Everything you love about a classic Big Mac comes together in this fun and delicious pasta salad. Tender rotini and seasoned ground beef are combined with dill pickles and onions, then topped with crisp lettuce, cheddar cheese, sliced pickles, and a drizzle of creamy homemade Big Mac-style sauce. Finished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, it’s hearty, easy to make, and packed with those familiar flavors that just might bring back a few memories.
Old-School Big Mac Pasta Salad
Description
This Old-School Big Mac Pasta Salad combines tender rotini, seasoned ground beef, dill pickles, onions, crisp lettuce, and cheddar cheese, all finished with a creamy homemade Big Mac-style sauce. A sprinkle of sesame seeds gives it that final burger touch. It’s an easy, hearty summer meal that’s perfect for family dinners, cookouts, and potlucks.
Ingredients
For the Beef Mixture
For the Sauce
Toppings
Instructions
-
Cook the rotini pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain well and set aside.
-
Add the ground beef to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with the salt and ground black pepper. Cook, breaking the beef into crumbles, until browned and cooked through. Drain any excess grease if necessary.
-
Add the chopped onion and garlic to the ground beef and sauté until it begins to soften. Stir and sauté for about 2 minutes until fragrant.Â
-
Add the cooked rotini and chopped dill pickles directly to the skillet. Gently toss everything together until well combined. Remove from the heat.
-
Add the mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, white vinegar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and sweet pickle juice to a bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy. The sauce should be thin enough to drizzle easily over the salad. I add mine to a squeeze bottle.Â
-
Scatter the cheese, shredded lettuce, and sliced pickle over the beef and pasta mixture. Drizzle the sauce over the top followed by some sesame seeds.Â
Nutrition Facts
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 590kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 38g59%
- Saturated Fat 10g50%
- Trans Fat 7g
- Cholesterol 75mg25%
- Sodium 920mg39%
- Total Carbohydrate 38g13%
- Dietary Fiber 2g8%
- Sugars 5g
- Protein 25g50%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Nutritional values are a within reason estimate and my vary depending on several factors.
Note
For the best texture, cook the rotini just until al dente so it holds its shape when combined with the ground beef and toppings.
Allow the beef and pasta mixture to cool slightly before adding the lettuce. Adding the lettuce while the mixture is too hot can cause it to wilt quickly.
The Big Mac-style sauce should be smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Add a little extra sweet pickle juice if you prefer a thinner consistency.
For the best presentation, don't mix the lettuce, cheese, sliced pickles, sauce, and sesame seeds completely into the pasta. Keeping them layered over the top gives the salad its distinctive Big Mac look and keeps the lettuce crisp.
The sauce can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until you're ready to assemble the salad. Give it a quick stir or shake before drizzling.
For an extra onion bite, sprinkle a little finely chopped raw onion over the finished salad before serving.
