Get my Cookbooks! Big Mac Salad
This Big Mac Salad is easy to make with a delicious homemade dressing that tastes like Big Mac sauce! It’s loaded with seasoned ground beef, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and cheese!
Big Mac Salad
This Big Mac Salad is a genius way to take a fast-food classic (that tends to come with a side of guilt), and transform it into a fresh, protein-packed, guilt-free meal! (Just wait until you taste the homemade Big Mac dressing, it’s so similar to the classic Big Mac Sauce that we all know and love!)
There is minimal cooking required for this one, just brown some seasoned ground beef and you’re good to go! You can cook it on a griddle on the grill, or simply brown it on the stove top. Don’t miss my PRO TIPS below!
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Pro Tips
- Lettuce: A combination of iceberg and romaine is perfect in this salad, but any variety that you enjoy will work well!
- Dressing: The longer the flavors can meld together in the fridge, the better! Feel free to make the dressing a day ahead of time.
- Pickles: I like to use dill pickles. After dicing, I place them in between paper towels to absorb excess moisture to keep the salad crisp/not soggy.
- Tomatoes: While Big Macs don’t traditionally include tomatoes, I like to toss them in for more color, texture, and flavor. Feel free to omit them if preferred!
- If you anticipate leftovers: Feel free to serve the ground beef in a separate bowl on the side to scoop your desired amount over a portion of salad. Cover and refrigerate leftover ground beef separately so that it’s easy to heat up for round 2!
- Here’s my post for just the Big Mac Sauce if preferred!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links*)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Cast Iron Grill and Griddle Pan– This can be used on the grill or even over a campfire!
- Spatula Spoon– Perfect for cooking/crumbling ground beef and spooning it into a bowl after.
- Spice Rack–This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Salad Dressing Shaker
- Cutting Boards
- My Favorite Chef Knife
- Serving Platter
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Tried This Recipe?
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Big Mac Salad
This Big Mac Salad is easy to make with a delicious homemade dressing that tastes like Big Mac sauce! It's filled with seasoned ground beef, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and cheese!
Ingredients
Dressing (yields 1 cup)
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dill pickles, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, sugar, salt
Salad
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon EACH: pepper, onion powder
- 10-12 cups roughly chopped lettuce, I use iceberg and romaine
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- ¾ cup dill pickles, diced
- ¼ cup white onions, finely diced
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- Sesame seeds, to garnish
Instructions
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (The longer the better so the flavors can meld!)
- Season the ground beef with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Add it to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble for 7-10 minutes, until the meat is brown and cooked through. Drain grease and set aside.
- Arrange the lettuce in an even layer in a serving bowl. Top with the ground beef and sprinkle with tomatoes, pickles, and onions.
- Drizzle with some of the salad dressing and top with cheese and sesame seeds. Serve with extra dressing on the side.
Notes
Pro Tips:
Storage
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
- Lettuce: A combination of iceberg and romaine is perfect in this salad, but any variety that you enjoy will work well!
- Dressing: The longer the flavors can meld together in the fridge, the better! Feel free to make the dressing a day ahead of time.
- Pickles: I like to use dill pickles. After dicing, I place them in between paper towels to absorb excess moisture to keep the salad crisp/not soggy.
- Tomatoes: While Big Macs don't traditionally include tomatoes, I like to toss them in for more color, texture, and flavor. Feel free to omit them if preferred!
- If you anticipate leftovers: Feel free to serve the ground beef in a separate bowl on the side to scoop your desired amount over a portion of salad. Cover and refrigerate leftover ground beef separately so that it's easy to heat up for round 2!
- Here's my post for just the Big Mac Sauce if preferred!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 405kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 77mg, Sodium: 1248mg, Potassium: 562mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1000IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 184mg, Iron: 3mg
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This recipe was fantastic, the dressing alone was so flavorful and delicious! the salad ingredients complimented the dressing and my family loved it! it tasted exactly like a Big Mac! I served with French fries and we at it all up!
I am soooo happy to hear that Jennifer! I think I’m going to create a separate post just for the dressing, it’s been such a huge hit! I’m SO happy that you loved it, and serving it with French Fries is GENIUS!!! I love that. Thank you sooo much for taking the time to leave a review!! 🙂 -Stephanie
This sounds like something I could pull off with what I have on hand. Question on leftovers, would one reheat the burger meat to prepare the dish the next day? Thanks James.
Hi James! You sure could! One idea would be to keep the ground beef in a separate bowl and spoon the amount that you’d like over a portion of salad. Store the remaining meat separately and reheat easily the next day!
I don’t eat at McDonald’s since my sons grew up but I use to love their Big Mac! Yours is the best!
I really enjoy this salad.
I am sooo happy that you love the salad Linda!!! WOOOO!! I’m thrilled. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!! 🙂 -Stephanie
This Big Mac Salad was very good. I took it to a lunch party and everyone loved it. Easy to make and transport. The hamburger was not super hot but no one disliked because of that. This will be a summer time quick easy go to meal.
I’m soooo thrilled to hear that Jerry!! What a great thing to bring! Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to leave a review!!
This is an instant hit! My son asked for me to remake this tomorrow. My husband said he no longer needs to go to McDonalds bc this is better than the Big Mac! I was also told to make the sauce and keep it on hand for any and every burger night in our house! We will be making this again!
I’m so happy it was such a success Chrissy! My husband couldn’t believe how much this tasted like a Big Mac. I could tell he was surprised! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!!❤️
Since I knew you were posting your Big Mac Salad recipe today, I went ahead and bought the ingredients I imagine I would need. I guessed correctly with the exception of lettuce choice. I bought butter lettuce. I have been making my version when I have a leftover cheeseburger. I used Ken’s Thousand Island dressing for convenience. Your home made Big Mac dressing is PERFECTION! I think the balance of the smoked paprika plus sugar make it just right! It is so good and easy to put together. I like the seasoned ground beef instead of a leftover cheeseburger. Nice crisp chopped dill pickles make it so tasty! I like the tomato on it, for taste and color. The final detail (that I neglected to put on my salad) is the sesame seeds! Now that is a Big Mac Salad! Way to go, Stephanie! Another fantastic recipe!
Hey Renee!! I was SOOOO excited for you to try this and I’m beyond impressed that you prepared yourself to make it right away! I’m THRILLED that you loved the homemade dressing! LOVE that you chose to add the tomatoes as well. I agree, the ground beef beats a whole patty, you can distribute it around better! You totally made my day and I really appreciate you, as always! THANK YOU!!!