Ingredients
Salad base
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste
- Seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 heads romaine lettuce, chopped and washed
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
- Sesame seeds, optional for garnish
This mix of romaine, beef, cheddar, onion, tomato, and pickles matches the ingredient lineups in many Big Mac salad and burger bowl recipes.
Special Sauce salad dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup French dressing or ketchup
- 2 tablespoons minced dill pickles
- 2 tablespoons minced white or red onion
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
This simple “special sauce” mirrors classic Big Mac sauce copycats made with mayo, ketchup or French dressing, pickles, onion, and a hit of vinegar for tang.
Step-by-step instructions
Make the special sauce
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, French dressing or ketchup, minced pickles, minced onion, and white vinegar until smooth. Taste and adjust with more pickles or vinegar for extra tang. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salad; just like other burger bowl sauces, the flavor improves if it rests at least an hour or even overnight.
Cook the ground beef
Heat a large skillet over medium‑high heat. Add the ground beef and let it sear undisturbed at first so it browns on the bottom. Season with Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, and freshly ground black pepper, then break it up and cook until fully browned and no pink remains.
Transfer the cooked beef to a paper towel‑lined plate to drain excess fat and cool slightly, similar to how cheeseburger salad recipes handle the meat before assembling bowls.
Assemble the Big Mac Salad Bowls
Divide the chopped romaine lettuce between serving bowls or plates. Top each portion with warm ground beef, sliced red onion, shredded cheddar, chopped tomatoes, and chopped dill pickles.
Drizzle the prepared special sauce dressing generously over each salad. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like—a fun nod to the sesame seed buns on the original Big Mac that many salad versions include as a garnish. Serve immediately while the beef is still a little warm and the lettuce is crisp.