McDonald's Big Mac Salad
All the flavors of a classic Big Mac in a bowl: seasoned ground beef, iceberg lettuce, pickles, onion, tomatoes, cheese, and creamy homemade special sauce.
Servings 4
Calories 655kcal
Ingredients
Big Mac Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons brown mustard such as Gulden’s
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Salad
- 1 pound ground chuck (80/20)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup shredded American cheese
- 1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles
- 1/4 cup finely diced white onion
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- At least 1 hour before serving, combine all the ingredients for the Big Mac Sauce in a small bowl and mix well.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chuck and use a spatula to break it into small crumbles. Season with salt, ground black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Cook until browned with some crispy edges, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the excess grease and spread the meat on a plate to cool for 10 minutes; if it’s too hot, it will wilt the lettuce.
- Place the iceberg lettuce in a large serving bowl. Iceberg lettuce is key here — it gives you that signature Big Mac crunch and holds up under the warm beef.
- Arrange the beef over the lettuce. Top with the American cheese, dill pickles, white onions, and tomatoes. Keep the toppings in separate zones across the bowl for a classic deconstructed look.
- Drizzle 1/2 cup of Big Mac Sauce over the top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Video
Recipe Tips
- Chilling the sauce for a full hour makes a noticeable difference. The onion powder and granulated garlic hydrate in the mayonnaise during that time, changing the flavor from sharp and distinct to smooth and blended. If you are pressed for time, 30 minutes is the minimum, but the result will not be quite as cohesive.
- Fully cooling the beef before assembly is what keeps the lettuce from wilting. The paper towel step removes excess grease, which would otherwise pool at the bottom of the bowl and make the salad heavy.
- If you want the cheese to melt onto the beef the way it does on the original burger, lay a slice of American cheese directly over the hot beef right after draining it from the skillet. The residual heat will melt it onto the meat, which you can then break apart and add to the salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 993mg | Potassium: 686mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1595IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 290mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @CopyKatRecipes or tag #copykatrecipes!