I’ve been sharing easy, dependable recipes for over 10 years, and if it’s on my site, that means it’s been tested and trusted. This one is a guaranteed win. You still get all the flavor: burger, cheese, pickles, and that classic homemade secret tangy sauce, but it’s quicker to make and lighter on your plate.
You will also love our Big Mac Bowls with Potatoes.
Table of Contents
Big Mac Salad Ingredients
- Ground Beef, Turkey, or Chicken: You can use whatever protein works best for you—beef for that classic burger flavor, or ground turkey or chicken for a lighter spin. Either way, it gets seasoned up and browned to add that meaty, satisfying layer to the bowl.
- Onions: They give the meat mixture that extra layer of flavor that makes it taste more like a true burger bowl and less like just ground meat. I always buy pre-chopped onions to save time!
- Worcestershire Sauce: This is the secret to adding that rich, burger-shop flavor. You can omit it or swap it out using soy sauce.
- Smoked Paprika + Garlic Powder: These add flavor.
- Homemade Big Mac Sauce: This is my favorite part about the salad bowl. You will need: mayo (or Greek yogurt if you are going for high protein!), mustard, pickle relish, white vinegar, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Pickles: Salad essentials
More Toppings and Add-ins Ideas
- Diced red onions
- Dill pickle slices
- Crumbled bacon
- Avocado slices
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Jalapeños
- Banana peppers
- Sesame seeds
- Croutons
- Shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Sliced green onions
- Cherry tomatoes
- Grated Parmesan
- Cucumbers
How to Make Big Mac Cheeseburger Salad
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook the Meat: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add your ground meat and diced onions. Break up the meat with a spatula or meat chopper and cook until browned and the onions are soft.
- Drain any excess grease if needed. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, optional cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste. Let everything cook together for another 1–2 minutes so the flavors can soak in.
- Make the Big Mac Sauce: Combine mayo, mustard, relish, vinegar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and white pepper in a bowl. Stir to combine.
- Assemble the salad: Assemble the salad with lettuce, cooked meat, Big Mac sauce, and the remaining salad toppings.
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Meal Prep and Storage Tips
The biggest question is how can I meal prep this salad without it becoming soggy?
- Cook the ground meat in advance and season it fully. Let it cool before storing.
- Chop all your veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles) and store them in separate airtight containers to keep them fresh.
- Make the Big Mac sauce ahead of time—it actually tastes better after sitting for a few hours.
- Pre-portion the salad into containers for easy grab-and-go lunches. Keep the dressing in a separate container until ready to eat to avoid sogginess.
- Layer strategically if storing in jars: sauce on the bottom, followed by meat, cheese, and pickles, with lettuce on top to stay crisp.
Ground meat can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Chopped veggies will stay fresh for about 3–4 days if stored separately in airtight containers. Big Mac sauce can be refrigerated in a sealed jar for up to 1 week.
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Big Mac Cheeseburger Salad
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
Equipment
Ingredients
Burger (You can also use a store-bought burger rub if you wish)
- 1 pound ground beef, turkey, or chicken
- ½ cup diced onions
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce Use soy sauce or omit if you wish.
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Regular paprika is fine.
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne Optional for spicy.
- salt and pepper to taste
Burger Sauce
- ½ cup mayo Feel free to use plain Greek yogurt as a swap.
- 2 tablespoons pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- ½ teaspoon paprika Regular or smoked.
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper white pepper
Salad
- chopped lettuce
- shredded cheese
- pickles
- lettuce
- tomatoes
Instructions
Cook the Meat
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add your ground meat and diced onions. Break up the meat with a spatula or meat chopper and cook until browned and the onions are soft, about 6–8 minutes.1 pound ground beef, turkey, or chicken, ½ cup diced onions
- Drain any excess grease if needed. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, optional cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste. Let everything cook together for another 1–2 minutes so the flavors can soak in. Taste and adjust salt if needed.1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne, salt and pepper to taste
Make the Big Mac Sauce
- Combine mayo, mustard, relish, vinegar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and white pepper in a bowl. Stir to combine. Taste repeatedly and make adjustments to the sauce to suit your taste.Add a little water if your sauce is too thick. This is especially necessary if you swap out mayo for something else. The consistency will be a lot thicker, but water will do the trick for thinning it out and making the sauce creamy.½ cup mayo, 2 tablespoons pickle relish, 2 tablespoons mustard, 1 teaspoon vinegar, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
Assemble the salad
- Assemble the salad with lettuce, cooked meat, Big Mac sauce, and the remaining salad toppings.chopped lettuce, shredded cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Store all the ingredients separately (especially the lettuce and sauce) and assemble just before eating so nothing gets soggy.
Yes! Any ground meat works. Just make sure to season it well to mimic that classic burger flavor.
Store it in an airtight container for up to 1 week. It actually gets better after sitting for a few hours!
You can—but the homemade version really makes a difference in flavor and is super easy to mix up with pantry staples.
A mix of both! The ground beef is served warm, while everything else (lettuce, pickles, cheese, etc.) is cool and crisp—just like a classic burger.
Romaine or iceberg lettuce works best for crunch, but feel free to use any greens you like.
Never add the sauce when storing unless you are using jars. Layer sauce on the bottom, followed by meat, cheese, and pickles, with lettuce on top to stay crisp.
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