This Big Mac Salad is so addictive. It tastes exactly like a McDonald's Big Mac, except without all of the horrible ingredients. Not only is this the healthiest Big Mac you'll ever eat, but it's also the tastiest since we're using real and fresh ingredients.
I'm so excited to share this one with you today, because I'm on a mission to reunite gluten free people with the food they crave but can no longer eat. Thought you'd never eat a Big Mac again? Well, that's about to change. This salad is also great for low carb diets (you can even leave out the croutons if you wish) as well as burger lovers in general.
Crisp romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes, freshly shredded cheddar cheese, dill pickle chips, browned ground beef, Gluten Free Croutons made from a gluten-free burger bun, sesame seeds, and homemade Special Sauce.
Yum.
Jump to Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. You can read my full disclosure here. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting Wonders of Cooking so that I can continue to provide you with free gluten-free recipes.
Looking For More Salads?
It's kind of my specialty.
- Turkey Club Salad with the Most Amazing Homemade Creamy Dressing
- BBQ Chicken Salad | Easy Meal Prep Lunch | Gluten Free
- Olive Garden Salad Recipe | Easy Copycat Italian Dressing
- Southwest Salad with Chicken and Taco-Ranch Dressing | Gluten Free
- Big Mac Salad | Easy Gluten Free Lunch Bowls
- Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing - Easy Lunch
- Chinese Chicken Salad with Homemade Sesame Soy Dressing - Gluten Free
- Chick-fil-A Market Salad Copycat with Apple Cider Vinaigrette - Gluten Free
- Best Kale Salad with Easy Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
- Italian Sub Salad with Cold Cuts - Easy No Cook Lunch
- Thai Chicken Salad with Creamy Peanut Sauce, Easy Lunch
- Honey Mustard Chicken Salad with Bacon | Easy Lunch

Is a Big Mac Salad Healthy?
Yes, this Big Mac Salad is healthy because it uses fresh and clean ingredients. You can meal prep this recipe and eat it several days in a row for lunch and not feel bad about it.
Hidden Ingredients in a McDonald's Big Mac Burger:
- Soybean oil
- Corn syrup
- High fructose corn syrup
- Vegetable Protein (Hydrolyzed Corn, Soy And Wheat)
- Caramel color

Ingredients in My Homemade Big Mac Salad:
- Romaine lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Dill pickle chips. You can go organic or natural here to bypass food colors.
- Ground beef
- Block of sharp cheddar cheese
- Sesame seeds
- Homemade croutons made from a gluten-free burger bun. I use Canyon Bakehouse which is soy free. Tip: You can make croutons out of whole wheat buns if not dining gluten free.
- Homemade Special Sauce.

Is a Big Mac Salad Low Carb?
Yes, a Big Mac is made low carb by turning it from a sandwich to a salad. If you're really trying to avoid carbs, you can ditch the croutons as well.
How To Make McDonald's Big Mac Special Sauce:

- Finely dice/mince onion.
- Add onion along with the remaining sauce ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Combine with a whisk, stirring until well combined and smooth.
- Transfer to a mason jar with a lid or individual portioned meal prep containers.
- Keep refrigerated.
How To Make Gluten Free Croutons:

It's so simple to make homemade croutons and only takes about half an hour. I highly recommend not skipping this step, treat yourself!
I have a whole post dedicated to my gluten-free croutons because I use them in so many salads. However, I did make some changes to fit this recipe. I swapped a loaf of bread for burger buns to further play on the idea of it being a burger salad. Also, I scrapped all of the herbs and spices I traditionally put on my croutons and just did salt and pepper. You want it to be about the burger. Simply toss the burger cubes in the olive oil and salt and pepper, then follow the baking, flipping, and cooling instructions in my original post.

- Preheat oven to 375 F. Use a nonstick baking sheet or line a regular baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cube bread into small, even squares about 1 inch in size (think of a crouton you would see on a salad). Don't cut too small or they will become overly crunchy and brittle and don't cut too big or they will become chewy.
- Add cubed bread to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, melted butter, or a combination of the two. Sprinkle over the salt & pepper. Toss to coat or use a silicone spatula and gently fold together, being careful not to smash or break apart the bread.
- Spread out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes (keeping a close eye), then flip every single crouton over. While tedious, this is the best method to prevent any croutons from over-browning on one side and under-cooking on another. Bake another 8-10 minutes until golden brown on both sides and hard to the touch.
- Let cool in pan. Do not store until completely cooled or else the steam will make the croutons soft again. Once cool, store in an airtight container and use within one week.

