This Paleo Big Mac Salad is the comfort food you never knew you needed. Tastes just like the original sandwich, but with a real food makeover!
I haven’t craved McDonalds for years. My husband is an avid lover of McFlurry’s + Chicken Sandwiches, but I myself haven’t had a Big Mac in over a decade…and then today I craved one. And I mean CRAVED one + so I decided to let inspiration take me + this real food based Big Mac Salad was born!
This Paleo Big Mac Salad is full of all of the original flavors of the fast food classic, but just in slightly different form! A salad topped with beef, diced onions + pickles, drizzled with that special sauce + even crispy fries to top it off!
I’m not one to tell someone to skip out on the real deal if they’re desperate for McDonalds, but for those of us with allergies or ingredient restrictions, this Big Mac Salad offers the best of both worlds!
What You’ll Need for this Big Mac Salad
This ingredient list might look slightly different than the traditional sandwich, but you’ll notice a few common threads. Where possible, we’re sticking true to the original. And where we can’t we’re recreating the same delicious flavours just with real food options! Here’s what you’ll need:
- lettuce
- white onion
- pickles
- ground beef
- white potatoes
- avocado oil mayonnaise
- white vinegar
- honey
- dijon mustard
- paprika
- salt + pepper
And that’s it! Super simple ingredients, but a super tasty!
Assembling the Salad
This Paleo Big Mac Salad does take a few different steps to put together, but they’re all simply + totally worth it!
Since the French fries take the longest to cook, the first step is to get them cooking! Simply slice some white potatoes, toss them with salt + oil and get them roasting! I prefer to cook mine in an air fryer because it makes them so super crispy, but they cook beautifully in the oven as well…just leave 30-40 minutes to ensure they get that same golden brown crust!
The Special Sauce requires the most ingredients, but is the simplest part of the whole Big Mac Salad. It just takes a bit of mixing, but it has so much flavor! It’s rich, tangy, and perfectly reminiscent of the sauce spooned all over a traditional Big Mac. It makes a big portion, but I promise you’re going to want this sauce to drizzle on EVERYTHING.
To assemble the salad, start with lettuce + just pile your toppings on – ground beef, chopped onions, chopped pickles, crispy fries…and a generous amount of special sauce drizzled allllll over the top. All that’s left to do is enjoy!
I know that food bloggers often talk about how every recipe they create is their favorite, but honestly? This Paleo Big Mac Salad might just truly be mine. It’s just so simple but tastes so good. I actually ate it for both lunch + dinner on the days I tested this recipe.
It’s perfectly balanced with protein, veggies, healthy fats + carbs. It’s free from gluten, dairy, refined sugar, soy + nuts, so perfect for any dietary restrictions. To make this Big Mac Salad Whole30 compliant, just leave out the honey – it’ll still be great!
I love that this Big Mac Salad eats like a meal + tastes like a treat + I think you’ll love it too! If and when you whip up this up, I have to know what you think! Pop back to drop a review down below if you can – it really helps other people find my recipes + really cheers me on! Or, let me know what you think on instagram, I love seeing your recreations!
P.S. if you need something sweet to finish it off, these Paleo No Bake Brownie Bites or traditional No Bake Cookie Dough Bites are just the thing!
Big Mac Salad
Ingredients
Special Mac Sauce
- 1 cup avocado oil mayonnaise (regular mayo works too!)
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp white vinegar (apple cider vinegar works too!)
- 1/4 cup finely diced pickles
- 2 tbsp finely diced white onion
- 1 tsp paprika
Salad Ingredients
- 1 white onion
- 4 pickles
- 2 heads romaine
- 1 lb ground beef
Fries
- 1 lb white potatoes
- 1-2 tbsp avocado oil
- salt + pepper
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven or an air fryer to 400f or 200c. Slice the potatoes into fry shapes, toss with the oil, salt and pepper and put on a baking tray or into the air fryer! Bake for 30-40 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and crispy. (If air frying, they will take 20 minutes with a shake of the basket halfway through.)
- While the fries are cooking, add the ground beef to a skillet and cook over medium/high heat until browned through, breaking it up into small chunks while it cooks. Season with salt and pepper if desired, and set aside.
- Next, make the special sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a bowl + stir!
- To assemble the salads, add lettuce to the base of the bowl. Add desired toppings like pickles, onions and 1 serving of ground beef to each salad before drizzling liberally with the special sauce + topping with crispy fries!
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