Go Back

Big Mac Pasta Salad

Big Mac pasta salad with tender elbow macaroni, seasoned ground beef, crunchy pickles, and a tangy special sauce. Chilled for at least 2 hours so every bite tastes like a burger-meets-salad copycat.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Elbow macaroni
  • 1 lb elbow macaroni Cook until al dente, then rinse cold to stop the cooking.
Ground beef and seasoning
  • 1 lb ground beef Brown until no longer pink; drain well.
  • 1 tbsp burger seasoning Season the beef while browning.
Salad add-ins
  • 2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce Keep pieces crisp by adding after pasta and beef cool.
  • 2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded Use freshly shredded for best melting texture against hot pasta.
  • 0.5 cup dill pickles, diced Drain if very wet so the salad doesn’t thin the sauce.
  • 0.5 cup red onion, finely diced Soak briefly in cold water if you want a milder bite.
Big Mac special sauce
  • 1 cup mayonnaise Base of the creamy sauce.
  • 0.25 cup ketchup Adds the classic burger tang and color.
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard For the signature sweet-tang balance.
  • 2 tbsp pickle juice Adjust to taste for extra pickle flavor.
  • 1 tbsp sugar Balances acidity from ketchup and pickle juice.
  • 0.0625 sesame seeds for garnish Sprinkle just before serving.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta
  1. Bring water to a boil and cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.
Brown the beef
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef with burger seasoning until no longer pink. Drain and cool the beef completely.
Make the Big Mac sauce
  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, pickle juice, and sugar until smooth and pourable.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine pasta, ground beef, shredded iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, dill pickles, and red onion in a large bowl. Toss briefly to distribute evenly.
Dress and chill
  1. Pour the Big Mac sauce over the salad and toss until everything is coated. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, then sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Notes

For clean flavor separation, cool the pasta and beef completely before mixing with lettuce so the salad stays crisp. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days; the sesame seeds are best added right before serving. Freezing isn’t recommended because the lettuce and sauce texture can break down. If you want a lighter option, swap mayonnaise for Greek yogurt-based mayo (or use half mayo/half Greek yogurt) for a tangy, slightly lighter dressing.