Big Mac in a Bowl (or Salad) - Recipe Diaries (2024)

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Big Mac in a Bowl - all your favorite flavors of Mcdonald’s Big Mac burger combined into a salad. It is loaded with ground beef, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, onions, and topped off with some Light thousand island dressing. Low Carb and Weight Watcher friendly!

Big Mac in a Bowl (or Salad) - Recipe Diaries (1)

I’ve been seeing this recipe for Big Mac Salad pop up on Instagram a lot lately and had to try it for myself and it did not disappoint! The whole entire salad is only 5 smart points and can be easily meal prepped for lunches. Some sesame seed bun croutons would be really good on top of this salad but I didn’t have any. Noted for when I make this recipe again. 🙂

If you love salads for lunch try my recipe for Big Mac Tacos, Strawberry Poppyseed Salad or Dorito Taco Salad.

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients for Big Mac in a Bowl
  • How to make Big Mac in a Bowl
  • Tips for Big Mac in a Bowl
  • Recipe FAQS
  • Other Great Recipes to Try
  • Big Mac in a Bowl

Why You Will Love This Recipe

This Big Mac in a Bowl will be another salad recipe that I can add to my favorite salad list and it is delicious! I ate the whole entire salad including the lettuce. Usually, I like to eat everything but the lettuce in the salad or eat around it.

Ingredients for Big Mac in a Bowl

Big Mac in a Bowl (or Salad) - Recipe Diaries (2)
  • Ground beef - Is considered better than higher fat options for several reasons. First, it has less saturated fat, which can contribute to heart disease and other health issues. Additionally, it tends to have fewer calories per serving, making it a good option for those watching their weight. The 96% lean ground beef from Aldi is my favorite.
  • Onion powder is dehydrated, ground onion that is commonly used as a seasoning. Some people do not like the taste of freshly chopped onion so onion powder is a great substitute if you have a picky eater like that in your house.
  • Garlic powder - is made from dehydrated garlic cloves and like the chili powder above it gets pulverized into a powder or flour consistency.
  • Worcestershire sauce is a condiment that originated in Worcester, England. It is made from a blend of vinegar, molasses, anchovies, tamarind, onion, garlic, and other seasonings.Iiceberg lettuce, chopped - Romaine or iceberg lettuce can be used for this salad.
  • Cherry tomatoes or roma tomatoes halved
  • Diced pickles - Pickles are zero points on WW freestyle as long as they are unsweetened pickles.
  • Cheese - Reduced-Fat Cheese has a lower calorie count and less saturated fat than regular cheese, but it may also have a different taste and texture. It also helps with keeping the calorie count pretty low for this recipe.
  • Big Mac Sauce - The ingredients for big mac sauce are all pretty much found in your pantry. Mayonnaise, pickle relish, ketchup, and mustard. Sometimes I'll switch it up and use a store bought dressing like Thousand Island or French Dressing.
  • French Dressing - Making homemade salad dressings really aren’t my favorite thing to make at home and that is why I like to use store bought dressings.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to make Big Mac in a Bowl

Step 1: In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned and fully cooked. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce.

Big Mac in a Bowl (or Salad) - Recipe Diaries (3)

Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle relish, mustard, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.

Step 3: In a large bowl, combine the chopped lettuce, cherry tomatoes, diced pickles, and shredded cheddar cheese. .Add the cooked ground beef to the salad bowl and toss everything together.

Big Mac in a Bowl (or Salad) - Recipe Diaries (5)

Step 4: Drizzle the Thousand Island dressing mixture over the salad and toss to coat evenly.

Big Mac in a Bowl (or Salad) - Recipe Diaries (6)

Serve the Big Mac Salad immediately and enjoy!

Tips for Big Mac in a Bowl

The recipebelow is only meant for 4 servings. (updated) When I make this big mac in a bowl, I like to cook 1 pound of ground beef all at once. Then, I'll save it in a container in the fridge so it's easy to take out of my fridge to make other salads with. When I'm ready to eat my salads, I'll measure out 3 oz of ground beef for my salad. Which is what I used to figure out the points for the recipe.

Use croutons for the hamburger bun. Check your WW bar code scanner app for points. If you are low carb, do not use croutons.

If you're meal prepping these salads, store the dressing in 2 oz plastic containers.

Recipe FAQS

What is in Big Mac Sauce?

If you're looking to make homemade Big Mac Sauce at home it will have these ingredients in it. Big mac sauce includes ¼ cup Thousand Island dressing, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, Salt and pepper to taste

Other Great Recipes to Try

  • Weight Watchers Meatloaf Muffins
  • Weight Watchers Slow Cooker Taco Soup (Low Sodium)
  • Banana Bread Weight Watchers (Low Point)
  • WW Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

If you tried this Big Mac in a Bowl or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries

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Big Mac in a Bowl (or Salad) - Recipe Diaries (11)

Big Mac in a Bowl

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Jenna
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Big Mac in a Bowl - all your favorite flavors of Mcdonald’s Big Mac burger combined into a salad. It is loaded with ground beef, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, onions, and topped off with some Light thousand island dressing. Low Carb and Weight Watcher friendly!

