When the garden is bursting with fresh lettuce, but it’s summer and all you want to do is grill, my go-to easy weeknight dinner is this Big Mac Salad — all the goodness of a tasty burger but loaded with veggies, pickles, and topped with a burger-iffic sauce. I first saw this idea on TikTok, and it brought me back to when we lived in Brooklyn and used to frequent Bareburger in Park Slope. I used to always love a big salad topped with a burger, because sometimes a burger + bun feels a little too heavy, ya know? But tons of veggies with a but of protein on top always hits the spot without leaving me feeling like I need a nap.
After gaining and losing ~60 lbs with both of my children, I can honestly say that protein-heavy, nutrient-rich meals like this have been a huge key for me. I love that this is easy to make for a family, or you can adjust the ratios down to make a single salad if everyone else wants full-on burgers and buns minus all the salad fixings.
Let’s dive in and show you how to make this Big Mac Salad!
Big Mac Salad Ingredients
- Hamburger — I’ve made this with both fresh, homemade hamburgers and frozen 100% grass-fed beef burgers that I buy frozen from Costco. For weeknight meals, I’ll do the frozen, and if we’re doing a more proper grill session on the weekend, I’ll make up a couple extra patties to have this for lunch during the week.
- Fresh lettuce — I’ve been using a mix of romaine, cos, and red leaf because that’s what I have growing in the garden right now, but have also used shredded green cabbage in a pinch. Whatever leafy greens you’d like!
- Cheddar cheese — A sharp cheddar, freshly shredded.
- Onion — I’ve made this with red, white, and sweet onion, and I personally am not picky about which onions to use. But use your favorite here.
- Pickles — My current obsession is Dave’s Famous Sweet and Spicy pickles, and I dice them up. A regular dill pickle chopped up is a good bet, as well. Really, you can’t go wrong in the pickle department IMHO.
- Tomatoes — Fresh cherry or slicer tomatoes from the garden. Truthfully, I wouldn’t make this salad in the winter as I think there are few things sadder in this life than a tomato in the winter.
- The dressing — It sounds funky, but bear with me. You’re basically just combining mayo, relish, and ketchup. I’ve also done this with ranch, blue cheese, homemade vinaigrettes, or my spicy cashew dressing for a Sweetgreen vibe.
Big Mac Salad
A reimagined, healthier version of the classic but not-so-great-for-us Big Mac — featuring garden fresh lettuce and tomatoes, in season!
Ingredients
- 4 freshly made or frozen hamburger patties cooked and broken up into bite-sized pieces
- 2 heads of lettuce washed and torn into salad-sized pieces (or enough leaves from cut-and-come-again harvesting to fill a large bowl or colander)
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 cup cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered (or 1 large tomato, diced)
- 1/2 cup dill pickles chopped
- For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (0%, 2%, or full-fat)
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup sweet relish
Instructions
Prepare the Dressing
- In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup ketchup, and 1/4 cup sweet relish. Set aside. Note: This may make extra dressing depending on how much you prefer on your salad.
- Divvy the lettuce between four bowls, then begin assembling salads with hamburger pieces, onion, cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and drizzle with dressing.
Assemble the Salads
- Divide the torn lettuce between four bowls.
- Top each bowl with equal amounts of hamburger pieces, diced red onion, shredded cheddar cheese, quartered cherry tomatoes (or diced large tomato), and chopped pickles. Drizzle the dressing over each salad and serve immediately.
Notes
- This would be equally good with turkey burgers, a plant-based patty, according to your preferences.
- I try to use the leanest ground beef I can find, either 90 or 95% lean, but use what you like.
- For best results, shred the cheese yourself rather than using pre-shredded cheese, which often contains anti-caking agents that can affect the texture.
- For a milder flavor, you can use a sweet onion or soak the diced red onion in cold water for 10 minutes before adding to the salad.
- If using larger tomatoes, be sure to remove excess seeds to prevent the salad from becoming too watery.
- Use your favorite type of pickles—dill, bread and butter, or even spicy pickles for a kick.
- Greek yogurt adds protein and creaminess to the dressing, but you could also use a full cup of mayonnaise. Choose the fat content based on your dietary preference.
- Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Burgers can be grilled, pan-fried, or baked.
- For a low-carb version, use a low-sugar ketchup and reduce the amount of sweet relish.
- Feel free to add extra toppings such as avocado slices, bacon bits, or jalapeños for added flavor and texture.
- If preparing in advance, store the salad components separately and assemble just before serving to keep the lettuce crisp.
Nutrition
Calories: 613kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 35gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 883mgPotassium: 994mgFiber: 4gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 2134IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 315mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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