McDonald’s Copycat Recipes

1. Big Mac Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 pound rotini pasta, cooked al dente and drained
1 pound hamburger, browned and drained
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese cubes,
1 ½ cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup onion, minced
1 ½ cups dill pickle, diced
1 ⅓ cups thousand island dressing
⅔ cup Mayonnaise
dill pickle chips, optional garnish
½ teaspoon white sesame seeds, optional garnish

Instructions

Be sure to let your rotini and hamburger fully cool before continuing with assembly of the pasta salad.
Place the pasta, hamburger, cheese cubes, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and diced dill pickles in an x-large mixing bowl. Gently fold together until thoroughly mixed.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the thousand island dressing and mayonnaise and stir until combined.
Pour the dressing over the top of the pasta salad and gently fold again until all the ingredients are fully coated with the dressing.
Cover and place in the fridge to rest for at least 2 hours or until chilled through. You can eat the salad immediately, if desired, the flavors just get much better when everything is left to chill for a bit.
Garnish with dill pickle chips and white sesame seeds, if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

Store in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 4 days. Do not freeze.
Big Macs do not have tomatoes, so you don’t have to include those in the recipe if that’s your preference. The red is just a nice pop of color.
You can use grape tomatoes instead of cherry. Whatever you have on hand is fine, in general.
Some people prefer salt in this salad. I like it both ways, so it’s totally up to your preferences on whether you add it or not.
When chopping everything, I ensure it’s a nice bite size and not too big.
This makes it easier to get more than one ingredient in each bite. This makes quite a bit of salad. If you don’t need a large amount, I suggest halving the recipe.

Nutrition

2. Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1 ¼ cups 1000 Island dressing, divide 1 cup for filling and ¼ cup for topping
¾ cup chopped dill pickles
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons mustard
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups mild cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
32 ounces frozen tater tots, I used the Ore Ida Crispy tots
1 ½ cups thinly shredded lettuce, I use the prepackaged lettuce
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
In a 4 to 5 quart skillet or saucepan over medium high heat, brown the ground beef and onion until the beef is no longer pink. (This should take about 6 to 8 minutes) Drain any excess oil.
Add in the 1 cup of 1000 island dressing, chopped pickles, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, onion powder, paprika, kosher salt and pepper. Stir until completely combined.
Spread the meat mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the meat.
Arrange the frozen tater tots in a single layer on top of the cheese. (To avoid soggy tots, do not over crowd, to allow air to circulate while baking) Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tater tots are golden brown.
Allow the casserole to rest for a few minutes before spreading the shredded lettuce over the top of the tater tot layer.
Drizzle the remaining ¼ cup of 1000 island dressing and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Serve while hot.

Notes

For extra crispy tater tots, you can prebake the tots before layering on top of the casserole.
Sweet pickle relish can be substituted for the chopped dill pickles.
You can use shredded colby jack, sharp cheddar or even american cheese slices in place of mild cheddar cheese.

Nutrition

3. Big Mac Pizza

Ingredients

1 pound prepared fresh pizza dough
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (1 tablespoon to brush the dough and 1 tablespoon to cook the ground beef)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup small diced yellow onion, divided (¾ cup added to cooked ground beef, ¼ cup for toppings)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2½ cups shredded yellow American cheese, from an 8-ounce piece sliced at the deli counter
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
⅓ cup hamburger sliced dill pickles, patted dry
⅓ cup bottled Thousand Island dressing
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly spray a large 15 to 16-inch round pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
On a clean work surface, carefully roll or stretch out your fresh pizza dough to 14 inches, then place it onto the prepared pizza pan. Using a fork, poke holes all over the entire surface of the pizza dough. Be careful to leave about a half-inch border around the edges so your crust can rise. The holes help prevent bubbles from forming on the surface where you will add your toppings as you par-bake the pizza dough.
Brush the entire surface of the pizza crust with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake the pizza dough (with no toppings on it) for 15 minutes. Once the pizza dough is partially baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on the counter while you finish preparing the toppings.
While your pizza dough is par-baking, you will make the ground beef topping by adding to a large skillet, on medium-high heat, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, lean ground beef, ¾ cup diced yellow onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook and brown the ground beef for 5-6 minutes or until no pink remains.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked ground beef from the skillet and place it onto a paper towel-lined plate to allow as much of the excess grease to drain from the ground beef mixture as possible.
Spoon the drained ground beef mixture onto the par-baked pizza dough, making sure that the ground beef is evenly distributed and leaving about a 1-inch border for the crust.
Top the ground beef with the shredded American cheese. Be sure that the cheese is evenly distributed over the surface of the pizza.
Return the ground beef and cheese-topped pizza to the oven to finish baking the crust and melt the cheese. This should take about 7-11 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted. Remove the pizza from the oven and slide it onto a large cutting board.
To finish topping the Big Mac pizza, sprinkle the shredded iceberg lettuce over the melted cheese, followed by the remaining ¼ cup diced yellow onion.
Next, randomly place the dill pickle slices around the top of the Big Mac pizza, drizzle the Thousand Island dressing over the entire pizza in a decorative pattern, and then garnish with the sesame seeds.
Using a pizza cutter, cut the pizza into eight slices by cutting the pizza in half, then into quarters, then cut each quarter in half.

