Big Mac Salad

You’ve probably seen the copycat Big Mac sauce, but attempting to make a Big Mac at home is a whole other ordeal.

Instead of making a copycat Big Mac, I wanted to make it a bit healthier so I can enjoy it more often. I’ve had this Big Mac Salad recipe on my “to-make” list for quite some time, and I’m so glad I finally got around to it. It is so good that it’s going to be my new go-to for an easy weeknight dinner.  

I use to be so picky with my salads or pasta salads and not eat any with cold meat in it, so if that’s you, I understand. I can be extremely picky with food but several years ago I made a delicious taco pasta salad that included ground turkey and I was hooked! Fast forward to this simple and delicious Big Nac Salad, it is perfect for those summer barbecue parties. You can easily prep it the night before to save some time. 

Three reasons why you need to make this recipe! 

It’s very healthy but has a real Big Mac taste. 

A real Big Mac will cost you 590 calories and 34 grams of fat. That’s a lot of fat! This Big Mac Salad has only 105 calories and 6 grams of fat per cup. That’s much better- and the flavor is still there!  

You can enjoy your fast food craving without feeling like trash. 

Although fast food can be delicious, it can often leave us feeling tired and sluggish, or cause stomach pains. With this Big Mac Salad, you can still enjoy your favorite Big Mac flavor without the guilt. 

It’s great high volume food on a diet. 

If you’re on a diet, you want to maximize your calories as much as possible. You can do that with this Big Mac Salad. You can have a huge bowl without using up a ton of your daily calorie allotment. 

Ingredients you need to make Big Mac Salad: 

• 1 lb extra-lean ground beef (96/4) 
• 6 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped
• ½ cup red onion, diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in fours
• ⅓ cup dill pickles, diced
• ¾ cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

DRESSING

• ⅓ cup light mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 tablespoon relish
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon each salt & pepper

How to make Big Mac Salad (step by step): 

1. In a bowl mix, all of the dressing ingredients together. Stir well then store it in the fridge until ready to use. 
2. Cook the ground beef in a frying pan over medium heat. Drain off any fat remaining and set aside.
3. Thoroughly wash and chop the lettuce. Add the lettuce to a large bowl and stir in the onions, pickles, and tomatoes. Fold in the cooled lean ground beef.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and stir well. Let it chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Makes 12 (1 cup) servings. Nutrition info for 1 serving: Calories 105,  Fat 6 g, Saturated fat 2.25 g,  Carbs 4 g,  Fiber .67 g, Sugars 1.3 g, Sodium 335 mg, Protein 11 g. 

WW Points 

• Extra-lean ground beef (96/4) 12 points
• Iceberg lettuce 0 points 
• Diced red onion 0 points 
• Cherry tomatoes 0 points
• Dill pickles 0 points 
• Reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese 10 points

DRESSING

• Light mayonnaise 6 points
• Sour cream 3 points
• Relish 1 point
• Dijon mustard 0 points
• Vinegar 0 points
• Garlic salt 0 points
• Onion powder 0 points
• Paprika 0 points
• Salt & pepper 0 points

3 points per 1 cup serving based on the WW app recipe creator.  

If you’re using an older version of WW, check out these points below. 

Points- 3

Personal Points- 3

Smart Points- Blue/Green/Purple- 3

Points Plus- 4

Different ways to change up this recipe: 

• Use romaine or spring mix if you prefer! I love the crunch of iceberg lettuce in this Big Mac Salad, but all lettuce is zero points. 
• If you like sweet pickles, use the no sugar added bread and butter pickles that are made with Splenda. They are delicious. 
• You can use any chopped veggies that you like - shredded carrots, chopped celery, diced radishes - it’s up to you! 
• You can use non-fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and mayonnaise if you want to save points and fat calories. It won’t taste exactly the same, but with the spices added, it still makes a good sauce. It’ll add a little extra protein too. 
• Flavor the lean ground beef with dill weed while you’re cooking it for extra hamburger flavor! 

Tips and Tricks for Making Big Mac Salad: 

• This salad can easily be prepped the night before. Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and store the dressing in a sealed container in the fridge. Cook the ground beef, drain it, and store it in a sealed container in the fridge. Lastly, wash and chop all of the vegetables and store them in the fridge. Then you can just mix everything together when you are ready to serve.
• You can add in extra veggies if you wish, some diced cucumber, chopped mushroom, and peppers, these would all be great additions.
• I like using shredded cheddar, but any shredded cheese will work. If you have a favorite feel free to switch it up. Feta or Blue Cheese would be delicious! 
• If you follow WW and ground turkey or chicken is a 0PP food for you, you could use it as an alternative to save on points. 
• This salad is best enjoyed the day it is served. It will store ok in the fridge for 1-2 days but usually, the lettuce will become wilted. So if you are going to store it, keep it separate like listed above. 

Similar recipes you’ll enjoy: 

• Turkey Taco Pasta Salad
• 25 Savory Ground Turkey and Rice Recipes
• Easy Greek Chicken Salad Bowls