Some recipes make you smile before you even take the first bite. Our Homemade Big Mac Salad is one of them.
Inspired by one of the world’s most recognizable burgers, it has everything you love about the drive-thru favourite—juicy beef, crisp lettuce, cheddar cheese, crunchy pickles, onions, tomatoes, and that irresistible special sauce—but piled into a hearty salad instead of a sesame seed bun.
All the Flavour of a Classic Burger in Salad Form
For those days when you WANT a burger, but you NEED a salad. If you find yourself humming that famous burger jingle while you’re making it, you’re in good company.
The fun twist? Instead of one large burger patty, I make slider-sized beef patties that cook quickly and look right at home nestled into a salad plate. The sesame seed bun doesn’t disappear either—it becomes buttery homemade croutons that add just the right amount of crunch and complete the burger experience. I like to crush those between my fingers to make bun-crumbs, because that it pure yum.
Homemade Big Mac Salad with Special Sauce
Finished with my house Copycat Big Mac Sauce, every bite delivers that familiar combination of creamy, tangy, savoury flavours that has kept burger lovers coming back for decades.
Serving Suggestions. Pair this salad with:
• Bellini Peach Raspberry Iced Tea
• Grilled corn on the cob
• Watermelon wedges
• Sweet potato fries
• Oven-baked potato wedges
• Coleslaw
• Dill pickle spears
• Fresh fruit salad
• Strawberry shortcake for dessert
The Ultimate Summer Dinner Salad
For fun, and because I am a huge burger lover, on leftover day I updated that burger-salad style from Big Mac to Big Arch swapping to white cheddar cheese and crispy onions because I think the Big Arch is one of the best burgers McDonald’s has ever done. I was not disappointed with the results! Crispy onions are fabulous.
But if you’re more of a Quarter Pounder BLT Burger kind of person, I could get behind that.
Cottage Cooking That’s Fun, Fresh, and Family Friendly
No matter what updates you make, the Big Mac salad is perfect for summer weekends, lazy afternoons at the cabin, backyard dinners, or those evenings when you’re craving fast food but your better judgment—or perhaps your doctor—is gently encouraging you to eat a few more vegetables. Thankfully, this salad lets you enjoy both.
Comfort food that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s why everyone loves it.
Why I Love It
Not every recipe needs to reinvent the wheel—they just need to make it a little more fun. This salad keeps all the nostalgia of one of the most iconic burgers of all time, while letting fresh, crisp lettuce take centre stage. It’s hearty enough for dinner, playful enough for summer entertaining, and always the first bowl to disappear.
Salad even the kids will eat.
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Homemade Big Mac Salad
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: serves four
Description
Homemade Big Mac Salad has all the flavours of the iconic burger—two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and sesame seed croutons—in one hearty summer salad.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (if needed)
- 2 sesame seed burger buns
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional, for extra crunch)
- 2 heads iceberg lettuce, shredded (or whatever lettuce mix you prefer)
- 1 cup grated, or cubed sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup diced dill pickles
- 1/4 cup finely diced red or white onion
- 1 cup Copycat Big Mac Sauce
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the Croutons: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Cut burger buns into bite-sized cubes. Toss with melted butter and garlic powder. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using. Bake for 10–12 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Cook the Slider Patties: Mix ground beef with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Divide into 8 small slider-sized, 2-ounce patties. Cook in a hot skillet for 3–4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Melt some cheddar on top. Rest for 3 – 5 minutes.
- Assemble the Salad: Arrange iceberg lettuce on a large platter or divide among four bowls. Top with cheddar, pickles, and onion. Add the warm slider patties. Scatter the sesame seed croutons over the salad. Drizzle generously with Copycat Big Mac Sauce. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper, toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Notes
Big Arch Upgrade: Swap to white cheddar, add crispy onions.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese BLT Upgrade: add tomato and bacon.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
