Low Carb Cheeseburger Skillet
This low carb cheeseburger skillet turns everything you love about a cheeseburger into one warm, cheesy pan — no bun required. Cabbage stands in for the pasta or potatoes you’d usually find in a dish like this, so you get way more volume, more fiber, and barely any carbs, while the sharp cheddar and cream cheese keep every bite rich and silky. It’s become one of my go-to meal preps because it reheats beautifully and still tastes like a cheeseburger three lunches in. Top it with pickles and a quick burger sauce, and you won’t miss the bun at all.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef, breaking it into small crumbles. Drain excess grease if needed, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan for flavor.
- Add the onion and garlic. Cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Add the cabbage slaw. It’ll look like way too much at first — keep stirring. Within about 5–7 minutes it will shrink by roughly half.
- Stir in the Worcestershire, mustard, tomato paste, and beef broth. Add all seasonings. Cook another 4–5 minutes until most of the liquid has reduced.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cream cheese until completely melted, then fold in the shredded cheddar until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve immediately. Top with burger sauce, diced pickles, sesame seeds, and green onions.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Cabbage gives you higher volume, more fiber, and fewer carbs than pasta or potatoes — it practically disappears into the beef.
- 85/15 ground beef carries the cheeseburger flavor, since the cabbage dilutes the meat slightly. Using 93/7 instead? Add 1 tbsp butter when sautéing the onions.
- Yellow mustard instantly reads as “cheeseburger.” Most of the ketchup flavor comes through in the burger sauce on top instead.
- Sharp cheddar holds up best here — mild cheddar tends to get lost.
- Cream cheese makes the sauce silky so it coats the cabbage instead of separating.
- Pickles add acidity that balances the richness — stir them in or serve on top.
- Suggested side (linked below): ShePrepsSmart Yeast Rolls, brushed with melted butter.
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