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Get It NowThis 20-minute Big Mac salad recipe (or simply cheeseburger salad) will convince you to skip the drive-through! This dish captures the satisfying taste of a cheeseburger with all the crisp freshness of a salad. It also gets a classic McDonald’s upgrade with copycat Big Mac sauce — just like the casserole version of this burger.
The inspiration for a hamburger salad came from my childhood memories of rare stops at McDonald’s after gymnastics practice. We seldom ate out when I was growing up (my parents much preferring home cooked meals), so even though I loved my mom’s food, those unexpected stops for fast food were such a treat. Now I try to avoid all those processed ingredients myself, and with this keto Big Mac salad recipe, I can enjoy the same flavors at home, all the time — and so can you!
Why You’ll Love This Big Mac Salad Recipe
- Tastes like a Big Mac in salad form
- Crisp, meaty, and fresh textures
- Sweet, creamy dressing
- Simple, natural ingredients
- Ready in 20 minutes
- Healthy, low carb, keto friendly, and gluten-free
- Easy healthy dinner idea
Let’s be real — the key to this cheeseburger salad is the Big Mac salad dressing! The sauce at the fast food joint is loaded with sugar, but I sweeten mine with Besti powdered instead. It’s just as sweet and has no aftertaste, but has 0 net carbs, 0 calories, and unlike most sweeteners, dissolves easily for a smooth texture. Try it out and see for yourself!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best Big mac salad ingredients, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Cheeseburger Salad:
The main ingredients for this salad are very similar to what you’d find in a Big Mac:
- Ground Beef – Use hamburger for classic flavor (I usually use 85/15 lean ground beef), but if you like, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
- Romaine Lettuce – Chopped iceberg lettuce, arugula, or spinach leaves would also work.
- Tomatoes – I used chopped Roma tomatoes, but you could use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes if you prefer. You can also omit them if you want to, as a traditional Big Mac doesn’t have any.
- Cheddar Cheese – The Big Mac sandwich traditionally includes a slice of processed cheese, but we’re using shredded cheddar. You can omit to make the salad dairy-free and paleo-friendly if needed.
- Pickles – Dice up some dill pickles and add them to the salad for a delightful crunch and an extra layer of flavor. You can also add diced or sliced red onions for even more crunch!
- Sesame Seeds – Instead of a sesame seed bun, garnish with sesame seeds for the same flavor!
Big Mac Sauce:
The dressing for this hamburger salad is very similar to my sugar-free Thousand Island dressing:
- Mayonnaise – I used my own homemade avocado oil mayonnaise, but store-bought would work as well (this is my favorite store-bought brand when I don’t have time to make my own).
- Pickles – Use dill pickles and dice finely for the special sauce. You can also use sweet pickle relish instead, but beware that this will have added sugar or corn syrup.
- Mustard – I used classic yellow mustard, but you could use Dijon instead, or even keto honey mustard if you like extra sweetness.
- Vinegar – Adds tang to the dressing. I used white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or rice vinegar can all work instead.
- Smoked Paprika – Adds a subtle smokiness to the dressing, and is responsible for its signature color. Regular sweet paprika would also work.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I used this instead of ketchup to add natural sweetness to the dressing, as it dissolves better than other sugar substitutes. You could also use zero sugar honey or sugar free ketchup. Regular powdered sugar works from a recipe standpoint, but I can’t recommend it because the whole point of this Big Mac salad is to make it healthier!
How To Make Big Mac Salad
This section shows how to make cheeseburger salad, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Brown the meat. Add the ground beef to a large skillet. Break apart with a spatula and season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink.
- Blend the Big Mac salad dressing. Combine the mayo, pickles, mustard, vinegar, smoked paprika, and powdered Besti in a blender. Puree until smooth. Adjust sweetener to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
TIP: Need thinner sauce?
If the dressing is thicker than you like, you can thin it out with water or oil and puree again.
- Plate the cheeseburger salad. Add lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and pickles to a salad bowl.
- Add the beef and dressing. Top with ground beef crumbles, then drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
- Garnish. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftover Big Mac Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, with the dressing stored in a separate container. If you already added the dressing, it will only be good for 1 day.
- Meal prep: Chop the pickles, tomatoes, and lettuce, precook the ground beef, and make the sauce. Store in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Assemble just before eating.
More Meal-Worthy Salad Recipes
In many ways, this low carb Big Mac salad reminds me of my popular taco salad. It’s another transformation of a carb-heavy classic into a lighter healthy salad that’s still packed with flavor and hearty enough to be a meal on its own. If that’s your thing, you’ll like these other salads that serve up dinner with minimal cooking:
Disclaimer: Big Mac may be a registered trademark. This recipe is my interpretation of a similar dish, but is not to be construed as an endorsement of the company or having been endorsed by the company. There is no affiliation between myself and the company. Trademark remains the property of its owner and is used here only to describe the product.Tools To Make Big Mac Salad
- Large Skillet – One of my faves! It has lasted for years and browns ground beef without sticking.
