Lincoln’s really into origami right now so I made him an origami fortune teller (#middleschoolflashbacks) with fortunes inside, which he thought it was the coolest thing ever. Hey, I can’t fold a paper crane to save my life, but a couple of mountain and valley folds plus some goofy fortunates? All over it.
I predict you’ll want to make this Big Mac Salad, which is a dead ringer for the real thing, ASAP when you see how easy and delicious it is. This low carb gluten free salad is packed with Big Mac flavor – no drive thru required!
Watch How to Make It!
Lincoln is also into hamburgers from the central Iowa burger chain B-Bops (which arguably pumps out the best burgers this side of the Mississippi) and demolishes a double patty burger with alllll the fixins’ any time he gets a special request meal.
Man oh man, the sight and smell of his juicy burger is slightly torturous for this gluten free gal, so I decided to take matters into my own hands, or rather BOWL, and make a Big Mac Salad to get the same flavors – sans gluten. I have to say, this dish really and truly squashes my craving for a giant, loaded burger, with the added health and hydration benefits of eating a salad!
Gluten Free Big Mac Salad
A Big Mac Salad is essentially a gluten free big mac in a bowl, and it comes with serious staying power, minus the gross-feeling side effects of eating an actual Big Mac cheeseburger. Crisp romaine lettuce is the bed for seasoned ground beef, thinly sliced red onions, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped dill pickles, and fresh tomatoes, drizzled with that must-have signature special sauce. DROOL! This salad keeps me feeling full for HOURS.
Big Mac Salad Ingredients
- Romaine lettuce: I’ve been buying big Costco packs of romaine lettuce then zipping through one each afternoon for a lunchtime salad. Super convenient! Romaine holds up well to lots of toppings, but you could use whatever lettuce you have on hand.
- Seasoned ground beef: I always simply season burgers with GF worcestershire sauce, homemade seasoned salt, and pepper, which is how I seasoned the ground beef for these burger bowls. If you have leftover grilled burgers from another meal, chop those up and use them instead. Ground turkey breast would be fine to use for a lighter swap.
- Cheddar cheese: I prefer freshly shredded cheese for this salad, as you can really taste the creamy, fat shreds. And if you can’t taste the cheese, what’s the point of adding it?!
- Red onion: When it comes to burgers, I’m usually a purist and choose white onions for topping them, though red onions look gorgeous in this salad. Either variety will work.
- Dill pickles:Â I highly recommend Grillo’s Pickles which are crisp, fresh, and gluten free. They are SO good!
- Tomatoes:Â Any type of tomato you have on hand will work fabulously in this salad. The photos show sliced grape tomatoes though cherry, Roma, or vine-ripened tomatoes are great too.
- Special Sauce: Can’t have a Big Mac without special sauce – it’s the defining ingredient! I use the same recipe as the dipping sauce for my Cheeseburger Quesadillas, but swap the ketchup for French salad dressing instead. Just seems more salad-y, but you could use ketchup if that’s all you have on hand.
Alrighty, who’s hungry?!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by making the Special Sauce Salad Dressing. In a bowl, stir together:
- Mayonnaise
- French salad dressing (or ketchup)
- Minced onions (red or white)
- Minced pickles
- Distilled white vinegar
That’s it! The dressing can be made several days ahead of time and actually gets better and better as it sits.
Next, brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, seasoning with a few dashes of worcestershire sauce, homemade seasoned salt, and pepper. Scoop the browned ground beef onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool slightly.
The rest of the prep work involves a little face time with your cutting board: chopping lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles, and then grating cheese. When it’s time to eat, pile the lettuce onto plates or in bowls then add the toppings, drizzle with plenty of Special Sauce Salad Dressing, and dig in! I hope you love these enormously filling and super satisfying Big Mac burger bowls – enjoy!
More Plate-Busting Salads:
- Steak and Potato Bowls
- Southwestern Chopped Salad
- Chicken Caesar Salad Pasta
- Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
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Big Mac Salad
Description
A Big Mac Salad is as satisfying as it's drive thru counterpart! This low carb, gluten free salad recipe will fill you up for hours!
Ingredients
- 1lb ground beef
- worcestershire sauce
- homemade seasoned salt and pepper
- 3 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped (can use cherry, grape, or vine-ripened tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
- For the Special Sauce Salad Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup French dressing (could use ketchup)
- 2 Tablespoons minced pickles
- 2 Tablespoons minced onion (red or white)
- 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Directions
- For the Special Sauce Salad Dressing: Add ingredients to a bowl then whisk to combine. Can be made several days ahead of time.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat then add the ground beef. Let the beef cook undisturbed until the bottom is golden brown then add a few shakes worcestershire sauce, season with homemade seasoned salt and pepper, and continue to saute until cooked through. Scoop onto a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool slightly.
