Big Mac Salad
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Big Mac Salad is inspired by the McDonald’s classic! Made with ground beef, iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, pickles, onions, cheddar cheese, and a delicious homemade Big Mac salad dressing! A whole lot lighter than the burgers you know and love, you’re going to want to make this recipe on repeat!!
Big Mac Salad
You guys know how much I love my copycat recipes — I’ve got a couple dozen of them and I’m adding to my collection almost every week!
Something else I love doing is taking some of my restaurant or fast food favorites and creating something totally new.
I’ve already created a Big Mac Pasta Salad and Big Mac Bombs… next up on my list was something a little bit lighter. And so this Big Mac salad was born!!
It features everything you’ll find on a Big Mac: iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onion, pickles, and yes, even ground beef!
The result is a recipe for Big Mac salad that will please any McDonald’s lover in your life. And even those who don’t really like the fast-food chain!
I love serving this at cookouts and barbecues — everyone is always so impressed, and there are never any leftovers. My Big Mac salad recipe is about to become your new go-to!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Ground Beef – This is a recipe for Big Mac salad, after all, so you know I’m including ground beef! You can use your favorite — I’m partial to 80/20 mixes.
- Lettuce – I like standard iceberg lettuce here. It’s sturdier than other greens and is also what you find on a real Big Mac!
- Tomatoes – I like grape tomatoes. I cut them in half before adding them to the salad to make them more manageable to bite into.
- Pickles – To make this Big Mac salad recipe even more authentic… what’s a burger without pickles?! I usually dice up about 3 spears.
- Red Onion – For a bit of bite and color! You’ll typically find white onion on Big Macs, but I do really love the pop of bright purple these add to the mix.
- Cheese – I like shredded mild cheddar cheese, but you could use Pepper Jack, mozzarella, or American cheese if you’d like.
- Seasonings – Just those OGs you know I love: salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and granulated onion.
- Dressing – You’ll need mayo, ketchup, white vinegar, sweet pickle relish, white onion, salt, and pepper. It’s really similar to my Big Mac sauce!
Tips and Tricks to Make the Perfect Recipe for Big Mac Salad
- Drain any excess grease from the ground beef.
After you’ve cooked the ground beef and before you add it to the other ingredients, it’s very important to drain any excess grease from the pan.
The last thing you want is a soggy and greasy salad! Remember to let the meat cool a bit too. If you rush the process, you’ll end up with hot lettuce and melted cheese… yuck!
- Slice your grape tomatoes the easy way!
Have you heard of the tomato-slicing method that involves two lids yet?
I mapped it out for you in this post, but it’s super simple: all you need to do is place several grape tomatoes on top of a plastic lid and then add another lid on top of the tomatoes.
Secure the top lid with your hand and use a sharp knife (watch your fingers!) to slice through all of the tomatoes at the same time. Such a helpful kitchen hack!
- Get creative with your toppings.
While the ingredients listed feature everything you’d find on a real Big Mac from McDonald’s, nothing’s stopping you from adding some yummy extras!
I’ve included avocado, crumbled bacon, and hardboiled eggs in the past, and it was a big hit. Mix and match and use your favorites.
- Make extra dressing to keep in the fridge for leftovers.
My Big Mac salad dressing is so insanely delicious that you’re going to want to start putting it on all of your salads!
Make a double batch to keep in the fridge for any leftovers — or for other meals. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Prep Ahead
- Wash and chop the lettuce
- Halve the tomatoes
- Slice the onion and pickles
- Shred the cheese
- Make the dressing
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Skillet – This is my go-to pan that I’ve had for over a decade! It heats evenly and cleans up beautifully with a little baking soda so it still looks brand new.
- Quality Knives and a big solid Cutting Board make prepping a breeze and are well worth the investment.
- Mixing Bowls – I like to have a variety of sizes on hand, and this set has them all.
- Mason Jar – I absolutely love these and use them for storing and prepping, as drinking glasses, and especially for canning.
Serving Suggestions
Big Mac salad is best served fresh!
It’s a pretty substantial meal on its own — especially for lunch — but you could always serve it with hot and crispy fries for a true fast food-inspired experience!
I’ve got quite the McDonald’s copycat collection going these days!
Try pairing your salad with fried apple pies and a Shamrock shake for dessert to round everything out. Oh, and make some Big Mac Sauce to pair with those fries too.
Storing Leftovers
As mentioned, this recipe for Big Mac salad is best enjoyed fresh — but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Keep in mind that the lettuce might wilt and lose its crispiness after some time in the fridge.
The salad dressing will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator by itself. Share or stir well before using!
Big Mac Salad Recipe FAQ
Iceberg lettuce! That’s one of the main reasons why I use it in my Big Mac salad recipe. At McDonald’s, they shred their lettuce — you can get away with simply chopping it for your salad.
Some people compare it to Thousand Island dressing, while others say that Great Value Brand’s Secret Sauce is the best substitute.
I personally think that my Big Mac salad dressing is pretty darn close!
The different salad components can definitely be prepared in advance, but you must store everything separately.
Ingredients like the dressing and the tomatoes will make everything go soggy — assembling and dressing the salad right before serving is your best bet!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Big Mac Salad
Equipment
- small bow
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce, chopped and washed
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 3 pickle spears, roughly chopped
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
- 2 teaspoon finely minced white onion
- pinch of kosher salt, or to taste
- pinch of black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, and granulated onion. Break the meat apart as it cooks until it is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease if necessary. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, chopped pickles, red onion, and shredded cheddar cheese. Toss gently to mix.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, white vinegar, sweet pickle relish, minced white onion, salt and black pepper until well combined and smooth.
- Add the ground beef to the salad and toss to combine, transfer the salad to a large serving bowl or platter if desired.
- Drizzle on the homemade salad dressing, serve and enjoy!
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published July 2024
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I made this for my family, and it was a huge hit! Quick, easy, and so tasty.
Hi Aurora!
We’re so glad you enjoyed!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn