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This Big Mac Salad is like your favorite burger, deconstructed in a bowl! It has so much flavor and texture, you’ll love every bite! It features tender beef, pickles, cheese, and fresh veggies all topped with homemade Big Mac sauce!
The Big Mac Salad is everything you love about a Big Mac Burger in a fresh and flavorful lightened-up salad form. This recipe skips the bun and instead uses lots of better-for-you vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, onion and pickles to create a tasty burger bowl! It has all of the best flavors and textures and is low-carb, too! Like a regular burger, it’s super customizable and you can add all of your favorite toppings straight to the bowl. Just don’t forget to add a generous drizzle of homemade Big Mac sauce!
If you love burgers in any form, you’ll have to try out some of these other fun recipes- Flying Dutchman, cheeseburger casserole, or cheeseburger pasta!
Recipe Overview
Before you get started
Before you dive in, here are some helpful tips:
- Make the Big Mac sauce ahead. You can even make it the day before and store it in the fridge.
- Use lean ground beef to cut down on calories. Or you can use ground chicken or turkey.
- Allow the beef to cool before you add it over the salad. Otherwise, the lettuce will wilt.
- Season the beef. I used Salt and pepper, but you can add some onion powder to add more flavor.
- Chop all the salad ingredients into small or the same sizes if possible.
- If you are meal prepping this, I recommend you store the ingredients separately, especially the beef and the dressing, so the salad stays fresh when ready to serve.
Common questions
Big Mac burgers are made with dill pickles, so that’s exactly what I like to use on this Big Mac salad recipe.
Big Mac sauce and Thousand Island dressing are similar, but not exactly the same. For this version of a Big Mac salad, I am using a tasty burger sauce made with mayonnaise, dill pickle juice, mustard and sriracha. Other special sauce recipes might include white vinegar, ketchup, sugar and/or pickle relish.
Big Macs are made with iceberg lettuce, so that’s what we’re using for this burger salad bowl. Other types of salad greens may be used, but I enjoy iceberg for maximum crunch and mild flavor.
This salad will last up to 4 days in the fridge. I do not recommend freezing.
Ingredients you’ll need
For this Big Mac salad recipe, grab all of your favorite burger fixings for an incredible burger bowl! Here is the lineup of everything you’ll need:
- Beef: You can use whatever ground meat you like best but my favorite in this recipe is lean ground beef.
- Lettuce: I like to use a nice crisp option like iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce or butter lettuce.
- Red onion: For a milder flavor, you can use sautéed yellow onion.
- Tomatoes: You can use whatever you have on hand.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese is my go-to for burger bowls. But any on hand will work.
- Pickles: I typically use dill pickles, but you can also try butter pickles.
- Sesame seeds: Optional, but I love a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds over the top for a classic burger presentation!
- Big Mac sauce: A combination of mayo, dill pickle liquid, mustard and sriracha stirred together make for a delicious burger sauce that you’ll want to use on all of your burger recipes.
Variations and substitutions
- For the meat: Switch it up and experiment using ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Seasoning: You can add extra seasonings to the beef as it cooks. Start with about 1/2 teaspoon of both garlic powder and onion powder.
- Cheese: Any favorite cheese can be used, from shredded Colby jack cheese to pepper jack cheese. You can even omit the cheese to keep this dairy-free.
- Other toppings: Some other additions that would be delicious are avocado, bacon, croutons, sautéed mushrooms, or even a fried egg on top!
- Sauce: Instead of the Big Mac sauce, you can use my homemade In-N-Out sauce, homemade ranch dressing, or another preferred dressing or sauce.
How to make Big Mac Salad
Here’s how to make the perfect Big mac Salad:
1️⃣ Make the Big Mac Sauce and Sear Beef
In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients and set aside. Heat a large pan over medium heat and cook the meat, mincing it with a wooden spoon. Once the meat is no longer pink, season with some salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Drain the extra grease and set aside to cool.
✏️ You can season the beef with some added onion powder and garlic powder.
2️⃣ Prep The Veggies
Prep the veggies by washing and chopping them. Add them to a large bowl.
✏️ Try to chop the veggies same size and small.
3️⃣ Assemble The Bowl
Once you have prepared everything, you can then assemble the bowls. You can make 2-4 bowls, depending on how many you want to serve. Start with the lettuce and work your way with the other veggies, then top with the cooked meat and shredded cheese.
✏️ Don’t forget to let the cooked beef cool down first before you add it to the salad.
4️⃣ Add the sauce and serve
Drizzle with the dressing, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.
✏️ Only add the dressing when you are ready to serve the salad. This dressing can also be made ahead, like a day before, and just use it when ready to serve the salad.
Serving suggestions
This salad is a complete meal with protein, complex carbs, and good fats. However, burger bowls also pair well with your typical burger sides. Here are some delicious options:
- Fries: French Fries, Roasted Carrot Fries, or Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini Fries.
- Chips: Potato Chips, Air Fryer Zucchini Chips or Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips.
- Other sides: Healthy Homemade Coleslaw, Deviled Eggs, Cauliflower Potato Salad, or Herbed Potato Salad.
Big Mac Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef, or 4 burger patties
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3-4 dill pickles, diced
- 4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Big Mac Sauce/dressing:
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup dill pickle liquid
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1-2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients and set aside. (3/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup dill pickle liquid, 1 tablespoon mustard, and 1-2 tablespoons sriracha sauce)
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and cook the meat (1 pound lean ground beef), mincing it with a wooden spoon.
- Once the meat is no longer pink, season with some Kosher salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Drain the extra grease and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, add the 1 large head iceberg lettuce, 1 red onion, 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and 3-4 dill pickles.
- Add the cooked meat and drizzle with the dressing.
- Sprinkle with 4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds and serve.
Notes
- Storing: Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you’re meal prepping these salads for lunch for the week, it’s best to store the ingredients separately and assemble in the morning or before eating.
- Making ahead: Store the meat in its large container. Wash all of the fresh veggies (if needed), prep them, and store each in a separate container. Then, each day that you plan on enjoying a Big Mac salad, you can simply assemble and dig in.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Storage recommendations
- Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you’re meal prepping these salads for lunch for the week, it’s best to store the ingredients separately and assemble in the morning or before eating.
- To prep ahead, store the meat in a large container separately. Wash all of the fresh veggies (if needed), prep them, and store each in a separate container. Then, each day that you plan on enjoying this salad, you can simply assemble and dig in.
More salad recipes
- Jennifer Aniston Salad
- Grilled Chicken Apple Spinach Salad
- Italian Kale Salad Jar
- Hawaiian Mac Salad
- Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad
- Healthy Chicken Taco Salad
- Chickpea and Feta Salad
- Chicken Arugula Salad
