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Big Mac Pasta Salad

Big Mac pasta salad with tender elbow macaroni, seasoned ground beef, shredded cheddar, and diced pickles tossed in a creamy copycat Big Mac sauce. Chilled for at least 2 hours so every bite tastes like a burger-inspired crowd-pleaser.
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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: 860
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

elbow macaroni
  • 1 lb elbow macaroni
ground beef
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tbsp burger seasoning
iceberg lettuce
  • 2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
cheddar cheese
  • 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
pickles
  • 0.5 cup dill pickles, diced
red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion, finely diced
Big Mac sauce
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup ketchup
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 0.25 cup pickle juice
  • 1 tbsp sugar
sesame seeds
  • 1 sesame seeds for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta and beef
  1. Cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water until cool to the touch.
  2. Brown the ground beef with the burger seasoning until no longer pink, then drain and cool before mixing.
Make the Big Mac sauce and combine
  1. For Big Mac sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, pickle juice, and sugar until smooth and fully combined.
  2. Combine the pasta, ground beef, shredded iceberg lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, diced dill pickles, and finely diced red onion in a large bowl.
  3. Pour the Big Mac sauce over the salad and toss to coat evenly, making sure the pasta and toppings are glossy with sauce.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours so it firms up and the flavors meld.
  2. Sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish right before serving.

Notes

For clean mixing, rinse the pasta with cold water until fully cool and cool the browned beef before combining—this prevents the cheese from melting and keeps the salad’s texture. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended because the lettuce and cheese can soften. For a lighter option, use light mayonnaise in the Big Mac sauce while keeping the ketchup, mustard, and pickle juice the same.