Chopped Burger Salad — a hearty, flavor-packed salad featuring seasoned burger patties, crisp romaine, peppery arugula, pickled red onions, sweet caramelized onions, tangy bread-and-butter pickles, crumbled bacon, and a creamy ketchup-mayo dressing finished with a drizzle of spicy-sweet hot honey. This chopped version mixes everything so you get all the classic burger flavors in every bite.
This recipe came from a lunch outing where a burger salad on the menu sounded perfect — until the kitchen ran out of beef patties. Instead of leaving disappointed, I recreated the concept at home and turned it into a chopped salad so every forkful captures the full burger experience. If you love classic burger flavors but want a lighter, vegetable-forward meal, this is an easy, satisfying option.
Appearance-wise, the salad may look unconventional compared with a burger on a bun, but that’s the point: everything is chopped together so each bite is perfectly balanced. If you prefer, you can serve a whole patty on top, but chopping first saves your guests the work and delivers more consistent flavor throughout.
Chopped Burger Salad
Ingredients
For the beef patties:
- 1.25 lbs. grass fed ground beef 80% lean, with 20% fat content*
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
For the Chopped Burger Salad:
- romaine lettuce
- fresh arugula
- tomato slices
- pickled red onions
- caramelized onions
- bread and butter pickles
- mayonnaise
- ketchup
- salt and pepper
- crispy bacon strips crumbled or torn
- chili crunch hot honey
Instructions
For the beef patties:
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Gently form the ground beef into patties without overworking the meat. Press a slight dimple in the center so the patties stay flat while cooking. Make patties roughly 5 inches across and about 1/4 inch thick.
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Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Season both sides of the patties with salt and pepper. Add avocado oil to the pan, then cook the patties about 3–4 minutes per side, or until they reach your desired doneness. Remove to a plate and set aside.
For the Chopped Burger Salad:
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On a large cutting board, chop the romaine and then add the arugula, tomato slices, pickled red onions, caramelized onions, bread-and-butter pickles, and the cooked beef patties. Chop everything together until evenly mixed.
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Add mayonnaise, ketchup, salt, and pepper along with the crumbled bacon. Chop and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Divide the salad into bowls, drizzle with chili crunch hot honey, and serve.
Notes
A helpful guide for burger doneness temperatures:
- 120°F (49°C) and below — rare (red in center)
- 130°F (54°C) — medium-rare (pink and warm)
- 140°F (60°C) — medium (mostly pink)
- 150°F (66°C) — medium-well (slight pink)
- 160°F (71°C) and above — well-done (no pink)
Where to purchase chili crunch hot honey: available from specialty retailers and online purveyors.