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Big Mac Pasta Salad

Big Mac pasta salad with all the classic flavors—ground beef, shredded cheddar, diced pickles, and onions—tossed with a tangy copycat Big Mac sauce. This burger pasta salad is quick to assemble and chills into a crowd-pleaser, fun salad for potlucks and weeknights.
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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: 690
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Elbow macaroni
  • 1 lb elbow macaroni
Ground beef
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tbsp burger seasoning
Big Mac salad mix-ins
  • 2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 0.5 cup dill pickles, diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion, finely diced
Big Mac sauce
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup ketchup
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 2 tbsp pickle juice
  • 1 tbsp sugar
Garnish
  • 0.5 sesame seeds Use as needed for topping.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 large pot
  • 1 large bowl

Method
 

Cook and cool the components
  1. Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions in a large pot, then drain and rinse with cold water until chilled, about 30 seconds. Spread on a sheet pan to cool completely.
  2. Brown ground beef with burger seasoning in the large pot until no longer pink, then drain and cool to room temperature.
Make the Big Mac sauce
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, pickle juice, and sugar together until smooth and pourable, with no sugar streaks visible.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine elbow macaroni, ground beef, shredded iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, dill pickles, and red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Pour Big Mac sauce over the salad and toss until everything is coated and the macaroni looks evenly dressed.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours, covered, until the sauce clings and the pasta feels firm and cold.
  2. Right before serving, sprinkle sesame seeds over the top for a visible garnish and serve cold.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta well and cool the beef before mixing—this prevents a watery salad. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; the flavors improve after chilling. Freeze: no, the lettuce will soften after thawing. Dietary swap: use plant-based ground beef and vegan mayo to keep it vegetarian-friendly.