Big Mac Pasta Salad

by Sandy on Nov 14, 2024

Big Mac Pasta Salad is a fully loaded spaghetti pasta salad with all your favorite Big Mac burger flavors! Leave out the buns and just add pasta! Packed with veggies, ground beef, and cheese, pickles, and topped with a tangy Copycat dressing, this is the perfect pasta salad for holiday parties, game day, or summer cookouts, or any time of the year!

I love an easy pasta salad! Not only is this Big Mac burger salad packed with flavor, but it’s the kind of salad that goes great as a side dish or served as the main dish. Replace the buns with spaghetti pasta for this fabulous Big Mac Pasta Salad. It tastes just like the burger–packed with flavor, texture, and color, amazing sauce–and served in an epic salad bowl. Everyone loves this ultimate potluck salad!

Table of Contents

Big Mac Pasta Salad

This is my go-to “party” salad, and it is particularly good with anything grilled. I can make the salad ahead of time and keep it in the fridge so it’s ready to serve when the brats or burgers come off the grill.

It’s also a terrific choice for the holidays or if you need to take a dish to a party. Everyone loves it, and it’s so pretty with all the bright colors and textures.

Ready for a pasta salad that scores a 10 on flavor? Give this epic Big Mac Pasta Salad a try and grab your epic salad bowl. We have 2 sizes (17 inches and 21 inches). Get them while they are stocked – they sell out quickly.

Why I love this recipe

It’s the perfect salad for a small crowd. It feeds 12 comfortably and is easy to double if you need more.
This dish goes so well with so many other dishes and is the perfect potluck salad.
You can prep everything ahead.

Gather these ingredients

For the salad:

Ground beef
Garlic powder
Spaghetti pasta
Cheddar cheese
Cherry tomatoes
Dill pickles (we used Grillo’s pickle spears)
Red onion
Chopped butter lettuce

For the Big Mac copycat dressing:

Mayonnaise
Sweet pickle relish
Yellow mustard
Apple cider vinegar
Paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder

How do you make a Big Mac Pasta Salad:

Cook the pasta according to package directions, al dente. NOTE: When adding the spaghetti, break it in half before adding to the boiling water. Rinse pasta under cool water and drain. Set aside.
Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through.
Drain excess grease, or absorb with a paper towel, and season with garlic powder. Set aside.
Whisk the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl until combined.
Make the salad: In an epic salad bowl, add the drained spaghetti, the lettuce, cooked ground beef, cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and onions.
Pour the mixed dressing over all of the ingredients and using 2 wood spoons or paddles, mix the dressing into the salad until fully combined.
Serve pasta salad warm or at room temperature.

Tips and substitutions:

Make the dressing ahead. Store the dressing separately in the fridge if making the salad sooner than that.
Break the spaghetti in half before adding to the boiling water (easier size to eat).
Cook the pasta al dente (1-2 minutes less) so it is not soggy.
Use your favorite pasta, like spaghetti, ziti, penne, shells, etc.
Optional is to use ground turkey or ground chicken (if you don’t want beef). But honestly, the beef tastes more like a “Big Mac hamburger.”
Cut the cheese chunks small.
In the summer you can use heirloom tomatoes. Yes, they are juicy, but the flavor is out of this world.
Don’t want to use butter lettuce? You can use iceberg (but BUTTER is way better).
Not a dill pickle fan? Add sweet pickles – yum!
For the best flavor, make sure the dill pickles are a good brand. We love Grillo’s pickles. YUM!
EPIC SALAD BOWL: Get while we have them in stock, we have 17 inch bowl and 21.5 inch bowl.
We also love the wood paddles.

Serving suggestions

I love serving this salad as a side dish next to delicious burgers, grilled chicken, or grilled steaks. It works so well with so many dishes! For the holidays – serve a salad potluck one night. You can make our Pizza Salad, this salad, Cake Pan Salad, and so many more yummy recipes.

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I love serving the leftovers in a wrap or tortilla the next day to make a Grinder Pasta Salad sandwich! Yum!

Check out these awesome pasta salad recipes while you’re here:

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Big Mac Pasta Salad

Packed with flavor, texture, and color, this Big Mac Pasta Salad is just like a Big Mac burger, with amazing sauce, served in an epic bowl. Serves 12-16.

Prep Time: 18

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 30

Yield: 12

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