Big Mac Salad
Level
Easy
Time
30 Min
Serves
4
Published January 18, 2023 by Dr. Stephanie Gray, DC
This post may contain affiliate links.
This BIG MAC SALAD might be my favorite recipe of all time! I’m very excited to share it with you.
Crisp, romaine lettuce serves as the bed for ground beef, shredded cheese, tomatoes, pickles, sesame seeds with a super tasty Big Mac inspired dressing. The magic of this salad is the signature dressing that takes less than 5 minutes to make.
I had a version of this salad at a local restaurant. It was so good, but cost $20. The ingredients being simple, I figured I could easily recreate it at home for a fraction of the cost. I’m so glad I did.
This salad is a family favorite. Even my fussy kids will eat it. We never have leftovers!
Gluten free, grain free, nut free, dairy free option, paleo and keto friendly.
Why you will LOVE this Big Mac Salad!
- A quick, super easy dinner idea, no drive-thru required!
- Very healthy meal: no refined carbohydrates, high in protein
- This salad is all about the dressing: SO GOOD!
- Gluten free, grain free, dairy free option (omit cheese), nut free
- It’s paleo and keto friendly
- A family favorite! Dinner can be ready in less than 30 minutes.
What equipment do you need?
-
large salad bowl
-
small mixing bowl
-
measuring cups
-
frying pan
What ingredients do you need?
- romaine lettuce
- cherry tomatoes
- cheddar cheese (omit for dairy free)
- pickles
- white sesame seeds
- mayonnaise
- small white onion
- ketchup
- yellow mustard
- white vinegar
- monk fruit sweetener (optional)
How do I make this Big Mac Salad?
It’s Super EASY!
Step 1:
In a large salad bowl, add romaine lettuce, cooked browned beef, tomato, 1/2 cup pickles, grated cheese, sesame seeds.
Step 3:
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Romaine lettuce- Crisp, romaine lettuce was chosen as the base for this salad. You could also use iceberg lettuce-but I encourage you not to. Iceberg lettuce is nutritionally poor compared to romaine. At the time of writing, the price of romaine lettuce is finally coming down! Due to a virus in California, the price of romaine in my neighborhood was up to $10 a head only a month ago! The head of romaine I used for this recipe was $4. I have also used steamed cauliflower as the base of this dish. It makes it more of a “bowl” than a salad but it’s excellent! When I’ve used cauliflower I’ve added a handful of spinach to add colour.
- Beef– I’ve done the beef part 2 ways. Either I’ve used ground beef (as per the recipe) or I’ve barbequed hamburgers and then sliced them up for the salad. Both ways work great. If you choose to go the hamburger route, I encourage you to read labels before buying. Store bought hamburgers are notorius for having unhealthy ingredients like bread crumbs, soybean/canola oil and other questionable ingredients. Hamburgers taste best when they are beef only. Costco and Superstore have great beef only burgers.
- Tomatoes –I used cherry tomatoes but a regular tomato could also be used.
- Pickles- Any pickle finely diced will work. I’ve used dill, gherkin, sweet. Read labels to be aware of the sugar content.
- Onion– One half of a small white onion works best for the sauce. Red onion would also work. Since the recipe calls for only 1/2 of the onion, you could use the other half of the onion for the salad itself. My husband hates the taste of raw onion on the salad so I never include it, but if raw onion appeals to you, use up the whole thing.
- Cheese- I used cheddar cheese but mozzarella would also work. Use any cheese that you would put on a hamburger. Omit cheese to make dairy free or use dairy free/lactose free cheese.
- Sesame seeds– I used seasme seeds to represent the bun. Omit if you don’t have any. It won’t affect the overall taste of the salad.
- Mayonnaise- use avocado mayonnaise if you can find it/afford it. Mayonnaise made from avocado oil is a healthier option. Costco sometimes carries an excellent avocado mayonnaise that is a reasonable price.
- Ketchup– the downside of conventional ketcup is that it has sugar. Use sugar-free ketchup if you’re observing the paleo/keto diets.
- Monk fruit sweetener– monk fruit is a calorie free, gut bacteria friendly sweetener. It is popular in keto/paleo/sugar free circles. It was used to add just a touch of sweetness to the dressing. It’s ok to omit. The dressing tastes good without sweetener.
How to Store Leftover Big Mac Salad
Store leftover salad and dressing separately in an airtight glass containers. Refrigerate. Must be eaten within 5 days.
Do not freeze.
hea
Big Mac Salad with Secret Sauce
Equipment
-
1 large salad bowl
-
1 small mixing bowl
- measuring cups/spoons
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 3/4 cup pickles divided; finely diced
- 1/4 cup white sesame seeds
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 small onion finely diced
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp monk fruit sweetener (optional)
Instructions
-
In a frying pan, brown the ground beef.
-
In a large salad bowl, add romaine lettuce, cooked browned beef, tomato, 1/2 cup pickles, grated cheese, sesame seeds, monk fruit sweetener.
-
To make the dressing, in a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, onion, 1/4 cup pickles, ketchup, mustard, white vinegar.
-
Serve in individual bowls. Pour dressing evenly over each salad. .
Notes
Nutritional info is provided as a courtesy and is based on ingredients I used.
Use hamburger in place of ground beef. One per person.
Use one head of steamed cauliflower florets as base for salad in place of romaine lettuce.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe? Mention @drstephanieskitchen or #drstephanieskitchen on social media