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Big Mac Pasta Salad

Big Mac pasta salad with elbow macaroni tossed in a tangy Big Mac special sauce, plus seasoned ground beef and crunchy pickle bits. Chilled for 30 minutes so the flavors meld, then finished with fresh shredded lettuce and diced cherry tomatoes for a deconstructed cheeseburger in every forkful.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 730
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

elbow macaroni
  • 12 oz elbow macaroni cooked and cooled
ground beef
  • 1 lb ground beef (80/20) cooked and crumbled, cooled
shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1.5 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
dill pickles
  • 1 cup dill pickles diced
onion
  • 0.5 onion finely diced
shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided
Big Mac sauce
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup ketchup
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 3 tbsp sweet pickle relish
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 1 sesame seeds for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the Big Mac sauce
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, white vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth; taste and adjust seasoning as needed (no heat).
Cook and cool the beef
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef, and cook until browned while seasoning with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder; keep crumbling so it cooks evenly (about 10 minutes), then spread on a sheet pan to cool completely.
Assemble the salad base
  1. In a large bowl, combine cooled elbow macaroni, cooled ground beef, dill pickles, finely diced onion, and half the shredded cheddar until evenly mixed (dry ingredients first for better coating).
  2. Pour Big Mac sauce over the pasta mixture and toss until everything is generously and evenly coated; scrape the bottom to lift any dry pasta.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate for 30 minutes so the pasta absorbs the sauce and thickens slightly; cover to prevent drying.
  2. When ready to serve, fold in shredded iceberg lettuce and cherry tomatoes and toss gently so they stay crisp.
  3. Top with the remaining shredded cheddar, drizzle with extra special sauce, scatter sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the pasta and cooked beef completely before mixing with the sauce—warm ingredients can make the salad watery. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; add the lettuce and tomatoes right before serving for best crunch. Freezing is not recommended because the lettuce and pasta texture change. For a lighter swap, use light mayonnaise in the Big Mac sauce while keeping the same seasonings.