Finish cooking: Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with cheese. Top with remaining cheese. Get the cheese super melty. Because this casserole is cooked in its own sauce, you don’t have to worry about overcooking it. Bake for 30 minutes. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned. Bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through, for about 15 minutes. Alternatively, if your baking dish is broiler-safe, broil the casserole 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below) until the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes.
Make the sauce: Meanwhile, stir together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and pickle juice.
Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and drizzle with the sauce. Let the casserole cool for about 5 minutes before slicing. Top with desired toppings and serve. You can eat this one-pot keto cheeseburger casserole skillet all by itself. But I like to serve it with a nice side dish or two to really make a complete meal.

Instant Pot Instructions

Set your Instant Pot to saute, high. When the screen says "HOT" add the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook until the beef just starts to brown.
Add ⅓ cup beef broth and scrape up any browned bits.
Add the cream cheese, pickles, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper. DO NOT STIR.
Place the lid on your Instant Pot and set to manual high pressure for 1 minute. Allow to release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick release. Stir well.
Add the cheese and return the lid to the pot. Allow to sit until the cheese melts.

Tips and Variations

Add Vegetables: Absolutely! You can add 1-2 cups of uncooked riced cauliflower to the ground beef/onion mixture and cook everything together. Increase the olive oil by 1-2 tablespoons. You can also add two cups (about 2 ounces) of raw baby spinach leaves to the beef mixture when it's done cooking. Add the spinach right before adding the seasonings and mix it in until it wilts very slightly. Don't overcook it. If you want to make this casserole a full dinner, sauté the ground beef and onion mixture with one or two cups of uncooked riced cauliflower. If so, add 1-2 teaspoons more olive oil when baking it.
Change the Meat: You can make this recipe with ground chicken or turkey. It won't be the same, but it's still good. I recommend using ground dark meat, as white meat is too lean. You can make this keto cheeseburger casserole recipe with turkey thighs or ground chicken. It’s still good even if it won’t be the same.
Make Ahead: Yes! You can assemble this casserole the night before and keep it in the refrigerator …then bake it when you’re ready. You can make this keto cheeseburger casserole recipe up to two days ahead of time and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Assemble it the night before and pop it in the fridge.
Freezing: This recipe freezes great. Leave the cheese off of it if you are planning on freezing.
Sugar-Free Pickle Juice: Certain pickles and their accompanying liquids may contain hidden sugars.
Use a large skillet: This recipe is pretty big. Make sure to use a skillet that is big enough to handle the job.
Toppings: Top with desired toppings and serve.

Serving Suggestions

You can eat this one-pot keto cheeseburger casserole skillet all by itself. But I like to serve it with a nice side dish or two to really make a complete meal. You can serve it with keto buns for a unique keto cheeseburger. Avocado Slices: Because bacon + avocado? Absolutely!

Storing and Reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power. Gently reheat them in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze it for up to a month. Yes! I love to freeze this casserole for easy meals. Store it in an airtight container and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze individual servings for up to three months.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Is a Cheeseburger Keto-Friendly?

Without the bun, a cheeseburger can be keto-friendly as long as the cheese, meat, and toppings don’t exceed your daily carb limit. Choose low-carb, high-fat toppings; steer clear of sugary sauces.

Gluten-Free Adaptations

To ensure this recipe is gluten-free, use gluten-free ingredients, especially in pre-packaged items like seasoning mixes. Many seasoning packets can contain hidden gluten, so it's crucial to check labels. Alternatively, making your own seasoning blend at home can guarantee it's safe for those with gluten sensitivities. With these adjustments, everyone can enjoy this delicious dish.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

tags: #keto #cheeseburger #casserole #cream #cheese