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Keto Big Mac Salad Bowl

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Salad
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 head shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • cup ½diced onion
  • cup ½–1dill pickles sliced
  • Salt pepper, garlic powder
  • Big Mac Sauce
  • cup ½mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp sugar-free ketchup
  • 2 tbsp chopped pickles or sugar-free relish
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tsp –2pickle juice
  • tsp ½garlic powder
  • tsp ½onion powder
  • Pinch of low-carb sweetener
  • Pinch of paprika optional

Method
 

  1. Step 1 – Brown and Season the Beef Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef (add a teaspoon of oil if using very lean beef). Break the beef up with a spatula and cook for about 6–8 minutes, until no pink remains. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Taste and adjust. If there’s a lot of grease, drain most of it off. Leave a little if you want extra flavor. The goal is beef that’s browned, seasoned, and still a bit juicy—not dry and crumbly.
  2. Step 2 – Stir Together the Big Mac-Style Sauce While the beef cooks or rests, mix your sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sugar-free ketchup, mustard, chopped pickles or relish, pickle juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of sweetener. Taste. Does it need more tang? Add a bit more pickle juice or mustard. Sweeter? A touch more sweetener or ketchup. Chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes if you can—the flavors settle and blend better. You’ll probably end up licking the spoon and wondering why you ever bought drive-thru sauce.
  3. Step 3 – Build Your Burger Bowls Time to assemble. Start with a bed of lettuce in each bowl. Be generous—this is your “bun.” Top with a scoop of warm ground beef. About ¼ of the pan per serving if you’re making four bowls. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the warm beef so it softens and melts slightly. Add onions, pickles, and any other toppings you like (a few tomato pieces, jalapeños, bacon). Drizzle the Big Mac sauce over the top. You can go light or heavy, or serve it on the side for dipping. Finish with sesame seeds or Everything Bagel seasoning. It’s a small detail, but it really sells the burger feeling. You can serve it exactly like this, or toss everything together so every bite gets a bit of sauce and cheese.
  4. Step 4 – Turn It Into Meal Prep If you’re making this for lunches, you’ll want to keep things from getting soggy. Use divided meal-prep containers if you have them. Add shredded lettuce to one section, beef in another, toppings in a third. Store the sauce in a small cup or jar and add it right before eating. This way, you can batch 3–4 lunches in one go. Future you will be very grateful.