- Blender – This high-powered blender is one of my go-to kitchen appliances. It will puree the salad dressing ingredients perfectly.
Big Mac Salad (Cheeseburger Salad)
This Big Mac salad recipe (cheeseburger salad) makes an easy, healthy, low carb lunch or dinner in just 20 minutes, with simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Salad:
Dressing:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Add the ground beef to a large skillet over medium-high heat. (You can add a little oil if needed.) Break apart with a spatula and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned and moisture has evaporated.
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Meanwhile, puree all the dressing ingredients in a blender. If dressing is thicker than you like, thin out with water or oil and puree again. Adjust sweetener to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and pickles.
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Add the ground beef. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Toss to coat.
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Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
398 Comments
Kaylee K
0How many servings is in this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kaylee, It makes 6 servings.
Kaylee K
0Thank you 😀
Juls
0With the leftovers does the lettuce get soggy?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0If you keep leftover lettuce with dressing on it, it will probably get soggy. If you want leftovers of this salad I would recommend keeping everything separated (dressing, meat, lettuce, etc.) until you’re ready to eat it.
Karen
0Made this today but only added a tbsp of sweetener, only because it was my first time using that product and I didn’t want to overdo it. Otherwise, I followed exactly and it was like eating a big mac. No lie. I will absolutely make this again when I’m craving McDonald’s. I’m pretty stoked, thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Karen! I’m so glad you like it!
Brittany
0What is the serving size? Looks really yummy!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Brittany, One serving is 1/6 of the entire (big) salad.
Vanessa
0Made the recipe as is, save for the fact that I was out of paprika and I added diced onion for the onion part of the Big Mac, and for the mustard I used dijon. Tasted a lot like a Big Mac! I love the Big Mac, but can’t stand the bun part, so this was heaven for me! Hubs liked it, too!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Vanessa! I’m glad you both liked it!
Rei
0This was a huge hit. Hubby usually dislikes salad had a second helping. I usually don’t like ground beef and I had a second helping. Even my son, who’s a toddler had more. Will definitely be making this again. I may add some onion.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you! I’m glad everyone liked it!
Rei
1I made it again. Added onions while browning the meat.
And I recently had a bun less Big Mac. This salad is so much better!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you!
Stephanie Hug
0I made this last night and we loved it! Tasted like a Big Mac. I added onion salt to the beef. Great recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Stephanie!
Tamra
0So delicious! Brings back the taste of a Big Mac as if I just had one yesterday, but it’s actually been years! I added just a tiny bit of low-sugar ketchup to the top and it was perfect! Thank you for the fantastic recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Tamra! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Ashley
0What is the serving size? How would I figure that for two servings? And that is an awesome feature, to be able to adjust the servings.
Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ashley, One serving is 1/6 of the recipe. It’s hard to measure since the volume would depend on how tightly you pack it into a measuring cup (and it’s pretty unusual to pack salad into measuring cups anyway). If you reduce the amount to make just 2 servings, one serving would be 1/2 of the whole thing.
Kristin Barnhardt
0Yum! This is sooooo good! Followed recipe exactly and it’s perfect! Thank you for sharing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Kristin! I’m glad you liked it!
Wholesome Yum A
0Does it have to be smoked paprika or can we use regular?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Amanda, Yes, regular will work, too!
DebbieH
0Oh my goodness! I am sitting here eating this right now. It is sooo good! The pickles and special sauce make it!!!
Two All-Beef Patties (well, probably only ONE!), special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions WITHOUT a sesame seed bun! (But, I DID add sesame seems while browning my beef!)
Sooo, sooo good. Thanks for sharing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Debbie!
Jamie
0You can also try thousand island dressing, it’s very close to the Mac sauce flavor. I worked at McDonald’s for years as an after school job.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jamie, That is definitely an option although I’ve found that most store bought thousand island dressings have sugar and soy. Since I prefer to avoid those, I like to make my own.
Keely
0Does it keep well to save if you don’t eat it all? Like add the beef warmed up as you go and dressing ? Just combine the lettuce ingredients?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Keely, for this salad I would recommend storing the dressing and beef separately if you want to save it for later just like you said.
Lisa
0I love this and did not miss the buns! I had a couple of leftover burgers I grilled a few days ago, so I used those instead and it was still very tasty. I’m betting it’s even better making the beef fresh.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Lisa! I’m glad you liked it!
