Big Mac Pasta Salad

by Sabrina Snyder

Last Update:

15 Comments

5 from 5 votes
8 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
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Big Mac Pasta Salad is a fun twist on a classic summer side, featuring all the flavors of the iconic burger in a cool, creamy dish!

When it’s time to fire up the grill for a backyard party, you can’t go wrong with an Easy Pasta Salad. This cheeseburger twist takes a classic, easy Side Dish Recipe to the next level!

Sabrina’s Big Mac Pasta Salad Recipe

Big Mac Pasta Salad is a fun potluck or party dish that will surprise and delight everyone! From the tender pasta cooked just right to the seasoned ground beef, to the amazing dressing, this side dish will be a hit! I loaded this salad with all the fixings you’d find on the famous double cheeseburger, but feel free to adjust to your favorite burger toppings too.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Big Mac Pasta Salad Recipe

Big Mac Pasta Salad is a fun twist on a classic summer side, featuring all the flavors of the iconic burger in a cool, creamy dish!
Yield 8 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
macaroni with meats, veggies, and cheese mixed up
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

Croutons:

  • 2 sesame seed buns , diced
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Pasta Salad:

  • 1 pound elbow pasta
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 yellow onion , diced
  • 1/4 cup sweet relish
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes , halved
  • 2 cups lettuce , shredded
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese , shredded
  • 1 1/2 cups Big Mac Copycat Sauce , recipe

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Toss buns with canola oil and sprinkle with garlic salt.
  • Add to baking sheet and cook for 6-8 minutes until toasted.
  • Let cool while pasta cooks.
  • Cook the elbow pasta according to the directions on the packaging, then rinse under cold water.
  • Add beef and onion to a large skillet and cook on medium high heat, breaking it apart as you cook, 6-8 minutes.
  • Let beef cool.
  • Add the pasta, relish, tomatoes, lettuce, cheddar, Big Mac sauce and cooled beef to a large bowl and toss gently.
  • Top with Croutons and serve (if you toss croutons they’ll get soggy if it sits for too long).

Nutrition

Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 776mg | Potassium: 310mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 734IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 3mg

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Table of contents

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About this Recipe

The copycat Big Mac Sauce is really the star of this pasta salad. Unlike similar recipes, or even Big Mac Salads with no pasta, this is a spot on McDonald’s special sauce. It has just the right amount of mayonnaise, relish, and vinegar, plus French dressing so you don’t need a bunch of spices. For the best taste, make the sauce night before and allow all the flavors to soak in. The second best thing about this salad is the homemade croutons! Sesame seed buns get diced into bite-sized pieces and tossed in oil and little bit of garlic salt. Then they are baked until browned and crispy for the ultimate crunchy salad topping, even better than Texas Toast croutons. Make extras and freeze for up to 6 months!

What to Pair With

If you want a homemade McDonald’s dinner night, you need to serve this salad with Big Mac Sloppy Joes or grilled burgers. This pasta salad makes a light summer lunch with a side of Fruit Salad. You can leave out the hamburger meat and serve it as a side with BBQ favorites like Pulled Pork Sandwiches! Or if your craving the yummy sauce on top try out Big Mac and Cheese for a hearty dish with the same familiar flavors.

How to Store

  • Serve: This salad is best if you chill it for a few hours before serving. Keep at room temperature no more than 2 hours.
  • Store: Store without the croutons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The croutons can be kept in a bag at room temperature for about 3 days.
  • Freeze: You shouldn’t freeze this recipe. The dressing will collect moisture and separate. You can freeze the hamburger bun croutons for up to 6 months in a sealed freezer safe bag.

Variations

  • Pasta: Any small pasta will work like small shells, Rotini, Penne, Ditalini, or Fusilli pasta. You could also swap in boiled diced potatoes.
  • Veggies: Add in other pasta salad ingredients or burger toppings like chopped dill pickles, sliced avocado, corn, and diced red or green bell peppers.
  • Meat: If you want to make this a little lighter, use ground turkey or Grilled Chicken. Indulge with chopped crispy bacon mixed in or on top. 
  • Dressing: If you don’t want a homemade dressing, substitute Thousand Island dressing. For another classic burger taste, try with Shake Shack Sauce!
  • Cheese: Substitute any shredded cheese like Mozzarella cheese, Provolone, Pepper Jack or Colby Jack cheese. For a really creamy dish, use Velvetta cheese that has been diced or grated.

More Pasta Salad Recipes

Big Mac Pasta Salad collage

These photos were in a previous version of this post

Big Mac Pasta Salad in bowl
Big Mac Pasta Salad in bowl
Big Mac Pasta Salad in bowl

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

    1. Serve: This Big Mac Pasta Salad is best if you chill it for a few hours before serving. Keep at room temperature no more than 2 hours.

      Reply

  2. I asked this once already with no response. And my comment that I made last week is not here. I’d really like to know if this can or cannot be made the day before minus the croutons. Please respond

    Reply

    1. Running behind on comments, our apologies.
      Serve: This Big Mac Pasta Salad is best if you chill it for a few hours before serving. Keep at room temperature no more than 2 hours.
      Store: Store Big Mac Pasta Salad without the croutons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The croutons can be kept in a bag at room temperature for about 3 days.

      Having said that, pasta is best if made no more than a day ahead of time because some of the ingredients will become soggy. And yes, minus the croutons. You are correct.

      Reply

  3. I want to make this for Mother’s Day cookout. Can this be made ahead of time? Like the day before minus adding the croutons?

    Reply

    1. Sorry, we’ve been very busy in the kitchen! Hope your Mother’s Day was great. In case you still would like to know, here is storage information should you want to make the recipe ahead for another occasion.
      HOW TO STORE BIG MAC PASTA SALAD

      Serve: This Big Mac Pasta Salad is best if you chill it for a few hours before serving. Keep at room temperature no more than 2 hours.
      Store: Store Big Mac Pasta Salad without the croutons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The croutons can be kept in a bag at room temperature for about 3 days.
      Freeze: You shouldn’t freeze Big Mac Pasta Salad, the dressing will collect moisture and separate. You can freeze the hamburger bun croutons for up to 6 months in a sealed freezer safe bag.

      Reply

  4. I made this out of curiosity and it legit tastes like a Big Mac! Everyone enjoyed it! The croutons are premium.

    Reply

  8. I love pasta salas and the Bic Mac used to be my favorite burger. This sounds awesome and super easy to make.

    Reply