Keto Cheeseburger Lettuce Wraps (Printable)

Juicy cheeseburgers wrapped in crisp lettuce, topped with pickles and creamy secret sauce.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Cheeseburgers

01 - 1 lb ground beef (80/20 blend)
02 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
06 - 4 slices cheddar cheese

→ For the Lettuce Wraps

07 - 1 large head iceberg lettuce or romaine, leaves separated, washed, and dried

→ For the Toppings

08 - 8 dill pickle slices
09 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
10 - 1 medium tomato, sliced (optional)

→ For the Secret Sauce

11 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
12 - 1 tablespoon sugar-free ketchup
13 - 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish (no sugar added)
14 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
15 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
16 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
17 - 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
18 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar-free ketchup, dill pickle relish, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix until well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
02 - In a large bowl, gently combine ground beef with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix with a light hand until just combined, avoiding overworking the meat.
03 - Divide the seasoned beef mixture into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a patty slightly larger than your lettuce leaves, ensuring uniform thickness for even cooking.
04 - Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Place beef patties in the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until reaching desired doneness.
05 - During the final minute of cooking, top each patty with one slice of cheddar cheese. Cover the pan to allow the cheese to melt completely.
06 - Arrange two large lettuce leaves per wrap on a serving plate, overlapping them slightly for structural support and stability.
07 - Place one cooked cheeseburger patty onto the prepared lettuce leaves. Top with secret sauce, pickle slices, red onion, and tomato if using.
08 - Fold the lettuce leaves around the filled patty to enclose it completely. Serve immediately while the lettuce remains crisp and the cheese is still warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You get to eat an actual, juicy cheeseburger without any of the guilt or the carb overload that usually comes with it.
  • The secret sauce is genuinely addictive—it tastes like something you'd pay extra for at a burger joint, but it takes maybe two minutes to mix together.
  • Lettuce wraps stay crisp and fresh if you assemble them right at the last second, so you're not dealing with soggy sadness.
02 -
  • The biggest mistake I made early on was assembling these in advance thinking I was being efficient—the lettuce completely wilts from the heat of the patty and loses all its textural appeal, so timing your assembly to the last possible second is genuinely important.
  • I learned the hard way that using iceberg lettuce specifically gives you a much crunchier, more substantial wrapper than romaine, which can feel limp by comparison even if you do assemble it quickly.
03 -
  • Let your ground beef sit out at room temperature for about ten minutes before cooking—it cooks more evenly and browns better than cold beef straight from the fridge.
  • Don't skip the tiny thumb indent in the center of each patty; it honestly keeps them from puffing up and cooking unevenly in a way that surprised me the first time I tried it.
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