Leslie Smith-Barry
0I crave a Big Mac from time to time. So…I’m making this for dinner and hoping it does the trick! I’ve already made the dressing, without adding any sweetener, and it’s been chilling all day. The dressing tastes amazing! I just know this is going to be a delicious Big Mac Salad!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Leslie! I hope you love it!
Lori
0Very good..the only thing I changed was using pickle juice instead of vinegar in the sauce..and added some onion and garlic powder to the ground beef…very tasty. Thanks for the recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Lori! I’ll have to try the sauce with pickle juice, sounds great!
Soph
0How much is one serving?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Soph, A serving is 1/6 of the entire recipe.
LLP143
0Always happy to find low carb options that my hubby will also eat. This one is definitely a winner in our house. We cannot get enough of this and the taco salad. Love your page and recipes, they definitely keep me on track on my WOE 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you! I’m glad you like the recipe!
Angel
0It’s great but I feel like it’s missing something. More bland than I’d prefer. I’m going to experiment with it and see if I can make it just right for me. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you! Let me know how any adjustments turn out!
LLP143
0I season my ground beef while sauteeing as if I was seasoning a steak…..garlic salt, onion powder and pepper. In a pinch I’ve also used Monreal Steak seasoning. It’s definitely all about the ground beef and the dressing.
Michelle
0I just finished eating it. It is delicious. Thank you!!!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks Michelle! I’m glad you liked it!
Hello
0Hi Maya! This looks yum. What brands for mayo and mustard did you use?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi there, I use this brand of mayonnaise. It varies for the mustard – whatever I have on hand. Trader Joe’s often has ones I like for a good price.
Andrea
0Hi Maya,
I can’t get this brand of mayo in Australia. Do you have any alternatives/suggestions or maybe a keto mayo recipe I could make from scratch?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Andrea, Do you have Whole Foods? I believe Australia has those. They carry that mayonnaise. It’s on my list to create a keto mayo recipe this year, too.
Kristina Slattery
0I am definitely going to make this! Did you use full fat mayo? I would like to decrease the fat a bit as I try to keep my total fat intake under 35 grams for the day.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kristina, I used full fat mayo. Reduced fat mayo usually has starch and sugar added. Any kind you like will work, though.
Nicole
0Loved this recipe!! Was really good. Ate it again for lunch the next day and the lettuce was still crispy. Can’t say I’ve ever had a Big Mac but I’m newer to the low carb diet, so always looking for ideas. Thanks for sharing.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Nicole!
McDonna
0This was amazing! I’m not in love with the name because we’re not McFans , and I almost didn’t make the recipe. But the comments won me over! We had this for dinner after church Saturday evening. My husband was *dreading* the meal…because we’re not McFans…but one bite in, he declared It’s A Keeper…which is similar to getting a blue ribbon!
I used spinach and didn’t put the pickles in the salad, but did put in bacon. The dressing was the star of the meal. It absolutely made the whole dish! I would never have considered pickles in a salad dressing, but remembered that’s what’s in Russian dressing – which Mr. Picky Palate and I both enjoy.
Thank you for such an easy, fast, delicious recipe, Maya! It’s A Keeper in this home!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you! I’m glad you both enjoyed the salad and the dressing!
McDonna
0PS – We added some generous amounts of bacon. Because – BACON!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Can’t go wrong with bacon! 😉
McDonna
0Oh my! The name of this salad held no appeal to us, since we are not McFans of the Golden Arches. HOWEVER – this recipe was delicious! The salad itself is pretty much what we normally have, but the dressing was the star of this meal! Mr. Picky Palate – a/k/a My Hubs – was almost sad to try the dish because of the name. We’re just finished the entire meal for the second day in a row (love leftovers!), and his words were:
This doesn’t need a thing. It’s perfect the way it is. Perfectly balanced flavors. The taste is amazing.
This from the guy who is not a fan of anything new.
Thank you for such a great, easy, delicious dish!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you! That comment is the biggest compliment. I appreciate it!
Connie
0Hi, found this through Pinterest, and sure glad I did!
Altered some ingredients in the dressing – used 10% fat greek yogurt instead of mayo, pickle juice instead of vinegar, upped the paprika slightly and about half the sweetener (Stevia). It was a hit, and being rotated into our monthly repertoire!! No idea how that changes the macro nutrients, but I did add 2 Tbsp of avocado oil to the pan before frying the beef so I am confident the fat is higher as well, which works well for my keto way of eating.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Connie! As you found the recipe is flexible to customize to your liking. I’m glad you liked it!
Gina Hamel
0Thank you for this wonderful and easy recipe! My family loved it, and didn’t even realize they were eating low carb! Big hit!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You’re welcome, Gina! I’m glad your family liked it.
