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Big Mac Pasta Salad in a bowl with creamy special sauce, lean ground beef, cheddar, romaine, tomatoes, and pickles.

Big Mac Pasta Salad


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  • Author: Aneta
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Description

Big Mac Pasta Salad is a lighter, crave-worthy “burger in a bowl” pasta salad with lean beef, crunchy romaine, pickles, cheddar, and a creamy special-sauce style dressing—perfect for meal prep or potlucks.


Ingredients

Scale

Pasta Salad

  • 1 lb (16 oz) 96% lean ground beef

  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

  • 8 oz dry chickpea pasta (like Banza), rotini or shells

  • 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

  • 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

  • 1/2 cup red onion, diced

  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (2%/reduced fat), shredded or cubed

  • 1/2 cup diced dill pickles (plus extra pickle slices for topping, optional)

Dressing

  • 3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

  • 1/4 cup light mayo

  • 1/4 cup no sugar added ketchup

  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard

  • 2 tbsp dill pickle juice

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

  • 1/2 tsp onion powder

  • 1/2 tsp paprika

  • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (garnish)


Instructions

  1. Cook the beef: Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked. Stir in Worcestershire sauce. Set aside to cool slightly.

  2. Cook the pasta: Cook chickpea pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.

  3. Prep the mix-ins: Halve tomatoes, chop romaine, dice red onion, and dice pickles. Shred or cube cheddar.

  4. Make the dressing: In a bowl, whisk Greek yogurt, light mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickle juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika until smooth.

  5. Assemble: In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, beef, tomatoes, romaine, onion, cheddar, and pickles.

  6. Toss: Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.

  7. Finish: Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve right away or chill until ready to eat.

Notes

For meal prep, store romaine separately and mix in right before eating to keep it crisp.

If the dressing thickens after chilling, loosen it with 1–2 teaspoons pickle juice or a splash of water.

Want extra “Big Mac” vibes? Add a little more pickle and a sprinkle of sesame seeds right before serving.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stovetop + No-Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ~1 1/2 cups
  • Calories: 342 kcal
  • Sugar: 3 g
  • Sodium: 502 mg
  • Fat: 14 g
  • Saturated Fat: 4 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 27 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 31 g
  • Cholesterol: 70 mg