If you're wondering, ‘What’s Big Mac Salad?’, then get ready to try the most satisfying salad you will ever make at home! Our recipe for air fryer big mac salad combines the flavors of everyone's favorite cheeseburger into an easy burger salad that takes less than 30 minutes to make.
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Burger Salad
Who doesn't love a big mac burger? The sauce is rich and creamy with a totally unique flavor that makes it amazing for pairing with crispy beef burgers. By combining our homemade big mac sauce with mini cheeseburgers and hamburger bun croutons into a burger salad, you're in for an unforgettably tasty treat!
We're excited to show you how to make big mac salad at home using simple ingredients by following just a handful of easy steps. Read on for the ingredients, instructions, and expert tips that will make your air frying journey even easier!
Cheeseburger Salad Ingredients
Hamburger Bun Croutons (Optional)
- Burger Bun: Choose your favorite burger buns. Feel free to use gluten-free buns if desired.
- Olive Oil: Oil is tossed with the burger bun cubes along with the seasoning to ensure they crisp up in the air fryer.
- Italian Seasoning: If you don't have any Italian seasoning on hand, you can use a seasoning mix of your preference, or ½ teaspoon of dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried parsley, dried rosemary, or a blend.
- Garlic Powder: Adds the pungent kick of garlic without the risk of burning fresh garlic has.
- Salt and Pepper: We recommend using kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper for the best flavor!
Mini Cheeseburgers
- Ground Chuck: We use 80/20 ground chuck for the best flavor. You can use a 93% lean ground beef, but it will lack the flavor you get with an 80/20 ground chuck mix.
- Salt and Pepper: Kosher salt or coarse sea salt works best for burger seasoning, and we recommend freshly cracked black pepper. Be as generous with your seasoning as you want.
- Oil: In this case, we're using avocado oil in an oil sprayer bottle to lightly coat both sides of the burgers. This prevents them from sticking in the air fryer.
- Cheddar Cheese: You can use your favorite cheese for burgers, but we enjoy cheddar the most for how well it pairs with our big mac sauce recipe. American cheese is a good choice, too, if you prefer!
Salad
- Lettuce Mix: We use a mixture of romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce for a crispy crunch. You can make your own mix by picking up a head romaine lettuce and a head of iceberg lettuce. Wash, chop, and store them in a big zip-top bag until ready to use. For added nutrition, you can also mix in some kale.
- Pickle Chips: We recommend using bread and butter chips rather than dill pickles or sweet pickle relish, as they add a nice sweet and tangy flavor to the salad with a good chunky crunch. But, use your favorite pickle chips.
- Grape Tomatoes: For best results use grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. Our favorite little tomatoes to use on a salad are the NatureSweet Cherubs tomatoes. They are so tasty!
- Red Onions: Red onions have a strong flavor, so we recommend slicing them very thinly for best results.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Additional cheese ties together this cheeseburger salad!
- Sesame Seeds (Optional): Optional, but adds a nice touch!
- Burger Bun Croutons (Optional): See above for the ingredients list. These are optional, but are a great addition, so we really recommend making them.
- Big Mac Sauce: We're using our homemade big mac sauce recipe for this salad. It is so delicious, and we love it with our homemade big mac recipe! The dressing ingredients include mayo, bread & butter pickle chips, ketchup, pickle juice, yellow mustard, white vinegar, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, and kosher salt, so if you plan on making it you will need these ingredients, too.
How to Make Big Mac Salad in the Air Fryer
Air Frying Burger Bun Croutons
Step 1
Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Slice one burger bun into 1-inch cubes.
Step 2
Place burger bun cubes into a bowl and drizzle with ½ Tablespoon olive oil. Season with ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
Step 3
Place seasoned bread cubes in air fryer basket in a single layer.
Step 4
Air fry 2-3 minutes until toasted to your liking. Remove from air fryer basket and set aside to cool.
Air Frying Mini Cheeseburgers
Step 1
Remove crisper tray from the air fryer and insert the air fryer rack. Place crisper tray on top of rack. Then, preheat the air fryer on air broil to 400°F. (If your air fryer doesn't have an air broil function, simply preheat it as usual.)
Step 2
Divide ground beef into 8 portions (1 ounce each) and form each portion into a ball. Then flatten each ball into a hamburger shape. Use your thumb to make an indent in the center of each small hamburger. Season both sides of burgers with salt and pepper and spray both sides with avocado oil spray to lightly coat.
Step 3
When air fryer is preheated, place mini burger patties in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
Step 4
Air fry on air broil for 5-6 minutes or until the internal temperature of the hamburger patties reaches 155-165°F when checked with an instant read thermometer.
