🥗 What Makes This Recipe So Good
A Big Mac salad takes all the flavors and ingredients you love from a classic McDonald’s cheeseburger, tosses out the bun, and combines everything in a bowl for a lighter alternative to the drive-thru. There’s even a creamy copycat Big Mac sauce to tie it all together! This recipe’s naturally low carb and gluten free, but it’s also easy to make keto, dairy free, and even Whole30-compatible if needed. Whatever your needs, we’re using simple, real ingredients so adapting is a breeze! You’re probably thinking “But, Cheryl. Why would I take all that time to cook ground beef and make a salad? The whole point of fast food is that it’s fast!” I hear you, I do. But! A cheeseburger salad only takes about 20 minutes, start to finish. Maybe you’ve got a McDonald’s super close by, but I know it takes me longer than 20 minutes to get out of the house, get out of the neighborhood, get through traffic, get to McDonald’s, order, and get my food. Nevermind the actual eating, or bringing it back to the house to eat. And if even one of the kids is coming with me? Yeah, there’s nothing fast about that! A hearty Big Mac salad is way faster and way less effort.
👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips
Be careful not to overcook the ground beef. Crumbles stay tender longer than a thick burger patty, but that doesn’t mean they won’t dry out at a certain point! Use a lean ground beef (think 85/15 or 90/10) to avoid a greasy cheeseburger salad. You can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, ground bison, or even seitan ground “beef” instead! Each one will give the salad a slightly different flavor overall. Remember those McDonald’s salads from back in the day? I think they were called McShakers? Well, you can totally turn your Big Mac salad into a homemade McShaker, and they’re honestly great for meal prepping. Just layer all the components in a mason jar and keep them in the fridge. When you’re ready to enjoy your salad, pour in the dressing, put the lid back on the jar, and shake everything up. All the ingredients get mixed up and covered in sauce that way so you get something in every bite. Make sure to leave a little room in the jar when you’re assembling, so there’s space for things to move around.
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7 Layer Salad Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Kale Caesar Salad Guacamole Salad Chef Salad Cajun Chicken Salad with Cajun Ranch Dressing Chicken Cobb Salad Potato Salad with Raisins Amish Broccoli Salad Whole30 Southern Fried Chicken Salad
