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Big Mac Salad is topped with the familiar Big Mac Sauce but without the carbs. The combination of the ground beef, pickles, cheese and lettuce make up this easy salad recipe.
Growing up getting a Big Mac at our favorite fast food restaurant was always big deal. That Big Mac Special Sauce that topped the burger was always my favorite part.
Now that I am trying to do low carb, I am glad that I can now have it in a Big Mac Salad. Some may say that it is just a fancy name for Thousand Island Dressing, But it is different.
The Big Mac Sauce is used for salad dressing on this cheeseburger salad is so easy to make. Not only is good on a salad but we love it as a dipping sauce to some of our favorite foods.
Favorite Reasons to Love this Big Mac Salad Recipe
- Perfect Weeknight Meal – We love that this a quick and easy meal that everyone loves. You can top your salad that a variety of ingredients.
- Low Carb – Even though this is a low net carbs big mac salad, my family still loves it. Plus it is loaded with vegetables and protein to keep you full.
- Budget Friendly Meal – This meal is so much cheaper than going through the drive-thru and it is better for you.
- Curve your Fast Food Craving – This is my go-to meal when I am craving my favorite Big Mac. It is a Big Mac without the bun.
- Use the Big Mac Sauce –We love to use the leftover Big Mac sauce for other things such as a sandwich spread or for dipping our chicken nuggets in.
- Keto Big Mac Salad Recipe – If you are doing the Keto diet or trying to stay on a low carb diet this gluten-free recipe is for you.
What is the Big Mac Sauce Made of?
The Big Mac sauce is made of simple ingredients. The main ingredients include in Big Mac Sauce are Mayonnaise, French Dressing and Sweet Pickle Relish. Only get sweet pickle relish and not dill pickle relish. There is a big difference when making this special sauce.
This creamy, tangy flavor sauce is perfect for this salad. The only thing missing is the sesame seed bun and we all thing it taste better without it. Top it with sesame seeds and this salad is complete.
Ingredients:
- Lean ground beef
- Salt
- Pepper
- Heads Romaine Lettuce, chopped (or iceberg lettuce)
- Red Onion, Thinly sliced
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
- Dill Pickles, Diced
Bic Mac Sauce:
- Mayonnaise
- French Dressing
- Sweet Pickle Relish
- White Vinegar
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
How to make Big Mac Salad:
- Prepare the Sauce – Stir the Big Mac sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
- Place in Refrigerator – Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the salad. It can also be made days in advance.
- Brown Ground Beef – Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Continue Cooking – Cook until the beef is fully browned and cooked through (7-10 minutes). Move the beef from the pan to a plate lined with a paper towel to cool.
- Prepare the Salad – Then chop the lettuce and place it in individual serving salad bowls. Top the lettuce with the cool meat, onions and pickles, tomatoes, and shredded cheese.
- Top with Big Mac Sauce – Drizzle the salad with the Big Mac sauce and then serve.
Recipe Tips
- Double the Sauce Recipe – My family loves this sauce. It great to make ahead of time and place in the refrigerator. We love to use as a dipping sauce with our grilled chicken or steaks.
- Lean Ground Beef – We love using a lean ground beef or ground turkey. It prevents a lot of grease in your salad.
- On the Go – If you need a salad to go, layer everything in a air tight container. Then when you are ready to eat, top with your big mac sauce, close the lid and give it a shake.
What does Big Mac Salad taste like?
If you love McDonald’s Big Mac then you are going to love this salad. I was surprised how closely tasted like the famous fast food restaurant top food item, but it does. It tastes just like a big mac without the bread.
We feel like our version is better though. Nothing beats a homemade sauce that we know exactly what is added. Plus it is following our low carb, keto diet so that is a win for me.
Big Mac Salad Topping Ideas:
The options are endless as to what you can top your salad with. These are some of our favorites:
- Meat – We used Ground Beef but you can also use ground turkey or a beef patty.
- Cheese – To keep with being a low carb meal, make sure you shred your own cheese. We used cheddar cheese, but pepper jack cheese or Colby Monterrey jack cheese are good options.
- Tomatoes – Sliced cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or roma tomatoes are always a crowd pleaser.
- Onions – Red or white onions are good choices.
- Slice Pickles – This salad wouldn’t be complete without the flavor of sliced pickles. Black Olives are always a good options.
- Ketchup – If you love ketchup on your burger, you might like to add it or yellow mustard to the cheeseburger salad.
What else can I use the Big Mac Sauce on?
We love the big mac sauce as a dipping sauce or as a sandwich spread. You can keep it in a mason jar in the fridge. Here are some other ways to use Big Mac Sauce:
- It is great on Hamburgers and Hot dogs.
- Mix in with your pasta salad
- Top your lettuce Wraps
- Put a spoonful on your bake potatoes
- My kids use it has a dipping sauce for their french fries and onion rings
- Use as a dipping sauce with chopped vegetables
Print Recipe for Big Mac Salad:
Big Mac Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 3 Heads Romaine Lettuce chopped
- 1 Red Onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes cut in half
- 1/2 cup Dill Pickles Diced
For the Big Mac Sauce:
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup French Dressing
- 2 Tbsp Sweet Pickle Relish
- 1 tsp White Wine Vinegar
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Onion Powder
Instructions
- Stir the Big Mac sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Cook until the beef is fully browned and cooked through (7-10 minutes). Move the beef from the pan to a plate lined with a paper towel to cool.
- Then chop the lettuce and place it in individual serving bowls. Top the lettuce with the cool meat, onion, tomatoes, shredded cheese and diced up pickles.
- Drizzle the salad with the Big Mac sauce and then serve.
Big MAC sauce is SPOT ON! I don’t care for raw onion, but I chopped up some homemade pickled red onion instead. This salad was so delicious. My husband also loved it!
Can’t wait to try this salad for a get together with my co-workers. As they are all fans of “Big Mac’s” I’m hoping this will satisify their taste buds, while enjoying a great salad for lunch. Thanks for the great idea and refreshing recipe.