- Once slightly cooled, divy lettuce between plates or bowls then top with the cooked ground beef, red onion, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and dill pickles. Drizzle with Special Sauce Salad Dressing then serve.
- Leave a comment and star rating if you loved the recipe! Thank you for considering!
Notes
- Click here for my Homemade Seasoned Salt recipe >
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Kennan 01.29.2024
My husband and I really enjoy this salad. It is sooo good!
I make it with sweet pickles just because that is what I prefer. I also used a creamy French dressing because I got a good price on it at the grocery store.
I will definitely be making this recipe again and again.
Thank you for sharing it!
Kristin 01.30.2024
Love those swaps, Kennan – so glad you were able to make this recipe your own!
Martha 01.22.2024
This recipe is an absolute hit in my house, and it’s hard to find something that pleases me, my husband, and our three little boys! It’s extra awesome that the thing that makes us ALL happy is a salad!!
Kristin 01.23.2024
Oh that’s GREAT, Martha!! I love to hear this. Who would’ve though?! 😂
Audrey Burger 11.06.2023
Note: not all Worcester sauce is gluten free. Check those lables!
Kristin 11.07.2023
That’s correct! As always, you need to be your own advocate in the grocery store by checking labels when shopping. Lea & Perrins is gluten free at the time of this writing (11/23) in the United States.
Bridget 03.11.2023
I made your cheeseburger quesadillas(so good) and had the ground beef mixture leftover and made this salad with it. SOO delicious.
Robert Jameson Jr 10.22.2022
Made this last week! Delicious! It’s going into our monthly rotation of Iowa Girl dinners! YUMMM!
Kristin 10.25.2022
Fabulous!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Katie 12.12.2021
Hello! I am excited to try your recipe this week. Do I have to make a batch of the homemade salt and pepper? Instead can I use Lawry’s seasoned salt or just a few shakes of regular salt and pepper? Thank you so much.
Kristin 12.13.2021
Absolutely! Lawry’s or salt and pepper is just fine. :)
Holly Pierson 12.05.2021
I made this today and it was a hit with the family.
Larissa Bloedel 09.10.2021
Made this the other night for an easy supper. Rave reviews from all of the family members!
Kristin 09.13.2021
Thrilled to hear that, Larissa! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Erica 08.26.2021
This was super tasty and I would make it again! There is no Russian dressing where I live, so I made the special sauce with ketchup and mayonnaise. Even after letting it sit for a day, it was still on the bland side. Adding another two tablespoons of minced onions and a clove of garlic (just put it in the garlic press) made it taste a lot closer to Big Mac sauce.
Kristin 08.31.2021
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Erica!
Nicole 08.11.2021
After spending the last 3 weeks in the hospital searching for a GI diagnosis for the issues I’ve had. I have spent many of those days writing your different recipes down. Thank you so much for opening my eyes and soon to be taste buds to a gluten free life. I don’t feel like I lost any foods, I feel as though I gained many more
Kristin 08.26.2021
Such a positive attitude to have, Nicole – and it really makes all the difference. So important to focus on all the foods you CAN have vs the ones you can’t.
Jen Stover 04.26.2021
Hi Kristin!!
This is Jen, the gal you sat by in the airplane TWICE this past week. How crazy was that?
I wanted to reach out to you to say hello again, and also to share that your Big Mac salad recipe was a serious hit with our family this evening. So, so good!
Thanks for the good conversation last week, and thanks so much for all the wonderful recipes you have so graciously given the gf community. You’re awesome!
Warmest Regards,
Jen Stover
Kristin 04.27.2021
I’m so glad you reached out, Jen!! Totally agree – it was so nice to meet you guys and chat on the way home. After this year, I appreciate good conversation more than ever! I’m so glad you guys liked the salad too. ? Best of luck in your transition at work – it seems like it will be a great fit for you!!
Dawn Thorne 04.20.2021
Do I uses sweet or dill pickles for the sauce?
Kristin 04.20.2021
Dill. :)
Barbara Warner 04.15.2021
We don’t need gluten free but we love salads with protein in them. Sounds delicious!
Kristin 04.22.2021
Yes, same! I hope you love this one, Barbara!
Connie Whitehead 04.15.2021
Made this for dinner. Better than a Big Mac and healthier. It’s a keeper!
Kristin 04.15.2021
So glad you enjoyed the salad, Connie! Really appreciate you coming back and leaving a review + recipe rating!
Alicia 04.14.2021
I really need to stop reading recipes at night before bed—I’m starving now! Making this ASAP. Your cheeseburger quesadillas are a favorite! Thanks for sharing.
Kristin 04.15.2021
Haha, I can relate! I’m always sending myself recipes to try while scrolling in bed! ;) I hope you love this recipe, Alicia!