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ cup diced pickles
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup diced onions

Big Mac Dressing

  • 1 cup lite mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup of reduced-sugar ketchup
  • ¼ cup pickle relish
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Onion Powder
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned and fully cooked. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle relish, mustard, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the chopped lettuce, cherry tomatoes, diced pickles, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced onions.
  4. Add the cooked ground beef to the salad bowl and toss everything together.
  5. Drizzle the Thousand Island dressing mixture over the salad and toss to coat evenly.
  6. Serve the Big Mac Salad immediately and enjoy!

Notes

My WW Personal Points: 9 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Skillet
  • Cuisine: Lunch

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 390
  • Sugar: 7.4g
  • Fat: 20.7
  • Saturated Fat: 7.6g
  • Carbohydrates: 15.4g
  • Fiber: 4.5g
  • Protein: 34.9g
Big Mac in a Bowl (or Salad) - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

What kind of lettuce is on a Big Mac? ›

Product. The Big Mac is made with two 1.6 oz (45 g) beef patties, a "special sauce" (similar to Thousand Island dressing), shredded iceberg lettuce, one processed American cheese slice, two slices of dill pickle, and minced onions, served on a three slice sesame seed bun.

What are the toppings on the Big Mac? ›

The mouthwatering perfection starts with two 100% pure all beef patties and Big Mac® sauce sandwiched between a sesame seed bun. It's topped off with pickles, crisp shredded lettuce, finely chopped onion, and a slice of American cheese.

Can you order Quarter Pounder with Big Mac sauce? ›

The original patties are so thin that it's like eating a bun so I had to try this. Also, you can order a quarter pounder using Big Mac sauce.

Is a Big Mac unhealthy? ›

Lack of Nutrient Balance: Fast food like Big Macs tends to be high in calories but may not provide the essential nutrients your body needs. If your diet lacks a balance of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, your body may still crave these nutrients, leading to continued hunger.

Is Thousand Island dressing like Big Mac sauce? ›

By looks alone, you may wonder if Big Mac sauce is simply Thousand Island dressing with a different name. The answer is no… but they are similar. Both of the condiments have a creamy consistency and include pickle relish.

What is the closest thing to Big Mac sauce? ›

Big Mac sauce and Great Value Secret Sauce are nearly identical in terms of ingredients.

What makes a Big Mac taste good? ›

What makes a Big Mac so special is all the layers going on! You have that extra bottom bun in the middles, two patties, lots of Big Mac sauce, lettuce, and white onion. It's definitely a thicker burger but that just means more flavor.

What is Big Mac sauce made of? ›

Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Sweet Relish (diced Pickles, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Corn Syrup, Xanthan Gum, Calcium Chloride, Spice Extractives), Water, Egg Yolks, Distilled Vinegar, Spices, Onion Powder, Salt, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Garlic Powder, Vegetable Protein (hydrolyzed Corn, ...

Which burger sauce is closest to the Big Mac? ›

“The [sauce] that best replicated Big Mac sauce from McDonald's that you should go buy if you want it is Great Value's 'Secret Sauce,'” he said. “Look at the ingredients statement, it's almost identical.”

What is a Denali Big Mac? ›

In Alaska, McDonald's locations offer a Denali Big Mac, which is named after the largest mountain in the U.S. The Denali Big Mac is made exactly like any other Big Mac but has larger, quarter-pound beef patties instead.

What type of lettuce does McDonald's use? ›

McDonald's recently updated the standard lettuce mix in all their salads, and instead of applauding a switch from iceberg lettuce to a mix of Romaine, baby kale, and baby spinach, bloggers are howling about the calorie, fat and sodium content of the salads!

What type of lettuce is burger lettuce? ›

1. Baby Iceberg Lettuce. The sturdy cup-shaped leaves of baby iceberg lettuce really hold up to the job of holding on to a burger. Baby iceberg's mildly sweet flavor folds around burgers with a uniquely tender crunch.

Where do McDonald's get their lettuce from? ›

Our lettuce is predominantly sourced from the U.K. during spring and summer, and Spain during autumn and winter. However, there's also a small percentage that also comes from Holland and France.

What kind of lettuce is used in burgers? ›

Iceberg lettuce – It is the most common lettuce variety, with both a bland flavor and crunchy texture. Burgers and salads both contain this ingredient. As iceberg lettuce contains a lot of water, make sure to blot it dry before adding it to your burger.

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