These Kid Friendly Ground Beef Mini Cheeseburger Bites are so yummy. Not only are they delicious, but cheeseburger bites are a big hit for the whole family!
When preparing any low carb or keto meals for the entire family, it can feel a bit overwhelming. And when transitioning your little ones to a low carb lifestyle, it’s important to make it fun. If you’re anything like me, you’ve scoured the internet looking for recipes that are kid specific, only to find out there really aren’t that many out there. As a low carb momma myself, I want to make this as easy as possible for you.
One of the best “transition meals” that has worked for our family is the delicious cheeseburger. Not only will your child love it, but most kids know what a cheeseburger looks like. This way when they see these kid friendly ground beef mini cheeseburgers they know exactly what they’re about to eat. That makes the “this is icky” or “I’m not eating that!” convo less likely to happen.
Remember- recreating your child’s favorite foods into a low carb favorite is actually a lot of fun and super healthy!
This post is all about recreating the standard cheeseburger into a Kid Friendly Ground Beef Mini Cheeseburger your little ones will love!
Best Kid Friendly Ground Beef Mini Cheeseburgers
Ground Beef
The main ingredient of a burger is obviously the ground beef. You may choose any percentage of ground beef you and your family prefer. Ground beef is typically presented as a ratio of percentage of lean meat and fat by weight. Common ratios you will find are: 70/30, 80/15, 80/20, and 90/10. I personally find that the best ratio for hamburger patties is 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef, and for this recipe I have chosen 85/15. The higher fat content ensures that we have a nice juicy burger.
For this recipe I used 100% organic grass-fed ground beef, but you can use your favorite brand. If you are unable to purchase a “pure and holy” grass-fed, grass-finished pound of beef that is OK. Trust me, this is not the norm for my family. Literally the only time I buy any meat that is grass fed, pasture raised or free range is when it’s on sale.
Kid Friendly Seasoning
Now this will totally depend on what you, your family or your child prefers. With this meal you are basically catering to your kids right? So I’d suggest adding their favorite flavors. This will also depend on the age of your child or the stage of their journey. For example, I wouldn’t add diced jalapeños to the mixture for my 16 month old daughter. I have found that adding the “cheeseburger norm” flavors into the beef itself is the way to go. Then you add whatever toppings they really love.
For this recipe I decided to add some tomato paste (for that ketchup flavor) and mustard to the meat mixture. As well as salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic powder. For extra flavor I added Worcestershire sauce and 1 egg as a binder.
Hamburger Patty
After you’ve added your family’s favorite spices and seasonings you will now mix up your ground beef mixture until incorporated. Then you will create mini meatballs. The easiest way to do this is to roll the entire mixture into one massive meatball. From there you will continue to divide the massive ball until you make as many meatballs needed. In the end I was able to get 34 mini meatballs.
Once you’ve completed this step you will need to preheat a large skillet. There is no need to add any fats to the pan since the ground beef already contains the perfect amount. Flatten each meatball into a patty shape right before you add to your pan.
Whenever I’m cooking meatballs or these yummy mini cheeseburgers I always add the meatballs or patties to the pan in a clockwise pattern starting at the outside and 12 o’clock position. Then I work may way around the pan and towards the middle. The reason for this is to ensure all patties are cooked evenly; it helps you remember which patty you added first so you know where to start flipping.
Because these little ground beef patties are so small it will take no time at all to cook them. I’d suggest only 2-3 minutes per side. Once the first side is done, flip patties starting at 12, flipping clockwise until you reach the center.
Once mini cheeseburgers are cooked all the way through, remove from the pan and add cheese.
Mini Cheeseburger Toppings
Now this is my favorite part. You can add any low carb or keto topping your family loves to these mini cheeseburgers. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Avocado
- Onion
- Bacon
- Fried egg (if you’re feeling extra fancy you can add a cute little quail egg)
- Pickles
- Tomato
- Lettuce
- BBQ sauce (Low Carb & Keto approved)
- Cheese
With our burgers we decided on gouda cheese (one of my daughter’s favorites), a pickle and some BBQ sauce.
This gouda cheese came in slices. I simply took out one slice and cut it into quarters. Then topped each cheeseburger with one pickle coin.
For fun I skewered the ground beef mini cheeseburgers with cute little flags!
Here’s our other plate with our favorite BBQ sauce.
Aren’t they adorable?!?!?!
Want to know exactly how to make them? Check out the recipe below:
Kid Friendly Ground Beef Mini Cheeseburger Bites
These Kid Friendly Ground Beef Mini Cheeseburger Bites are so yummy. Not only are they delicious, but cheeseburger bites are a big hit for the whole family!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 medium egg
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Using your hands, mix together all ingredients and form into a large ball.
- Continue to halve each ball until you make approximately 34 mini meatballs.
- Preheat large skillet.
- Before adding meatballs to skillet, flatten into burger patty shape.
- Imagining that your pan is a large clock, start adding your patties beginning at 12 o'clock.
- Continue clockwise until you've reached the middle of your pan. Cook in batches- do not overcrowd your pan.
- Cook each side for 2-3 minutes.
- Once cooked thoroughly remove from pan and place on plate.
- Top with favorite cheese and toppings.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8.5 Serving Size: 4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 121Total Fat: 8.5gSaturated Fat: 3.5gCholesterol: 52.4mgSodium: 44.2mgCarbohydrates: 0.1gProtein: 11.1g