Dress up your salad this evening with this Big Mac salad recipe. It is a green salad that is topped with seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, shredded cheese, onion pickles, and a homemade dressing! You get all the flavors of a McDonald’s Big Mac but in a salad form.
I love how this is low carb yet it tastes incredible! I have this at least 2x a week and its one of my favorite lunches or even a light dinner option!
I am a sucker for the classic McDonald’s drive-thru! Nothing beats a tasty Big Mac in my opinion. You have to try my Big Mac cups or even these Big Mac Smash tacos as well. Both are mouthwatering and delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Big Mac Salad Recipe…
- You get all the flavors of a Big Mac but in a salad form. So you get a healthier version as there is no bun in this recipe. So you have a lower-carb food option.
- You can customize the ingredients you add to the salad to load it up or make it as simple as you would prefer.
- It is a quick and easy recipe that the whole family can enjoy.
- Budget-friendly ingredients are used for making the salad.
- You can meal prep this salad for on-the-go lunches or easy dinners throughout the week.
Ingredients
Here is a quick look at what you will need to make up this salad with ground beef!
- Ground Beef – You can use any type of ground beef for this recipe. Or swap with ground turkey or ground chicken for a switch of flavor.
- Seasonings – Salt, pepper, and garlic are used for flavoring the meat.
- Toasted Sesame Seeds – You can’t serve this salad without the toasted sesame seeds! This is a fun look but the toasted seeds add some flavor.
- Lettuce – Romaine and iceberg lettuce are what I used for the base of the salad. Feel free to reach for different types of lettuce if you would prefer.
- Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes work great for this recipe. You will slice it into bite-size pieces.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – I love shredded cheddar cheese, it helps add a nice pop of flavor that works well. Now, you can swap any type of cheese if you would like. American cheese, pepper jack, mozzarella, etc.
- Pickles and Juice – You will slice up and use pickles for the dressing and for the salad.
- Onion – White or yellow onion is going to be the best, but if you are in a pinch the red onion will work as well. I find the red onion is the strongest in flavor.
- Condiments – Mayonnaise and ketchup are both used for adding to the sauce. This is going to be the dressing you drizzle over the salad.
Tips for Success
- Make sure to fully cook the ground meat until no longer pink. Then drain off the grease so you don’t make your salad greasy.
- When you are prepping your lettuce and vegetables, you will want to make sure to cut into bite-size pieces. This is going to help add more flavor to your salad so with each bite you get a mix of flavors in each bite.
- If you use a metal knife when you cut your lettuce you will find it can brown and wilt a lot faster. You can buy a lettuce knife to help preserve the lettuce the best.
- For the dressing you can add as little or as much dressing to your salad as you would like.
- If you don’t want to make your dressing feel free to reach for your favorite brand of Thousand Island dressing.
Storing
I do recommend that you store your lettuce in a separate container, veggies in a container, and meat in a separate container. Then the dressing can be stored in a separate as well. This is going to preserve the ingredients and allow them to last a whole lot longer.
Then heat the meat up and then assemble the salad like you would, and enjoy. That is the best way to extend the life of your salad. If you have your meat, veggies, sauce, and lettuce all in one container it will last 1-2 days. Where separate will last 3-4 days.
FAQs
Is a Big Mac salad healthy?
You will find this salad is overall healthy but the dressing does have some fat content in it. You will also find that how much cheese and other ingredients you add to the salad affects the overall healthy component.
Can I make a vegetarian or vegan version of Big Mac salad?
Simply leave out the beef and use a meat-free replacement and then if you want reach for a vegan cheese, and other ingredients that contain dairy. Go right ahead and use vegan alternatives to adjust the recipe.
Can I meal prep Big Mac salad?
Yes, simply store all the ingredients in separate containers in the fridge. Then when ready to eat, assemble, and add dressing. Then you have a quick meal. If you prep in a container, then leave the dressing in a separate container or put the dressing at the bottom of a jar and top with tomatoes, then add lettuce and other ingredients on top.
More Easy Recipes
Big Mac Salad
Ingredients
- Ingredients for Salad:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- salt pepper and garlic powder to taste
- ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
- 2 plum tomatoes chopped
- 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sliced dill pickles
- ½ cup onion very finely chopped
- Ingredients for Dressing:
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons dill pickles finely, chopped or relish
- 2 teaspoons pickle juice
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown ground beef on medium high heat in a medium sized frying pan. Season with
- spices and drain if necessary.
- Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan on medium heat, for 3-5 minutes until golden
- brown. Set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, ketchup, finely chopped pickles, pickle juice
- and black pepper with a small whisk or spoon. Set aside while you prep remaining
- salad ingredients.
- Wash and chop romaine and iceberg lettuces. Spin with a salad spinner or dry excess
- water with paper towels and transfer to a large bowl.
- Chop plum tomatoes, and onions, slice pickles and grate the cheddar cheese.
- Divide lettuces into 4 or 6 serving bowls layer on meat, then tomatoes, pickles,
- cheese and onions.
- Drizzle on the mac dressing with a spoon and then garnish with the toasted sesame
- seeds and enjoy!
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