Ready in only 20 minutes, this easy Big Mac Salad is a classic Big Mac burger turned into a salad! It has all the same ingredients (minus the bun). The dressing is a copycat of Big Mac sauce, which makes this salad completely crave-worthy and so satisfying.
About This Recipe
Big Mac Salad (also called 'cheeseburger salad') is loaded with all of the traditional Big Mac ingredients: beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onions, and pickles.
And even though this salad skips the burger bun, it uses a sprinkling of sesame seeds (which are usually on top of the bun!) for texture.
The dressing is a homemade copycat of Big Mac sauce, which tastes nearly the same as Thousand Island Dressing. It's creamy and is what makes this salad so satisfying.
Plus this salad is naturally low carb, keto friendly, and gluten free. It's an easy, quick, go-to recipe for a healthy lunch, dinner or meal prep for your week.
Big Mac Salad Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this recipe. The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the bottom of the page.
- Lean ground beef
- Olive oil
- Romaine lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Cheddar cheese
- Pickes
- Red onion
- Sesame seeds
Big Mac Sauce Dressing:
- Mayonnaise
- Relish
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Vinegar
- Onion powder
- Paprika
How to Make Big Mac Salad
Here's how to make this recipe in 4 simple steps:
- Cook the beef: heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and crumble the beef until browned, about 7-10 minutes. The beef should be cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Drain any excess grease and set aside to cool.
- Mix the sauce: in a small bowl, stir together the sauce ingredients. Add 1 teaspoon of water, or more if needed, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Toss: Add all of the salad ingredients except for the sesame seeds to a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss to mix.
- Serve: sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve immediately.
Variations
Here's some of the most popular substitutions and additions for this recipe:
- Lettuce: romaine or iceberg would be the classic choices for this salad but a spring mix would be tasty too.
- Tomatoes: this recipe calls for any type of large tomatoes (examples: heirloom, globe, or Roma). Cherry or grape tomatoes can also be used.
- Pickles: use any type of sliced pickle; bread and butter sliced pickles are recommended (they're flavorful and sweet).
- Mayonnaise: classic mayonnaise will give the best flavor but light mayonnaise will also work. Greek yogurt can be substituted but is less sweet.
About The Dressing
The dressing for this salad recipe is slightly unconventional... it's Big Mac Sauce! It's a homemade copycat of the sauce that's used on Big Mac burgers.
The sauce it goes perfectly with this salad and coats the lettuce with just the right amount of flavor and creaminess.
Big Mac Sauce is very similar to Thousand Island Dressing, and tastes about the same.
This sauce is essentially a combination of classic condiments (ketchup, mayo, mustard, relish). It's a burger sauce that's creamy and subtle. And if you're skeptical — you'll love it if you're a fan of ketchup or mayo on your burger.
Other Dressing Options
If you don't want to make your own sauce, you can use a store bought version or substitute with one of the below options:
- Thousand island dressing (a very close substitute)
- Ranch dressing
- Russian dressing
Frequently Asked Questions
A Big Mac Salad (also called a 'cheeseburger salad') is a Big Mac in the form of a salad! It has all the same ingredients (minus the bun): beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and cheese. The dressing is 'Big Mac Sauce,' and is a homemade copycat of McDonald's special sauce that they put on their burgers.
No, they are slightly different. Depending on which recipes you use they usually have differences of a couple ingredients. But they absolutely taste similar and either could be used with this salad.
This comes down to personal preference: you can eat it with the ground beef warm or cold and it's tasty either way. Just don't add the beef to the salad while it's hot as it can make the lettuce soggy.
Storage
To store this salad, store the dressing separate from the salad ingredients. The salad ingredients will stay fresh for about 3 days and the dressing will stay good for up to 5 days. Store your dressing and salad in airtight containers in the fridge.
To keep the salad fresher for longer chop your lettuce and shred your cheddar cheese just before adding it to the salad.
Similar Recipes
If you love this recipe, you'll love these similar ground beef-based bowls:
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & rating at the bottom of this page!
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Big Mac Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Ready in only 20 minutes, this Big Mac Salad is a classic Big Mac burger turned into a salad! It has all the same ingredients (minus the bun). The dressing is a copycat of Big Mac sauce, which makes this salad completely crave-worthy and so satisfying.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 5 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
- ¾ cup grated cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sliced pickles
- ⅓ cup sliced red onion
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Big Mac Sauce Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon water, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and crumble the beef until browned, about 5 - 7 minutes. The beef should be cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Drain any excess grease and set the beef aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, stir together the sauce ingredients. Add 1 teaspoon of water, or more if needed, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Add all of the salad ingredients except for the sesame seeds to a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss to mix.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: big mac, burger, beef, bowl, salad, sauce, burger sauce, keto, healthy, summer, meal prep, pickles, lunch, dinner, ground beef
Please note that Big Mac is a trademark of McDonalds Corporation. This recipe is inspired by their meals and is not affiliated with them in any way.
Kim
Wow!!!
★★★★★
Elizabeth
Delicious! It was all the yummy parts of a Bic Mac! I used ground Turkey breast instead of beef and added chopped avocado. I served it to my friends and got 5 recipe requests! Crave worthy! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
★★★★★
Megan
Yum!! Love the idea to use turkey and avocado -- sounds amazing! So glad that you enjoyed it & thank you for your comment! 🙂
Nicole
Do you know how many calories a serving size is?