Big Mac salad with seasoned ground beef, crisp iceberg, pickles, tomato, and red onion — 3.5g net carbs and 35.6g protein. My homemade thousand island gets scary close to the real thing, and it’s what makes this bowl work.
- 3.5gnet carbs
- 35.6gprotein
- 15minutes
- 4servings
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I have made a lot of burger salads over the years, and this one keeps winning. The difference is the dressing. Most Big Mac salad recipes use a generic sauce or skip the pickle entirely, but minced dill pickle stirred into the thousand island is what makes this taste like the real deal. Not relish. Minced pickle. It sounds like a tiny detail, but swap it out and you’ll notice immediately.
The base is simple: seasoned ground beef cooked with garlic powder, crumbled over a pile of shredded iceberg lettuce with diced tomatoes, pickles, red onion, and shredded cheddar. I use iceberg specifically because that’s what’s actually in a Big Mac. Romaine works if you prefer it, but iceberg gives you that cold, crunchy contrast against the warm beef that makes the whole bowl feel right. If you like building bowls, my sandwich bowl uses the same concept with deli meat.
Here’s something I picked up from the comments that I now do every single time: make the dressing the night before. The pickle absorbs into the mayo overnight and the flavor completely changes. It goes from “good homemade dressing” to something that genuinely tastes like Big Mac sauce. One of my readers, Jordan, described it as “almost alarming how close it is.” I double the minced pickle in my own dressing and add extra diced pickles on top of the salad too, because I’m that person.
This is a keto recipe I come back to on weeknights when I want something fast but filling. 35.6g of protein and 3.5g net carbs per serving, and it takes about 15 minutes start to finish if the dressing is already made. The beef reheats well, so I’ll sometimes cook a double batch and portion it out for lunches. Just keep the dressing separate and don’t toss the lettuce until you’re ready to eat, or you’ll end up with soup. If you’re into meal prepping salads, my chef salad and Thai chicken salad both hold up well too.
Ground turkey works here if you’re not a beef person. I’ve made it with both and the turkey version is a little milder, so I bump up the garlic powder and add a pinch of smoked paprika to compensate. Ground chicken is fine too, just make sure you season it well or the dressing has to do all the heavy lifting. For a completely different salad night, try my lettuce wraps or this pickle sandwich if you’re a fellow pickle enthusiast.
A teaspoon of sugar free sweetener handles the sweet side, and the minced dill pickle and vinegar give the dressing its bite.
The original Big Mac has no tomato, but I add it to this bowl for color and flavor.
Shred the iceberg lettuce ahead of time and keep it in a ziplock bag or container with a dry paper towel tucked in to soak up extra moisture.
The recipe
Keto Big Mac Salad
Prep 5 min
Cook 10 min
Total 15 min
Serves 4
Low Carb Thousand Island Dressing Ingredients
Keto Big Mac Salad Ingredients
Step by Step Instructions
-
Thousand island dressing
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the dressing. Add salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.
For this step
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sugar free ketchup
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (white or apple cider)
- 1 tablespoon minced dill pickle
- 1 teaspoon sugar free sweetener
- 1 teaspoon finely diced onion
-
Cook hamburger
Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add ground beef. Cook and crumble until almost browned. Stir in garlic powder, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until ground beef is cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool.
For this step
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
-
Assemble salad
To assemble the burger bowl, mix iceberg lettuce, red onion, dill pickle, and tomato in a bowl. Top with ground beef mixture and shredded cheese.
For this step
- one head of iceberg lettuce or green leaf lettuce, shredded
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/2 cup diced dill pickles
-
The secret sauce
Drizzle on thousand island dressing. Garnish with sesame seeds and fresh dill.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories
- 602
- Fat
- 47.6g
- Protein
- 35.6g
- Total carbs
- 5.2g
- Net carbs
- 3.5g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Big Mac sauce and thousand island dressing?
They’re close cousins. Big Mac sauce has pickle relish, mustard, and paprika, while thousand island uses ketchup and minced pickle. I use the thousand island base because the minced dill pickle gives you that same tangy crunch without needing mustard powder. Most recipes skip the pickle or use relish, and that’s exactly why they don’t taste right. I’ve tested both approaches and the minced pickle version wins.
Can I use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef?
I’ve made this keto salad with ground turkey and it works, but the flavor is milder. I add an extra half teaspoon of garlic powder and a pinch of smoked paprika to make up for it. Ground chicken is the same story. Season it more aggressively than you think you need to, because the dressing can only carry so much of the flavor on its own.
What lettuce works best for this salad: iceberg or romaine?
I use iceberg because that’s what’s in an actual Big Mac. It gives you that cold, crunchy bite against the warm beef that romaine can’t quite match. Romaine holds up a little better for meal prep, though, so I’ll use it if I’m making this ahead. Both work. It’s really about what texture you want.
How long does the thousand island dressing keep in the fridge?
Mine lasts about 5 days in a sealed jar. I usually make a double batch on Sunday and use it through the week. It actually tastes better after a day or two because the pickle fully absorbs into the mayo. Fresh dressing is good, but overnight dressing is noticeably closer to the real Big Mac sauce flavor.
Can I make this ahead of time for meal prep?
I meal prep this regularly. Cook the beef and make the dressing ahead of time (the dressing actually improves overnight). Store everything separately: beef in one container, chopped veggies in another, dressing in a jar. Don’t toss the lettuce with dressing until you’re ready to eat or it turns to mush within an hour. Assembled this way, it holds up for 3-4 days. My Jennifer Aniston salad and sesame chicken salad are two more that meal prep well if you want variety.
Can I use regular ketchup instead of sugar-free ketchup?
You can, but I don’t. Regular ketchup adds a few extra grams of sugar per serving and I can taste the sweetness difference in the dressing. Sugar-free ketchup keeps the dressing tangy instead of sweet, which is closer to what you’re going for. My favorite is the Primal Kitchen brand, but any sugar-free version works.
What other low carb salads pair well with this for weekly rotation?
I rotate through about four salads during the week to keep things interesting. This Big Mac version, my avocado chicken salad for something lighter, and a simple side salad on taco night. They all use different dressings so I never get bored with the same flavor profile.
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