Big Mac Pasta Salad

This Big Mac Pasta Salad deliciously combines all of your favorite cheeseburger components with noodles, tossed in a light burger sauce. Oh, and this cheeseburger pasta salad is perfect for meal prep!

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Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:

• Copycat flavor – all the classic Big Mac flavors you love, but in pasta salad form.
• Lightened up – using some strategic swaps, like lean beef, protein pasta, fresh vegetables, and a Greek yogurt-based sauce make this pasta salad light, but still super satisfying.
• High Protein – one serving has over 30 grams of protein!
• Flexible – just like you can customize burgers with your favorite toppings and condiments, you can do the same here!
• Family-Friendly – try this cheeseburger pasta salad for a fun swap on your family’s next burger night!
• Meal Prep Friendly – this is so delicious and very meal prep friendly!
• Great for Summer Barbecues – whether it’s for festivities like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, this pasta salad will be a hit at any summer gathering!

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions:

For a full ingredient list with quantities, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Pasta – I love to use protein pasta for a higher protein and higher fiber swap. You can also use a whole wheat or legume-based pasta, too — or any pasta you prefer! (Different pastas will affect the nutrition information, head’s up!)
• Ground Beef – I use lean or extra lean ground beef for this pasta salad to keep it lighter/ leaner, and make sure the beef doesn’t taste greasy. You can also use ground turkey, chicken, bison, or venison, too.
• Onion Powder – this, along with some salt and pepper, helps adds a savory burger vibe to the ground beef.
• Cheese – I typically always use sharp cheddar cheese, but you could use mild or another variation, like Colby Jack cheese. I’ve made it both with thick shreds and small diced cheese cubes.
• Tomatoes – Halved or quartered cherry or grape tomatoes go great, but you can also use diced roma or any tomatoes you have.
• Lettuce – chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce will give it the most cheeseburger vibes.
• Onion – white/ yellow onion may be a little more authentic to a big mac, but I love the pop of color from the red onion.
• Pickles – dice pickles (but save some pickle juice for the burger sauce!)
• Greek Yogurt – use fat free or low fat Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise for a lighter, higher protein swap for our burger sauce pasta sauce base (that still tastes just as creamy and delicious!)
• Ketchup – adds a sweetness and some umami to the burger sauce
• Dijon Mustard – adds some tang and classic mustard flavor to the burger sauce.
• Pickle Juice – even as someone who is not personally the biggest pickle lover, I promise the pickle juice makes the burger sauce!
• Smoked Paprika – adds a touch of smokiness to the sauce that takes it to the next level.

How to Make Big Mac Pasta Salad

For complete instructions, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Cook protein pasta in a pot of boiling, salted water according to package directions. When al dente, drain, and let cool for 10 minutes while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
2. While the pasta is boiling, brown the ground beef in a skillet with onion powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Once done, let cool briefly while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
3. Whisk together the sauce and chop all the other ingredients.
4. Combine everything in a large bowl and toss until evenly coated.
5. If desired, garnish with sesame seeds on top to give some sesame bun vibes.

Tips and Variations

• Make it Your Own – I’m the biggest proponent of “you do you,” and just like with burgers, I highly encourage you to customize your cheeseburger pasta salad with all your personal favorite burger toppings. Let us know in the comments what you go with!
• Swap the Protein – feel free to substitute ground chicken, turkey, bison, or venison.
• Vegetarian – you can even use plant-based “meat” crumbles for a vegetarian option.
• Dairy-Free – skip the cheese, or use your favorite dairy-free alternative. And while it will decrease the protein, I’d recommend going back to dairy-free mayo for the sauce, if that’s a need of yours.
• Gluten-Free – use your favorite gluten-free noodle.
• Nut-Free – everything in this pasta salad is naturally nut-free, but there can sometimes be some overlap with nut and sesame sensitivities, so maybe skip the sesame seeds if you’re making for a crowd!

Meal Prep & Storage

To meal prep this burger pasta salad, you can place it pre-mixed in a jar or container for up to 1-2 days (any longer, and I find the lettuce starts to wilt). Alternatively, you can layer the pasta salad in a tall jar, as pictured above, and place the lettuce at the very top. This is the best trick to keep it fresher longer and get an extra day or two out of your meal prep!

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I don’t recommend freezing, due to the textural changes it causes in the sauce, tomatoes, and lettuce.

Recipe FAQs:

What if I don’t like onions?

If you’re not a huge fan of onions, or the bite they bring, there are a few tricks you can try:

• Use caramelized onions, as they’re sweeter/ give a different flavor.
• Soak raw onions in ice water for 10 minutes, as this takes the “bite” or “sting” out of raw onion.
• Reduce in half, so use 1/4 cup diced
• Skip entirely – you do you!

What if I don’t like pickles?

You can skip the pickles entirely. You could also keep the pickle juice in the quick burger sauce, but omit the diced pickles, or vice versa. Whatever makes it a more enjoyable eating experience for you!

Is this cheeseburger pasta salad healthy?

As a registered dietitian, I always like to encourage the mindset that “healthy” as food descriptor is subjective, and often flexible in the sense that we need to look at the big picture of your overall eating pattern.

But, that said, as a dietitian I also myself eat this pasta salad as a full meal, as it’s balanced with complex carbs, protein, fats, has fiber, and some vegetables, too!

Shop This Recipe

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• 24 Ounce Glass Jars
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More Pasta Salad Recipes to Love

• High Protein Pasta Salad
• Balsamic Pasta Salad
• Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad
• Elote Pasta Salad
• Zucchini Pasta Salad with Chicken Sausage
• Bean Pasta Salad

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