Big Mac Salad

As a person who grew up eating McDonald’s regularly, I’ve enjoyed my fair share of Big Macs. That’s why I created this salad. It has all the flavors of the classic fast-food burger, including a healthy special sauce, but with extra fiber and veggies.

The star of this recipe is the special sauce, which I first developed with cashews as a mayo-free option. But you could also use hemp hearts for extra protein, or skip the sauce and use your favorite store-bought option.

I’m also a big fan of the burger crumble, which is made with a sneaky source of soluble fiber. Lentils blend right into the ground beef, but stretch the protein—make it fiber-packed and more affordable. I can’t wait for you to try it!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Reviews

“I did not expect to get so excited about this recipe – I made it because it looked simple with ingredients I already had on hand, but now it will be on my dinner menu rotation for sure! So simple, easy and absolutely delicious!” – Hannah

Healthy Big Mac Salad Ingredients

• Ground Beef. The burger topping is made with lean ground beef, cooked as crumbles in a skillet rather than forming patties. (Hence, it’s faster!)
• Lentils. I add a can of cooked lentils to the ground beef mixture to add soluble fiber (one of the most important nutrients for gut health) and stretch the burger topping, without doubling your budget.
• Special Sauce. The sauce for this salad is made with cashews, tomato paste, yellow mustard, maple syrup for sweetness, and a few pantry spices. If you’d rather use a store-bought dressing, you can do that, too.
• Veggies. For your salad bowls, you’ll want a base of romaine lettuce and any other burger toppings you love, like cherry tomatoes, red onion, and pickles.

Optionally, you can add some shredded cheese on top for a cheeseburger salad. But this recipe is naturally dairy-free if you don’t add cheese on top.

How to Make a Big Mac Salad

Step 1:

To prepare the burger sauce, combine the cashews, water, vinegar, maple syrup, yellow mustard, tomato paste, onion powder, and salt in a high-speed blender.

Secure the lid and blend until the cashews are pulverized, about 60 seconds. Set this aside until you’re ready to assemble the salad; the sauce’s flavor will continue to develop as it rests. (It may thicken up if you store it in the fridge, but you can add a tablespoon of water if needed to thin the consistency.)

Step 2:

To prepare the burger crumble, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Once the surface is hot, add the beef and use a spoon or spatula to break it up into small pieces. Season with a half teaspoon of salt, and continue cooking and stirring until the beef is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.

While you wait for the meat to cook, open the can of lentils and pour them into a fine mesh strainer over the sink. Rinse well until you see no bubbles forming on the lentils.

Drain well, then add the lentils to the browned beef. Season the mixture with another half teaspoon of salt, plus a half teaspoon of onion powder. Stir until the lentils are heated through and the mixture looks evenly mixed.

Step 3:

Once the beef is cooked, the salad is ready to assemble. Start by adding chopped romaine lettuce to a bowl, then top it with some of the ground beef and lentil mixture. 

From there, you can add any other burger toppings you love. Use sliced tomatoes, red onion, dill pickles, shredded cheddar cheese, or any other items you have in the fridge. (Add sesame seeds to mimic a sesame seed bun!)

Drizzle generously with the special sauce and toss well. Then the burger salad is ready to eat right away. 

Storage Tips

Store the leftover burger sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It will thicken when chilled, so you may need to stir in a tablespoon of water to thin it out again. Leftover burger crumbles can be stored in a separate airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. 

Big Mac Salad Recipe (Healthy Burger Bowl!)

5 from 13 votes

If you love the flavor of a Big Mac, but you want a healthier, gluten-free option, these burger bowls are for you. They pack a hefty serving of protein and fiber into each serving, and the special sauce will make you want to lick the bowl clean. (Without using mayo!)

prep15 mins cook10 mins total25 mins

Servings:4

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Big Mac Sauce

• ½ cup cashews (not roasted or salted)
• ½ cup water , plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

Ground Beef Crumble

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 (15 oz.) can cooked lentils , drained and rinsed
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Salad Assembly

• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes , sliced
• ¼ cup diced pickles
• ¾ cup shredded cheese (optional)

Instructions

• To prepare the sauce, combine the cashews, water, tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, maple syrup, onion powder, and salt in a high-speed blender. Secure the lid and blend until very smooth. Pour the sauce into an airtight container and set it aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. (This sauce will thicken as it sits; feel free to stir in another tablespoon or two of water later to help thin it out again.)
• To prepare the burger crumble, add a drizzle of olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt, and continue breaking up the meat until it's no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
• To the cooked ground beef, add in the drained lentils, onion powder, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir well, until the lentils are heated through and look like they blend in with the beef crumbles. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• To assemble the salad, start with a bed of chopped romaine lettuce. (Or use iceberg lettuce if you prefer.) Spoon the warm burger crumble over the top, along with sliced tomatoes, diced pickles, and shredded cheddar cheese, if desired. Drizzle the sauce generously over the top, then the salad is ready to eat.
• The components of this salad can be stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. The dressing will thicken when chilled, but you can thin it out by adding a tablespoon of water and stirring well.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 4 servings, assuming you divide all of the crumble and dressing evenly between the portions.  (I’ve also stretched this to 6 servings, so it’s flexible.) This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee. 

Make it Vegan: Skip the ground beef and cut the crumble seasonings in half to make a lentil-based burger crumble, instead. You can add a 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans for extra texture. Omit the optional shredded cheese to keep it dairy-free.

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1459mg | Potassium: 1295mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 6617IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 9mg

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: big mac salad, cheeseburger salad

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If you try this Big Mac Salad recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.