How To Make a Big Mac Salad:
- Prepare Homemade Croutons, if making. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
- Prepare the Special Sauce, then refrigerate.
- Heat a skillet or pan on the stove over medium heat with 1 tbsp. oil.


- Add ground beef to the hot pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Brown the ground beef until completely cooked through, breaking it into smaller crumbles as it cooks. Once cooked through, use a slotted spoon to remove the ground beef from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain the grease from the pan. You may want to pat the ground beef with paper towels as well to remove as much grease as possible.


- Return the ground beef to the pan. Add in Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and onion powder (optional). Allow to cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- While the beef is cooling, prepare the ingredients for the salad. Wash, dry, and chop the romaine. Rinse tomatoes. Grate the cheddar cheese.


- To assemble the salads: Lay a bed of romaine lettuce on a large plate. Add the following ingredients in piles: tomatoes, dill pickle chips, shredded cheddar cheese, croutons, and ground beef. Sprinkle over sesame seeds. Then, drizzle with the Special Sauce.
- Serve.


Notes:
- If you don't like to eat raw onion (which is in the Special Sauce) you could leave it out. Instead, cook the onion along with the ground beef.
- For meal prep: Place all of the cold ingredients in one large container (romaine, tomato, cheese, and pickles). Keep the ground beef and Special Sauce in separate containers. Put the croutons and sesame seeds in individual sandwich baggies to keep out at room temp. To eat: Heat the container containing the ground beef. Pour warmed-up ground beef over the salad. Pour over croutons and sesame seeds. Drizzle on Special Sauce.
Did You Make Big Mac Salad? Leave a 5-Star Rating Below!

Big Mac Salad with Homemade Special Sauce - Gluten Free, Low Carb McDonald's Big Mac Copycat
Tried this recipe? Leave a 5-star rating above! Your rating helps support the making of more tested, delicious gluten-free recipes.
Ingredients
For the Gluten-Free Croutons:
- 3-4 gluten-free burger buns I use Canyon Bakehouse
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or melted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Special Sauce:
- 1 ½ cup high-quality mayo
- 6 tablespoon French Dressing I used Ken's because theirs sweetens it with honey, not corn syrup
- 4 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
- 3 teaspoon white vinegar
- 3 tablespoon yellow onion minced finely
- 2-3 teaspoon granulated sugar depending on your taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Big Mac Bowls:
- 2 lbs 80/20 ground beef drained of excess grease
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 3 heads romaine lettuce
- 8 oz. block sharp cheddar cheese grated
- dill pickle chips I used Heinz, but you can sub natural or organic to eliminate food coloring
- sesame seeds
Instructions
For the Gluten-Free Croutons (if making):
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Use a nonstick baking sheet or line a regular baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cube bread into small, even squares about 1 inch in size. Don't cut too small or they will become overly crunchy and brittle and don't cut too big or they will become chewy.
- Add cubed bread to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, melted butter, or a combination of the two. Sprinkle over the salt & pepper. Toss to coat or use a silicone spatula and gently fold together, being careful not to smash or break apart the bread.
- Spread out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then flip every single crouton over. While tedious, this is the best method to prevent any croutons from over-browning on one side and under-cooking on another. Bake another 8-10 minutes until golden brown on both sides and hard to the touch. Let cool in pan.
For the Special Sauce:
- Finely dice/mince onion.
- Add onion along with the remaining sauce ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Combine with a whisk, stirring until well combined and smooth.
- Transfer to a mason jar with a lid or individual portioned meal prep containers. Keep refrigerated.
For the Big Mac Bowls:
- Heat a skillet or pan on the stove over medium heat with 1 tbsp. oil.
- Add ground beef to the hot pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Brown the ground beef until completely cooked through, breaking it into smaller crumbles as it cooks. Once cooked through, use a slotted spoon to remove the ground beef from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain the grease from the pan. You may want to pat the ground beef with paper towels as well to remove as much grease as possible.
- Return the ground beef to the pan. Add in Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and onion powder (optional). Allow to cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- While the beef is cooling, prepare the ingredients for the salad. Wash, dry, and chop the romaine. Rinse tomatoes. Grate the cheddar cheese.
- To assemble the salads: Lay a bed of romaine lettuce on a large plate. Add the following ingredients in piles: tomatoes, dill pickle chips, shredded cheddar cheese, croutons, and ground beef. Sprinkle over sesame seeds. Then, drizzle with the Special Sauce.
- Serve.
Leave a Reply