Big Mac Salad
A crave-worthy Big Mac Salad loaded with seasoned ground beef, crisp iceberg lettuce, sharp cheddar, pickles, and a creamy tangy special sauce. All the classic burger flavors — no bun required.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 lb ground beef 80/20 is my go-to — flavor matters
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce chopped (classic crunch only)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese sharp is where it’s at
- ½ cup diced pickles more if you’re a pickle girl like me
- ¼ cup diced red onion optional, but I love the bite
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- A lil’ sprinkle of garlic powder and onion powder
For the Big Mac–Style Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickles or relish
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar don’t panic, it balances everything
- Paprika salt, and pepper to taste
Instructions
Brown the beef like you mean it
- Grab a skillet and cook the ground beef over medium heat. Break it up, season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Let it get a little browned — not gray and sad. We want flavor.
- Once it’s cooked, drain excess grease but don’t dry it out completely. Set it aside to cool just a bit.
Chop your salad base
- While the beef is doing its thing, chop your iceberg lettuce into bite-size pieces.
- Throw it into a big bowl — and I mean big. This salad has volume and personality.
- Add the shredded cheese, diced pickles, and red onion if you’re using it. Already looks good, right?
Make the sauce (aka the reason people lick the spoon)
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, ketchup, mustard, chopped pickles, vinegar, sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Taste it.
- Adjust it.
- Add more pickle if you’re bold. More ketchup if you like it sweeter. This sauce is forgiving — unlike some people.
Bring it all together
- Add the warm beef on top of the salad (this is where magic happens).
- Drizzle that sauce all over like you’re blessing the bowl.
- Toss gently so everything gets coated but still looks cute.
- And that’s it. No oven. No waiting. Just instant satisfaction.
Notes
- For lower calories, use lean ground beef (90/10) or swap half the mayo for Greek yogurt in the sauce.
- Keep ingredients stored separately if meal prepping to maintain crunch.
- Freshly shredded cheddar melts better than pre-shredded.
- If making keto, omit the sugar or use a low-carb sweetener.
- Best served immediately after assembling for maximum texture contrast.
- Add sesame seeds on top if you want that full “burger bun” illusion moment.