I’m Kayla, and yes, I made this salad three times in two weeks. I grew up loving that drive-thru burger. So I wanted the same taste without a bun bomb. You know what? This bowl comes close. Like, weirdly close.
Why I Even Tried This
I’m a sauce person. That “special sauce” is my weak spot. But I also want fast meals that don’t make me crash at 3 p.m. So I tested a Big Mac salad at home. Recipes like the one from Iowa Girl Eats had been popping up in my feed, tempting me to try a bowl that promised drive-thru flavor without the bun. I brought it to an office potluck, packed it in jars for lunches, and served it after soccer practice. Real life, not a cute photo shoot. If you want the step-by-step version I followed, check out this Big Mac salad recipe review.
Short Answer: How It Tastes
Crunchy. Saucy. Pickle pop. Warm beef over cold lettuce feels like a cheat code. It scratches that burger itch. Not greasy, but still rich. My husband said, “If you close your eyes, it’s a Big Mac without the nap.” He wasn’t wrong.
What I Used (Brands I Grabbed)
- Ground beef: 85/15 from Costco (Kirkland)
- Mayo: Duke’s (tangy and thick)
- Ketchup: Heinz
- Mustard: French’s yellow
- Pickles: Claussen dill spears (so crisp)
- Cheese: Kraft American slices, cut into little squares (yep, not fancy)
- Lettuce: Shredded iceberg (don’t swap here—crunch matters)
- Onion: White onion, diced tiny
- Sesame seeds: Toasted, for that bun vibe
I tried cheddar once. It was fine. But those American cheese squares? They nail the fast-food taste.
I also skimmed a few internet riffs—borrowing a dash of this and that from sources like Delish’s Big Mac Cheeseburger Salad—before settling on the ratios below.
The Recipe I Actually Made (Serves 4)
For the salad:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 head iceberg, shredded
- 1 cup diced pickles (drained well)
- 1/2 cup white onion, diced small
- 6 slices American cheese, cut into small squares
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon pickle juice
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Tiny pinch sugar (optional)
- Black pepper
How I Make It on a Busy Night
- Brown the beef in a skillet with salt, pepper, and a light shake of garlic powder. Drain. Let it cool 5 minutes so it doesn’t wilt the lettuce.
- Whisk the sauce in a bowl. Taste and adjust. If you like it sweeter, add a pinch of sugar. I go light.
- In a big bowl, add lettuce, onion, pickles, and cheese squares.
- Toss in the warm beef.
- Drizzle the sauce and toss again. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Serve fast.
Tip: Don’t drown it. Start with half the sauce. Add more as you go.
On ultra-hectic evenings, I lean on dump-and-go dinners like these keto slow cooker recipes—but the Big Mac bowl still wins when I need that burger taste fast.
Three Real-Life Tests That Sold Me
- Soccer practice scramble: I had 20 minutes. I cooked the beef, used pre-shredded iceberg (yes, the bag), and served it with sesame seeds on top. My 8-year-old ate it without onion. Mine had extra pickles. We were out the door. No complaints.
- Office potluck: I brought a giant bowl and kept the sauce on the side. I added bun “croutons” (I toasted half a sesame bun in little cubes with olive oil and salt). People kept asking for the sauce recipe. It was the first bowl to go.
- Meal-prep jars: In mason jars, I did sauce on the bottom, cooled beef next, then onion, pickles, cheese, and lettuce on top. Shake at lunch. It stayed crisp for two days. Day three was still okay, just a little soft.
For our next office spread I'm eyeing a bright cranberry salad that’s just as crowd-friendly.
What I Didn’t Love (And How I Fixed It)
- Too sweet sauce: The relish plus ketchup can tip it. I cut the ketchup by half a tablespoon. Boom—better balance.
- Soggy lettuce: If you sauce too early, it wilts. Keep sauce on the side until right before eating.
- Onion bite too strong: I rinse diced onion in cold water for 30 seconds. Milder, still sharp.
- Watery pickles: Drain them well. I press them with a paper towel. It helps.
Little Extras That Worked
- Extra sesame seeds for that bun feel
- A few bun “croutons” if you’re not low-carb
- A dash of smoked paprika in the beef for a grill note
- Shredded iceberg plus a handful of romaine for a greener look
- Hot sauce in the beef when I wanted a kick
- A quick swirl of avocado crema for a creamy lift
- Or keep it super simple with my go-to 4-ingredient guacamole served on the side
Real Talk: Who Will Like This
- Burger fans who don’t want a heavy bun every night
- Meal preppers who like grab-and-go jars
- Kids who want a “burger bowl” with cheese and pickles (mine did)
- Party people who like a crowd-pleaser that’s not pasta salad again
Craving the dine-out version? If you ever find yourself in Curaçao, the burgers at Bistro Le Clochard are legendary and can feed your Big-Mac mood in style.
If you’re the type who loves sharing food hacks and swapping quick dinner ideas in real time, you might also enjoy dropping into an online chat community like this detailed guide to a platform that’s even better than Gay Chat Avenue — it walks you through a smoother interface, livelier rooms, and a friendlier vibe where you can trade recipe tips (and plenty more) with like-minded people 24/7.
Prefer cutting straight to the chase outside the kitchen, too? The concise rundown at Skip the Games Franklin shows you how to meet people locally in Franklin quickly and safely, so you can spend less time scrolling and more time actually enjoying that burger bowl together.
Price and Time
It took me about 20 minutes, start to finish. Cheaper than takeout for four, and I didn’t crash later. That counts.
Final Take
Honestly, this recipe surprised me. It’s fast. It’s silly fun. It tastes like a burger in a bowl, and the sauce steals the show. I’ll keep it in the weeknight rotation, and I’ll keep the jar trick for lunches. Will it replace a real Big Mac forever? No. But when I want that taste without the bun, this scratches the itch—clean, crunchy, and a little nostalgic. You know what? I’m keeping the sesame seeds close.