Keto cheeseburger skillet
August 14, 2026 · 2 min read
A cheeseburger skillet is everything good about the burger with none of the bun. Browned beef, melted cheddar, pickles, and a hit of tomato and mustard land the flavor of a loaded cheeseburger in one pan, at about 4g net carbs a serving. It comes together in 20 minutes and reheats well for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
- 1/3 cup diced dill pickles
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Steps
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high and brown the ground beef, breaking it up, 6–8 minutes until no pink remains. Tip off the excess grease if there's a lot.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, tomato paste, and mustard, and cook 1 minute until the paste darkens and coats the meat.
- Scatter the cheddar over the top, lower the heat, cover, and cook 2–3 minutes until it melts.
- Off the heat, scatter the diced pickles, cherry tomatoes, and parsley over the top. Serve straight from the pan.
How it comes together
Makes 4 servings — read left to right; each column combines what's behind it.
PrepCut everything small and have it ready — once the beef browns, this moves fast.
| 1½ lb · 680 g ground beef80/20 | Brown the beef | |||
| 1 tsp salt | Season the base | |||
| ½ tsp black pepper | ||||
| 1 tsp onion powder | ||||
| 1 tsp garlic powder | ||||
| 2 tbsp · 32 g tomato paste | ||||
| 1 tbsp · 15 g yellow mustard | ||||
| 1½ cups · 170 g shredded cheddar | Melt the cheddar | |||
| ⅓ cup · 40 g diced dill pickles | Top and serve | |||
| 1 cup · 150 g cherry tomatoeshalved | ||||
| 2 tbsp · 8 g parsleychopped |
Scaling adjusts quantities only — cooking times and pan sizes may need judgment. Grams are rounded for the kitchen.
Notes and swaps
The 80/20 beef matters — the fat is what carries the flavor and keeps the meat from drying out under the cheese. Leaner beef works, but add a spoonful of olive oil so it doesn't turn dry. Swap the cheddar for pepper jack if you want heat, or fold in a few slices of cooked bacon for a bacon-cheeseburger version. Keep the tomato paste and pickles measured, since that's where the small carb count lives; the cherry tomatoes are a garnish, so scale them to taste.
The macros here are an estimate. Tell Copper Keto Companion "cheeseburger skillet with pickles and cheddar" and it works out the net carbs on the portion you actually plate — no weighing, no database.
FAQ
Is a cheeseburger skillet keto? Yes. Without the bun, the carbs come only from the tomato paste, mustard, pickles, and a few cherry tomatoes, which keeps a serving near 4g net carbs. The beef and cheddar carry the protein and fat.
What do I serve with it? A green salad, roasted broccoli, or cauliflower rice all stay low-carb and round out the plate. For a true burger feel, pile it into crisp lettuce cups and eat it by hand.
Can I make it ahead? Yes. The seasoned beef and cheese reheat well, so cook the base ahead and add the fresh pickles, tomatoes, and parsley just before serving so they stay crisp.
What's the best beef for it? 80/20 ground chuck. The extra fat keeps the skillet juicy and adds flavor, where anything leaner tends to dry out once the cheese melts on top.
New to low-carb eating? Start with the keto guide. For another one-pan dinner, the creamy Tuscan salmon builds the whole dish in a single skillet the same way.