Description
Enjoy all the classic flavors of a Big Mac in a fresh, satisfying salad! This Big Mac Salad combines seasoned ground beef, crisp lettuce, tangy pickles, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and a creamy homemade Big Mac sauce. It’s an easy, low-carb, keto-friendly meal perfect for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.
Ingredients
- For the Salad
- 1 pound ground beef, thawed
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- ½ head iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup dill pickles, sliced or chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- For the Big Mac Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- ⅛ cup sweet pickle relish
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely minced onion
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon finely minced red onion
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles.
- Season with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Cook until browned and no pink remains.
- Drain excess fat and allow the beef to cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup, relish, mustard, minced onion, lemon juice, sugar, paprika, and garlic powder until smooth.
- Cover the sauce and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, red onion, pickles, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and cooked beef.
- Add about half of the Big Mac sauce and toss gently. Add more dressing as desired.
- Serve immediately while the lettuce is crisp and the beef is flavorful.
Notes
- Serving: Serve as a complete lunch or dinner, or pair with roasted vegetables, baked potato wedges, or a light soup.
- Sauce: Start with half the dressing and add more according to your taste.
- Meal prep: Cook the ground beef up to two days ahead and refrigerate it. Chop the vegetables a day ahead and store them separately.
- Make-ahead sauce: Prepare the Big Mac sauce up to five days in advance and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Refrigeration: Store leftover salad in an airtight container for up to three days, although the lettuce may become soggy once dressed.
- Best results: Keep the dressing separate until serving and allow the cooked beef to cool before adding it to the lettuce.
- Freezing: Freezing the assembled salad is not recommended because the lettuce, tomatoes, and creamy dressing do not retain their texture. Cooked ground beef can be frozen separately.