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–+ servings
Top-down view of a large Big Mac cheeseburger salad in a bowl with copycat Big Mac sauce in the background.

Big Mac Salad

40aprons.com/big-mac-salad/
This low-carb, gluten-free cheeseburger salad has all the flavors and components of a classic McDonald's Big Mac, including a copycat Big Mac sauce.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Total 20 minutes
Recipe Makes (Approximate): 4 salads

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • Large wooden spoon or spatula
  • small mixing bowl
  • whisk
  • 2-4 Serving bowls

Ingredients

For the Burger Meat

  • 1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil (avocado oil, olive oil, etc.)
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (85/15 or 90/10 preferred)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (more or less to taste)

For the Big Mac Dressing

For the Salad

  • 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup thinly sliced onions (white or red)
  • ½ cup dill pickle slices

Instructions

For the Burger Meat

  • Heat large skillet over medium heat. When skillet is warm, add 1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil and swirl or tilt pan to distribute oil across entire surface. Continue heating skillet until oil is hot and shimmery.
  • When oil is ready, add 1 pound lean ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper to skillet. Cook ground beef, stirring frequently, until beef is crumbled and no longer pink, approximately 7 to 10 minutes.

For the Big Mac Sauce

  • While ground beef cooks, add ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish, 1 teaspoon dried minced onion, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt to small mixing bowl.
  • Whisk ingredients together until fully combined. Once combined, taste sauce and increase amount of any ingredient as desired. When desired flavor is achieved, set sauce aside until ready to serve.

For the Big Mac Salad

  • Divide 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce evenly between serving bowls.
  • Top lettuce with equal portions of prepared ground beef, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, and pickle slices. Drizzle Big Mac sauce over top of salads and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

  • Make it Keto: Use a keto ketchup (store-bought or make your own). Replace the sugar with granulated Swerve or a liquid keto sweetener. Shred your cheese from a fresh block rather than using prepackaged shredded cheese that contains added starches and unnecessary carbs.
  • Make it Dairy Free: Use a dairy-free cheddar alternative or omit the cheese entirely.
  • Make it Paleo: Use maple syrup instead of sugar in the Big Mac sauce. Use a paleo-friendly mayo and ketchup, and top the salad with a paleo-friendly cheese alternative.
  • Make it Whole30: Omit the cheese. Use a Whole30 mayo and a Whole30 ketchup, and omit the sweetener in the Big Mac sauce.
  • Leftovers: Refrigerate any leftover salad in an airtight container up to 3 days. I recommend storing the ground beef separately from the rest of the components so you can reheat the beef by itself. The sauce can be kept up to 1 week if refrigerated in an airtight container.

Nutrition Information (Approximate)

Serving Size: 1saladCalories: 541calProtein: 33gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 1432mgPotassium: 727mgTotal Carbs: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gNet Carbs: 9gVitamin A: 6663IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 257mgIron: 4mg
Recipe By: Sam Guarnieri
https://40aprons.com/big-mac-salad/