Big Mac Salad
on Jan 20, 2022, Updated Jan 21, 2024
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I’ve never been much of a McDonald’s person, but sometimes a nice juicy Big Mac 🍔 just hits different! Having a Big Mac regularly is obviously not an option, but turn that bad boy into a salad, and now we’re talking. This Big Mac Salad is truly what dreams are made of. It’s so flavorful and filling, it will turn even the biggest salad skeptic into a salad junkie.
Why You’ll Love Big Mac Salad
Just envision this: crisp lettuce, sweet, caramelized onions, melty cheese, perfectly browned ground beef, topped with a tangy mac sauce dressing 🤤. This low-carb, deconstructed Big Mac will definitely become one of your weekly staples.
Salads are often criticized for being too time-consuming to make and not filling enough. Well, this Big Mac Salad solves both of those problems. Not only is this salad quick and easy to prepare, but the ground beef serves up a generous portion of protein, which will keep you full for hours. Best part? Once you make the mac sauce dressing, you can use it to jazz up any other salad or dish.
How to Prepare
🥬 Slice and dice the iceberg lettuce, then place it in a bowl.
🥒 Finely dice pickles or use relish.
🌟 Mix ingredients for the dressing, set aside.
🔥 Heat oil in a pan, add ground meat, and fry until golden and the liquid is gone.
🧅 Season with salt and pepper, add onions and garlic, sauté for 2-3 minutes.
🧀 Add cheese, and then turn off the heat.
✨ Once the cheese melts, place the meat mixture on top of the lettuce.
🍔 Add Big Mac sauce and enjoy!
Nonna’s Tip 🍔
In this recipe, you have the option to use only mayo, and if you are avoiding dairy, it’s recommended to use Vegenaise. Alternatively, you can use only yogurt, but the flavor will be more tangy and light. Another option is to use a combination of all three ingredients, which is what I did.
Big Mac Salad Variations and Substitutions
- Use romaine lettuce or mixed greens 🥬 instead of iceberg lettuce for a different flavor and texture.
- Try this salad with barbecue sauce, ranch, or aioli instead of Big Mac sauce.
- Feel free to add toppings such as 🍅 diced tomatoes, sliced olives, or avocado.
- Customize the dressing by adding mustard, ketchup, or a splash of vinegar.
- Instead of the pickles, feel free to use sweet pickle relish.
- Try different 🧀 cheeses such as Havarti, Swiss, or pepper jack.
- Experiment with different ground meats like turkey, 🐔 chicken, or a plant-based substitute for a 🌿 vegetarian version.
- To make this recipe 🥛dairy-free, be sure to use dairy-free sour cream and yogurt. Alternatively, just use 1/2 cup Vegenaise and skip the sour cream and yogurt.
More Salad Recipes
Common Questions
Yes, you can use romaine lettuce or mixed greens instead of iceberg lettuce.
Yes, you can make the recipe with just mayo. I would recommend Vegenaise for a dairy-free option. Alternatively, you can use just yogurt, but it will result in a more tangy and light flavor.
Yes, feel free to use a dairy-free sour cream or a yogurt alternative.
Instead of the pickles, you can use sweet pickle relish.
The sriracha or hot sauce adds a nice balance of heat but feel free to leave it out.
To make the dressing vegan, use 1/2 cup Vegenaise and no sour cream or yogurt. Use plant-based ground meat and leave out the cheddar or use a vegan cheddar instead.
Big Mac Salad
Video
Ingredients
The Dressing
- ¼ cup mayo, I love Vegenaise or Primal Kitchen
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup plain yogurt, or leave it out
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sriracha, optional
- 2 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard
- 2 pickles, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
The Salad
- 1 iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 400 grams lean ground beef, any meat works or plant-based meat
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil, any oil
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- salt + pepper, to taste
- ½ cup cheese, grated cheddar
Instructions
- Note: This recipe makes 3 portions so please divide everything equally into 3 bowls OR add as much as you like according to your lifestyle.
The Dressing
- Finely chop the pickles or use relish. Combine with remaining ingredients for the dressing. Mix well and set aside.
- Now, slice and dice the iceberg lettuce. Divide it equally into 3 bowls and set aside.
The Salad
- In a pan on medium high heat, add the oil and let it heat up.
- Add ground beef (or meat of choice) to the pan and fry until browned, making sure to evaporate all the liquid.
- Once browned, season with salt and pepper, add the onions, garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cheese on top, and turn off the heat.
- Once the cheese melts, you can put the cheesy meat topping on top of the lettuce, add as much Big Mac sauce as you'd like and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So delicious! The dressing is amazing. I made it as is but without the yogurt. I’ll probably eat this twice a week every week
Thank you Dede! So kind of you, happy you loved the salad.
Sign me up for your cookbook. I have the best outcomes with your recipes. Recently I have been CRAVING Bic Macs & this was the next best thing. Who knew a healthy version could taste so good! Super filling too.
Omg thank you Sonja 🥰
What flavor pickle do you use? Dill? Gherkin? Could you use pickle relish?
You can use any you like. I used DILL 🙂
I am not a huge fan of sauce, BUT I love anything Sneji makes so I had to try it. Hubby and I enjoyed this sauce over our burger bowls today. So good!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for trusting me, Amy! So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the rating! ❤️
I have made this twice! So yummy! At first I was skeptical because I tried the sauce on its own before I mixed it together and it didn’t taste like a Big Mac but once I combined everything together it was totally Big Mac tasting! Love it and will keep making it 🙂
I thought the same thing! Once it came together, delish!
My rating didn’t go through, and I need my 5 star rating to be reflected! Loved this, and this is definitely added to my repertoire.
Omg means so much
This was SO amazing!
Aw thanks Patrick! So happy you loved it
This was hands down the best sauce!!!! My boyfriend and I tried this out and we have to say it was better then Big Mac sauce! 10/10 recipe!
YAYYY !!! Aw thanks for the review Andrea
I will definately try this! looks delish!
Soooo excited I hope you love it
I haven’t had an actual Big Mac in years because of the caloric content and trying to eat healthier. Made this salad one night for dinner….WELL let me tell you….an actual BIG MAC minus the bun and the calories but 100% flavour! My 82 year old mother and 3 sons really enjoyed it as well. My sons were impressed how much it actually tasted like a Big Mac. No acid reflux afterwards either.
Piera you are the sweetest. Thank you for this