Homemade Special Sauce Big Mac Salad is your new weeknight savior, offering all the iconic flavors of your favorite fast-food burger in a healthy, customizable salad format. This recipe leverages a quick and easy homemade special sauce to bring that signature taste without the fuss, making it a perfect quick meal solution.
Key Ingredients for Homemade Special Sauce Big Mac Salad
- 1 pound lean ground beef (85% or 90% lean)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup dill pickles, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup croutons (optional)
For the Homemade Special Sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch of salt
How to Make Homemade Special Sauce Big Mac Salad
This delightful Homemade Special Sauce Big Mac Salad is incredibly easy to assemble, proving that you don’t need hours in the kitchen to achieve a satisfying and flavorful meal. Packed with fresh ingredients and that undeniable special sauce, it’s a quick and wholesome option. Get ready to enjoy this delicious creation in under 30 minutes from prep to plate.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the Ground Beef: In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Drain off any excess grease. Add the finely chopped yellow onion, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until the beef is browned and the onion is tender. Once cooked, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Make the Special Sauce: While the beef is cooking, prepare the homemade special sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, white vinegar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt until well combined and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Assemble the Salad Base: In a large salad bowl, place the thinly sliced iceberg lettuce. This forms the crisp and refreshing foundation of your salad.
Add the Toppings: Evenly distribute the halved cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced dill pickles over the lettuce. These add bursts of sweetness and tang.
Incorporate the Beef: Carefully spoon the cooked and slightly cooled ground beef mixture over the vegetables in the salad bowl.
Top with Cheese: Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese evenly over the beef and vegetables.
Add Croutons (Optional): If you desire an extra layer of crunch, scatter the croutons over the top of the salad.
Dress the Salad: Drizzle a generous amount of your prepared homemade special sauce over the entire salad. You can serve the extra sauce on the side for those who want to add more. Toss gently to combine all the ingredients, ensuring everything is coated in the flavorful sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Special Sauce Big Mac Salad
You’ll absolutely adore this Homemade Special Sauce Big Mac Salad for its incredible ability to capture the essence of a classic Big Mac in a light and healthy dish. The star of the show is undoubtedly the homemade special sauce, a creamy, tangy concoction that perfectly mimics the iconic burger spread, delivering that much-loved flavor profile without the guilt. Beyond the sensational sauce, the fresh, crunchy lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and zesty pickles create a delightful textural and taste experience.
Unlike its fast-food counterpart, this salad offers significant cost savings by using simple, fresh ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, making it an economical yet gourmet choice. It’s incredibly versatile; you can easily swap out ingredients to suit your preferences, adding or omitting toppings as you please for a truly personalized meal. If you’re looking for a way to satisfy those burger cravings in a healthier, more budget-friendly way, give this Homemade Special Sauce Big Mac Salad a try tonight!
Storing and Reheating Tips
To keep your delicious Homemade Special Sauce Big Mac Salad fresh, it’s best to store the components separately if you plan on holding onto leftovers for more than a day. Refrigerate the cooked ground beef mixture, sliced lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and shredded cheeses in airtight containers. The homemade special sauce can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
If you’ve already assembled the salad, it’s best to consume it within 24 hours for optimal freshness and texture. The lettuce can become soggy if dressed too far in advance. To reheat, gently warm the ground beef mixture in a skillet or microwave until heated through. Then, assemble your salad with fresh lettuce and other toppings, and reheat the special sauce slightly before drizzling over your recreated salad. For freezing, it’s not recommended to freeze the assembled salad as the texture of the fresh ingredients will be compromised. However, you can freeze the cooked ground beef mixture (without onions if preferred for better texture upon reheating) and the special sauce separately.
Final Thoughts
The Homemade Special Sauce Big Mac Salad is your guilt-free ticket to enjoying those beloved burger flavors in a wholesome, delicious way. This recipe is simple to whip up and incredibly satisfying, encouraging you to embrace healthy eating without sacrificing taste. Give it a try and discover your new go-to weeknight meal!
try also :
- Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad
- Cranberry Brie Bites
- Crispy Sweet Potato Bites
- Matcha Cake Recipe
- find more in Pinterest
Homemade Special Sauce Big Mac Salad
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Drain off any excess grease.1 pound lean ground beef (85% or 90% lean)
- Add the finely chopped yellow onion, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until the beef is browned and the onion is tender. Once cooked, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- While the beef is cooking, prepare the homemade special sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, white vinegar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt until well combined and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, Pinch salt
- In a large salad bowl, place the thinly sliced iceberg lettuce. This forms the crisp and refreshing foundation of your salad.1 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
- Evenly distribute the halved cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced dill pickles over the lettuce. These add bursts of sweetness and tang.1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, 1/2 cup dill pickles, thinly sliced
- Carefully spoon the cooked and slightly cooled ground beef mixture over the vegetables in the salad bowl.1 pound lean ground beef (85% or 90% lean)
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese evenly over the beef and vegetables.1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- If you desire an extra layer of crunch, scatter the croutons over the top of the salad.1/2 cup croutons
- Drizzle a generous amount of your prepared homemade special sauce over the entire salad. You can serve the extra sauce on the side for those who want to add more. Toss gently to combine all the ingredients, ensuring everything is coated in the flavorful sauce.