This Big Mac Salad is everything you love about the classic burger, in a salad bowl! And this cheeseburger salad is not only healthier, it’s even better tasting. It has a more flavorful dressing that surpasses any other regular burger sauce, and a special ingredient that gives the ground beef a delicious zip that really adds an extra layer of flavor! Bye bye, boring burger; hello sophisticated salad.
I used to love Big Macs. I still do, but truth be told, I actually like this salad even better. It’s like a hamburger in a bowl!
It’s all the things I love about the classic Big Mac, but with less carbs and more leafy greens. But you won’t miss out on the, “Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” They’re all there!
Ground beef is seasoned to perfection and added to lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and lots of shredded cheddar. Then the whole thing is topped with a delicious drizzle of the best burger sauce you have ever tasted.
Oh, and I usually have trouble getting my little one to eat her salads. Not anymore! She even asked for and finished a second bowl!
Why You’ll Love This Big Mac-In-A-Bowl
There are so many reasons to love this hamburger salad, but I’m trying to keep this short. So here’s just a few of my top reasons:
- It’s easy to make – and comes together so quickly, as quick as going out and getting fast food.
- A lower carb option – if you’re watching your carbohydrate intake or just trying to eat a little healthier, this is a great alternative without sacrificing flavor!
- Everything you love about burgers, in a bowl – My entire family loves when I make this tasty salad for dinner. My little one even asks for seconds!
Ingredients to Make Big Mac Salads
Salad Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Kosher salt and Ground black pepper
- Onion and Garlic powder – If all you have in your spice cabinet is onion salt or garlic salt, omit the previously mentioned salt from the recipe.
- Worcestershire sauce – Use an anchovy-free variety if you have a fish allergy.
- Red onion – You can also use white or yellow onion if you prefer.
- Tomatoes
- Romaine and Iceberg Lettuce – I like the mix, but you can use all of one or the other.
- Cheddar Cheese – I always find the taste of freshly shredded cheddar is so much better than pre-shredded cheese.
- Pickles – You can use whole pickle chips or diced pickles. Dill pickles are usually the type I grab.
- Bacon (optional)
For the Dressing
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Sweet pickle relish
- Sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Substitutions & Alterations
- For the Ground Beef – you can substitute the ground beef with ground chicken or ground turkey.
- For the Red Onion – if you aren’t a fan of raw onions, you could substitute them with pickled onions or omit them entirely.
- For the Lettuce – this recipe uses a combination of romaine and iceberg. You could use all of one or the other if you prefer. Any sturdy lettuce will do. I would just avoid any lettuce that’s easily prone to wilting quickly, like butter lettuce.
- For the Burger Sauce – you can replace the burger sauce with some Thousand Island dressing. It isn’t an exact replacement, but it’ll do in a pinch!
- Sesame seeds – If you’re missing that sesame seed bun, you can give a good sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds to the top of your salad.
- Vinegar – you can use white vinegar in the salad dressing, but I just happen to prefer the milder taste of apple cider vinegar.
How to Make the Cheeseburger Salad
- Place the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season it with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Cook the beef fully, breaking it up until it’s completely cooked through and no longer pink.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and mix to combine well. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside to let the cooked beef cool.
- To a large salad bowl, add the romaine, iceberg, onion, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, pickles, and bacon (if using). Top with the ground beef.
How to Make the Burger Sauce Dressing
- To a separate small bowl or jar, make the burger sauce dressing.
- Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix until it’s fully combined.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve it immediately.
Tips & Tricks
- You can make both the burger sauce and the ground beef in advance. But wait to assemble the salad until you’re ready to serve it to avoid it getting soggy.
- If you don’t like chopping lettuce, you can use pre-chopped, bagged lettuce from the grocery store.
- Use freshly shredded block cheddar for the best taste.
kitchen tools to make big mac salad
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Buy Now → How to Serve
You can serve this cheeseburger-in-a-bowl as a dinner all on its own, or pair it with some homemade rolls, soup, another side (like fries), or a main entree option. I really enjoy the Air Fryer Roasted Baby potatoes listed here with this salad.
- Honey Rolls
- Easy Yeast Rolls for Beginners
- Air-Fried Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
How to Store Leftovers
I like to store the components for this salad separately in airtight containers. Stored properly, refrigerated leftovers stored individually will be good for up to 5 days.
If you are refrigerating an already-made salad, store it in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.
FAQs
While 1,000 Island dressing and Big Mac sauce look similar, they are actually quite different. Traditional Big Mac sauce doesn’t contain minced onion or ketchup, two of the main ingredients in Thousand Island dressing.
According to the McDonald’s website, there is no ketchup used in McDonald’s recipe for their secret sauce.
More Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Homemade Chicken Salad with Grapes
- Rainbow Chopped Salad with Apple Honey Vinaigrette
- Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
- Easy Basic Tuna Salad
- Grilled Peach Salad
If you make this recipe and love it, we would love a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! It helps us continue to provide free recipes.
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Big Mac Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons red onion
- 3 tomatoes chopped
- 2 heads romaine chopped
- 1 head iceberg chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 1 cup sliced pickles
- 6 slices bacon optional
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season it with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Cook the beef, breaking it up, until it’s completely cooked through and no longer pink.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and mix to combine. Remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool.
- To a large salad bowl, add the romaine, iceberg, onion, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, pickles, and bacon (if using). Top with the ground beef.
- To a separate small bowl or jar, make the burger sauce dressing.
- Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix until it’s fully combined.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve it immediately.
Video
Notes
- You can make the burger sauce and ground beef in advance, but I would wait to assemble the salad until you’re ready to serve it to avoid it getting soggy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
