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Simple Tasty Recipes

Big Mac Salad

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Summary:
Curb your burger cravings with this low carb Big Mac Salad. Tasting like a deconstructed cheeseburger with a dressing similar to Thousand Island, each large serving has only 3.5 grams of net carbs.
pouring dressing over big mac salad

Big Mac Salad

5 from 5 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Yield: 5 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped (Note 1)
  • 1 pound ground beef (Note 2)
  • 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Note 3)
  • 1.5 cups grape tomatoes, chopped (Note 4)
  • 1 cup sliced pickle chips (Note 5)
  • 1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Big Mac Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup no-added-sugar ketchup (Note 6)
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Brown Beef: Add beef, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to pan (Note 7) over medium-high heat. Crumbling beef with stiff utensil, cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside pan.
  • Assemble Salad: Stir dressing ingredients in measuring glass until very smooth. Add lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and pickles to large salad bowl. Use slotted spoon to transfer ground beef to salad bowl, leaving behind grease in pan. Drizzle dressing on top. Toss until lettuce is nicely moistened.
  • Serve Salad: Serve promptly (Note 8), or save for later (Note 9).

NUTRITION

Makes 5 Servings
Amount Per Serving (3 cups):
Calories 560 (70% from fat)  
Total Fat 43g 67%
   Saturated Fat 13g 64%
Cholesterol 132mg 44%
Sodium 920mg 38%
Net Carb 3.5g  
Total Carb 5g 2%
   Dietary Fiber 1.5g 6%
   Sugars 4g  
Protein 33g  
Vitamin A 24% · Vitamin C 21% · Calcium 30% · Iron 18%

PHOTOS

cheese, pickles, beef, and tomato ingredients
lettuce, mayo, and ketchup ingredients
pouring dressing over big mac salad
tossing big mac salad in wooden bowl
big mac salad served in stoneware bowl

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Lettuce. I use a medium head of iceberg lettuce, 18 to 20 ounces weight. Iceberg gives this salad a nice crunch, but you can substitute with other types of lettuce such as Romaine.
(2) Ground Beef. I use 85% lean. You can substitute with your preferred ground meat, such as turkey.
(3) Cheese. I use packaged pre-shredded cheddar cheese. I like the bright yellow color that cheddar brings to this salad, but you can substitute with your favorite shredded cheese.
(4) Tomatoes. I use fresh mini red tomatoes, each about the size of a grape or cherry, 7 to 8 ounces total weight. You can use multi-colored varieties as well.
(5) Pickles. I use packaged pickles in plastic containers or jars that are pre-sliced into thin “chips” and sometimes called “hamburger pickles.” Check the nutrition facts before buying — the net carbs should be negligible. Avoid “bread and butter pickles” or “sweet pickles” because they have added sugar. Since pickles are packaged in liquid, thoroughly drain them before adding them to the salad.
(6) Ketchup. I use ketchup with no added sugar by Heinz, which has 1 gram total carbs per 1 tablespoon serving. Other brands with low or no added sugar versions include Kroger and Simple Truth. You can substitute with store-bought Thousand Island dressing instead of making your own Big Mac dressing.
(7) Pan. I use a 10-inch nonstick pan with high sides. I don’t grease or preheat the pan prior to adding the beef.
(8) Serving. This is an entree-sized salad, filling enough for lunch. It’s best when freshly made, served at room temperature; it does not need to be chilled. After tossing with dressing, the iceberg lettuce will begin to wilt and lose its crunch, although the salad will still taste delicious.
(9) Saving For Later / Make Ahead. This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Once tossed with dressing, this salad is best when enjoyed within a day since the lettuce loses its crispness over time. If the salad is undressed, it will last 2 to 3 days; toss with dressing just prior to serving.

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About Julia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth, and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Since 2015, she has been sharing simple recipes for tasty dishes in a user-friendly format. She typically prefers savory foods over sweet, hence the name of the site.

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Kathy

I have made this several times. So very tasty! Right now I have the seasoned hamburger (cooked) for this is individual serving packettes in the freezer and also shredded cheddar cheese in the freezer. One of these hot summer days I am going to pull some meat and cheese packettes out of the freezer, get some lettuce and tomatoes from the garden, mix up some dressing and slice up a dill pickle. Mmmm…..Thank you, Julia for a fun, tasty meal!!!

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2 years ago
Karl

Enjoyed this salad for two meals this past week – the only change we introduced was to substitute Impossible Burger.

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2 years ago
Sharlene Curry

I’ve made this salad a few times. It never fails to satisfy that burger craving. So delish.

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2 years ago
Marlene

Loved it

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2 years ago
Mo Williams

Very good

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3 years ago
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