Craving a Big Mac without the carbs, gluten, or need to go through a drive-thru? This Big Mac Bowl has got you covered! Shredded lettuce, ground beef, shredded cheese, onion, and pickles, all topped with a tangy Big Mac sauce!
Why You'll Love this Big Mac Bowl:
- Ready in just 20 minutes and only requires one pan.
- Naturally Low-Carb & Gluten-Free.
- Super Customizable. Make it a wrap for lunch, add extra veg, or make it dairy-free.
Jump to:
Key Ingredients:
- Lean Ground Beef: The classic Big Mac protein without the extra grease.
- White Onion: Diced and cooked into the ground beef as well as sprinkled on top.
- Iceberg Lettuce: The crunchy salad base. I used iceberg lettuce because that is traditional to a Big Mac but you can use your fave salad base. Spinach or romaine would also work well.
- Shredded Cheese & Pickles: Essential toppings. For this recipe I used freshly grated cheddar and sliced hamburger pickles, but chopped American cheese or pickle relish could be used instead.
- Big Mac Sauce: A blend of condiments you probably already have in your fridge. Mayo, ketchup, pickle relish, yellow mustard, and just a bit of honey.
Dietary Swaps:
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free & keto-friendly. As always, if cooking for someone with dietary restrictions or food allergies, check all pre-packaged ingredient labels.
- To Make Egg-Free/Dairy-Free: To make egg-free, swap the mayo for Veganaise. To also make dairy-free, use a dairy-free shredded cheese such as VioLife or Daiya.
- To Make Vegetarian: Swap the ground beef for a plant-based substitute. I really like the Impossible Foods 'ground beef'.
Recipe Variations:
- Make it a Whopper Bowl. Use chopped American cheese, add more mustard to the sauce, and add chopped tomatoes.
- Make It a Wrap. Roll everything in a low-carb, gluten-free, or regular tortilla.
- Make it a Rice Bowl, by serving everything over cooked white rice or cauliflower rice.
How to Make this Big Mac Bowl:
- Cook beef, onion, salt, and pepper in a skillet until browned. Stir in garlic; drain and cool slightly.
- Whisk Big Mac sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Assemble bowls: shredded lettuce, beef, cheddar, pickles, raw onion. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle sesame seeds.
Tips & Notes:
- Let the beef cool slightly so that it is warm but not hot before assembling bowls. This helps prevent the lettuce from wilting.
- Drain beef on a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess grease.
- Use freshly shredded cheese. It has a much better flavor and texture than pre-shredded cheese.
Storage:
- Store ground beef, lettuce, toppings, and sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge. If stored separately each component lasts 3-4 days.
- Once combined, this salad bowl should be eaten within 24 hours.
More Under 30 Minute Recipes You Will Love:
- Portillo's Chopped Salad (The Best Copycat Recipe)
- Homemade Beef Stroganoff Hamburger Helper
- Creamy One-Pot Big Mac Cheeseburger Soup
- Sheet Pan Turkey Sausage, Broccoli, & Gnocchi
- Easy Chopped Greek Salad with Feta and Chickpeas
- Columbia Restaurant's 1905 Salad
Recipe
Big Mac Bowl
Craving a Big Mac without the carbs, gluten, or need to go through a drive-thru? This Big Mac Bowl has got you covered! Shredded lettuce, ground beef, shredded cheese, onion, and pickles, all topped with a tangy Big Mac sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ½ white onion diced (plus extra for topping)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the Bowl:
- 4 cups iceberg lettuce shredded
- 1 cup freshly shredded cheese cheddar or American
- Dill pickle slices
- Sesame seeds for topping
For the Big Mac sauce:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ¼ teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium-high. Add a light drizzle of olive oil, ground beef, diced onion (reserve some for topping), salt, and pepper. Break up meat with a spatula and cook 7-10 minutes until browned. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool slightly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, ketchup, relish, mustard, and honey until smooth.
- Divide shredded lettuce between bowls. Top with beef, cheddar cheese, pickle slices, extra raw onion, a drizzle of Big Mac sauce, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Let the beef cool slightly so that it is warm but not hot before assembling bowls. This helps prevent the lettuce from wilting.
- Store ground beef, lettuce, toppings, and sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge. If stored separately each component lasts 3-4 days.
- Once combined, this salad bowl should be eaten within 24 hours.
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free & low-carb.
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 30gFat: 26gSugar: 4g
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Must Love Garlic says
All of the Big Mac flavors without the gluten or carbs.