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–+ servings
Big Mac Salad

Big Mac Salad with Homemade Special Sauce - Gluten Free, Low Carb McDonald's Big Mac Copycat

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 6 salads
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. 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.
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Equipment

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.

Notes

An easy way to increase or decrease the servings of this recipe is by scaling up or down the amount of ground beef, sauce, and lettuce.
 
My original Gluten Free Croutons post
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