Notes

To prevent your crust from becoming soggy, make sure you pre-bake it. It’s also critical to drain your beef well. Otherwise, the excess grease sits o the pizza crust and makes is wet and oily.
Fresh pizza dough can be difficult to roll out if you haven’t tried before, but don’t worry too much. Make sure the dough is at room temperature before you begin trying to stretch it. If a rolling pin isn’t working well, you can lift the crust and allow gravity to let it stretch. Continue stretching the crust by hand until it’s an ideal size.
Instead of using non-stick cooking spray, you can use parchment paper if you prefer.
If your pizza crust edges begin to brown too quickly, you can gently set aluminum foil over the edges.

Nutrition

4. Big Mac Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

Meat Mixture

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound ground beef, 85%-15% ground round
½ cup yellow onion, small diced (plus additional for toppings)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup pickle relish
¼ cup bottled Thousand Island dressing, plus extra for toppings (Kraft brand)
1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Assembly & Toppings

4 large soft sesame seed buns, Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White
¼ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 tablespoons small diced yellow onion, about ½ tablespoon per sandwich
4 American cheese slices, unwrapped
Dill pickle, hamburger slices (3 to 4 per sandwich)
Bottled Thousand Island dressing

Instructions

In a large skillet, on medium-high heat, add the unsalted butter, ground beef, diced yellow onion, salt, and pepper.
Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the onions are soft and the meat is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat from the skillet.
Turn the heat to low and add the pickle relish, bottled thousand island dressing, and Worcestershire sauce to the cooked ground beef. Stir to fully incorporate and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
To assemble your Big Mac sloppy Joes, you will need to place the bottom half of a sesame seed bun onto your plate and top it with shredded iceberg lettuce, small diced yellow onions, a slice of American cheese, 3 to 4 dill pickle slices, a large scoop of the meat mixture and finally a generous amount of bottled thousand island dressing. Top your Big Mac sloppy Joe with the top portion of your bun.
Repeat step 4 until all your sandwiches are assembled.

Notes

I love the ease of using a bottled Thousand Island salad dressing for the recipe. You can use a homemade version if you have a favorite recipe. Be sure to choose a bottled brand you would enjoy on a salad.
I love using the large, soft sesame seed buns found in the bread aisle of my grocery store as they stay fresh for a few days making this a quick and easy meal that I do not need to stop at the bakery the day I plan to make this. You can certainly use bakery buns if preferred. I just highly recommend getting the large size. If your buns are smaller, you will most likely be able to get 6 servings from the meat mixture.
I like to use a large 2½ to 3-inch cookie scoop to scoop out my meat mixture, then place the meat onto the bun. I find that I make less of a mess this way, and I can evenly portion out my servings.
American cheese slices are what a “real” Big Mac sandwich has on it. If you do not care for American cheese slices, then mild cheddar cheese sandwich slices would also taste delicious as a substitute.

Nutrition

5. Big Mac Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons bottled French salad dressing
1 ½ tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 ½ tablespoons white onion, finely minced
1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, bottled French salad dressing, sweet pickle relish, finely minced white onion, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, salt, and black pepper until fully combined.
Transfer the Big Mac sauce to a small lidded container (a half-pint size mason jar works great), or cover the mixing bowl with a piece of plastic wrap.
Refrigerate the Big Mac sauce for 2 hours or up to overnight. This allows the flavors from all the ingredients in the sauce to develop and marry. Be sure to stir the sauce before serving.

Notes

We recommend measuring carefully, as the balance of ingredients contributes to the making sure the sauce tastes just like the original.
Use a whisk to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly blended into a smooth consistency. This helps prevent any lumps and ensures the flavors meld perfectly.
For the best flavor, let the sauce sit overnight. This extended chilling time allows the flavors to marry more deeply, resulting in a richer and more familiar taste.

Nutrition

6. Big Mac Salad

Ingredients

6 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
1½ pounds very lean ground beef, browned and drained
1½ cups shredded Colby jack cheese
1 cup diced Roma tomatoes
1 cup sliced red onion
½ cup diced dill pickles
Thousand Island dressing

Instructions

Add the chopped lettuce to an extra-large serving bowl.
Sprinkle the cooked ground beef over the lettuce.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sliced onion, and diced dill pickles over the ground beef. Toss to combine.
Drizzle as much or as little dressing as you like over the top of the salad. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can batch cook ground beef ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer to make this recipe even quicker to assemble. Brown ground beef over medium-high heat, drain and let cool before storing in a Ziploc bag.
You can also serve the basic salad with the toppings in separate bowls so that everyone can adjust the amount of each topping they’d like to add to their salad.

Nutrition

1. Big Mac Pasta Salad

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

2. Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

3. Big Mac Pizza

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

4. Big Mac Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

Meat Mixture

Assembly & Toppings

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

5. Big Mac Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

6. Big Mac Salad

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

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