Tina
0I love this salad! I could eat it every day! I added a small handful of diced onion and another small handful of crumbled bacon. Also, toasted a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds in a dry skillet and tossed on top. It was heaven in a bowl!!! Thanks so much for coming up with this! It will be made in our home very often!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Tina! Those additions sound wonderful.
Pam
0OH my gosh!!!! This was delicious!!!! Thank you for creating this!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Pam! You’re very welcome. 🙂
Kristin
0Yellow or spicy brown mustard? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kristin, I used yellow mustard but you can use any that you like! The recipe is pretty flexible.
Donna
0I found carb free dill relish. If you prefer relish instead of cutting pickles.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0That’s awesome, Donna! What brand and where did you find it?
Margaret
0Mustard… Is it Dry or Regular?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Margaret, It’s regular mustard.
Margaret
0Bahaha, I didn’t either!
Brenda McGrain
0Just made this yummy salad! Thanks for the awesome recipe! I did a few little tweaks of my own to appease my family’s likes and dislikes. It is a very easy and versatile dish. I love it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Brenda! I like the versatility of it, too.
Tara
0Didn’t know the Big Mac police were in town.
Lynne
0Lol – I thought the same thing too!
Ali
0Hahahaha, right??!!
Marnie
0Looks like the trolls are in town as well. 🙂
Pam Frederick
0Trying this tonight. I saw the nutritional info but I’m wondering if you know how much of the 31g of fat is considered Saturated Fat? I’m trying to calculate the Weight Watchers Smart Point value for this dish. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Pam! Like you saw, I have the nutrition label posted below the recipe, but don’t have a breakdown of saturated fat. (The link between saturated fat and heart disease was actually disproven – source.) You’d have to enter the ingredients into an online nutrition calculator to get additional info.
Allison
0Made this tonight and it was super good. Used ground turkey because that was what was on hand and it worked great. Used some Montreal seasoning to make it more “beef” like. I will definitely be making this again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Allison! It does work well with turkey, too.
Geri
0I made this for dinner tonight and it is absolutely amazing! I literally felt like I was eating a Big Mac with the roll. Hubby liked it as well. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks for posting!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Geri!
Sharon
0I would like to make for my weeks work lunches. Would this hold up all week with the lettuce and tomatoes?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sharon, If you’re meal prepping for the week, keep the dressing separate until right before eating. Other than that, store the salad with the lettuce on top. The tomatoes are better cut fresh, but should be okay if you store it with the tomatoes on the bottom.
Chelle
0Is the nutritional label for 1 serving or for the whole dish?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Chelle, The nutrition info is per serving.
JodiSalv
0I’m sorry if I missed it somewhere, what is the serving size for this?? Making it now for lunches this week!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jodi, One serving is 1/6 of the entire recipe. It makes a great lunch!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Test123
Maya | Wholesome Yum
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Jacquie Olsen
0Wondering if I could use pickle relish instead of having to dice up pickles? This recipe looks awesome and I love that it’s healthy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jacquie, Yes, you can! I chose diced pickles to avoid the added sugar typically found in pickle relish, but if that’s not an issue, pickle relish will work just fine.
Lara
0As stated above in another comment, you can use sweet relish and omit the sweetener in the sauce if you want to.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lara, Yes, you can. It wouldn’t be sugar free but will work fine.
Leslie
0A Big Mac consists of “two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun”. With the exception of the bun, this salad is missing cheese, onion and sesame seeds. Also, Big Macs don’t have tomatoes. For an authentic Big Mac salad you should consider adjusting your recipe accordingly. 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Leslie, The recipe does have cheese. 🙂 You’re right, though – I used tomatoes instead of onions, and of course as a salad it’s missing a sesame seed bun. You can certainly add in onions and/or omit the tomatoes if you prefer.
Lara
0Just thought about this. If you want to go and get GF croutons and add them to the salad! And sesame seeds, like sprinkled on top or get a GF sesame seed bun and leave it out to get a slight bit stale, then chop it up, butter or oil it, and put in oven to be croutons! Ha! That never occurred to me till I saw this comment and then the light bulb came on! Enjoy!!
Robin
0That’s what I said. But it sounds delicious.
Richard
0Wow, some people just gotta complain.
Carrie M
0Sweet or dill pickles? I can’t seem to remember which kind the Big Mac uses. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carrie, This recipe uses dill pickles since I’m not a fan of the added sugar in sweet pickles, but you can use whichever you like better! You may need less sweetener in the dressing (or even omit it, to taste) if you use sweet pickles in there.
Kim
0Can’t wait to try this! Are the 3 carbs counted after you deducted the 1 gram of fiber?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Kim! The nutrition label itself lists total carbs (3g) and I listed net carbs (2g after subtracting fiber) below that.
Deb
0I am sooo making this today. I have left over bison burgers. Think it’s gonna be yummy!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks Deb, I hope you enjoy it!