Step 3
When air fryer is preheated, place mini burger patties in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
Step 4
Air fry on air broil for 5-6 minutes or until the internal temperature of the hamburger patties reaches 155-165°F when checked with an instant read thermometer.
Step 5
Place a square of cheese on each mini hamburger patty and close the air fryer basket. Leave basket closed for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese. Once cheese is melted, remove mini cheeseburgers from air fryer and set aside to rest.
Assembling the Big Mac Salad
Step 1
Divide lettuce mix evenly between two salad bowls.
Step 2
Top each salad with tomatoes, onions, pickles, cheese, and croutons (if using).
Step 3
Add 4 mini cheeseburgers to each salad. Garnish with sesame seeds if using.
Step 4
Serve with our big mac special sauce dressing or dressing of your choice. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Important note: Use an oil sprayer filled with your preferred oil. Avoid using pressurized cooking sprays with additives, as they might damage the air fryer's non-stick surface.
- This recipe was tested in the Gourmia 7 quart digital air fryer from Costco. See our favorite air fryers.
Air Fryer Dinner Recipes
Storage Instructions
- If you plan on having leftovers, we recommend storing them in separate containers in the refrigerator, with the exception of the burger bun croutons, which should not be refrigerated:
- Store the lettuce, burgers, and sauce in separate airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days. Store burger bun croutons in a zip-top plastic bag at room temperature in a cool, dry location such as your pantry.
FAQ
Big Mac Sauce is easy to make at home using mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, pickles, vinegar, and a few simple seasonings, but if you would prefer not to make your own sauce or need a quick sauce to use, any bottled burger sauce labeled as "burger sauce", "fry sauce", or "secret sauce" will most likely taste great with a Big Mac Salad. These sauces typically use similar ingredients to Big Mac Sauce. Check the ingredients to compare them to the list here. You can also use Thousand Island Dressing in a pinch.
Yes, you can replace the turkey with beef for a lower fat option! Keep in mind, however, that turkey is a much leaner meat, in addition to taking longer to cook. See our guide to turkey burgers in the air fryer for an idea of how to cook them. Otherwise, just make sure to keep an eye on the temperature and note that they will be less juicy than beef burgers.
Leave a comment and review for us below if you enjoyed this recipe, or if you have questions about any of our air fryer recipes!
Air Fryer Big Mac Salad
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
Hamburger Bun Croutons
- 1 burger bun cut into 1-inch squares
- ½ Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Mini Cheeseburgers
- ½ pound ground chuck (8 ounces)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil in an oil sprayer bottle
- 2 slices cheddar cheese cut into four squares each
Big Mac Salad
- 6 cups lettuce mix
- ½ cup pickle chips
- ½ cup grape tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup red onions thinly sliced
- shredded cheddar cheese
- sesame seeds optional
- homemade burger bun croutons optional
- big mac sauce
Instructions
Hamburger Bun Croutons
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Slice 1 burger bun into 1-inch cubes.
- Place burger bun cubes into a bowl and drizzle with ½ Tablespoon olive oil. Season with ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Place seasoned bread cubes in air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air fry 2-3 minutes until toasted to your liking. Remove from air fryer basket and set aside to cool.
Air Fryer Mini Cheeseburgers
- Remove crisper tray from the air fryer and insert the air fryer rack. Place crisper tray on top of rack. Then, preheat the air fryer on air broil to 400°F. (If your air fryer doesn't have an air broil function, simply preheat it as usual.)
- Divide ½ pound ground chuck into 8 portions (1 ounce each) and form each portion into a ball. Then, flatten each ball into a hamburger shape. Use your thumb to make an indent in the center of each small hamburger. Season both sides of burgers with salt and pepper to taste and spray both sides with 1 Tablespoon avocado oil spray in a sprayer bottle to lightly coat.
- When air fryer is preheated, place mini burger patties in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air fry on air broil for 5-6 minutes or until the internal temperature of the hamburger patties reaches 155-165°F when checked with an instant read thermometer.
- Cut 2 slices cheddar cheese into 8 total squares. Place a square of cheese on each mini hamburger patty and close the air fryer basket. Leave basket closed for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese. Once cheese is melted, remove mini cheeseburgers from air fryer and set aside to rest.
Big Mac Salad
- Divide 6 cups lettuce mix evenly between two salad bowls.
- Top each salad with ½ cup grape tomatoes, ¼ cup red onions, ½ cup pickle chips, shredded cheddar cheese, and homemade burger bun croutons, if using.
- Add four mini cheeseburgers to each salad. Garnish with sesame seeds, if using.
- Serve with our big mac sauce or dressing of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Important note: Use an oil sprayer filled with your preferred oil. Avoid using pressurized cooking sprays with additives, as they might damage the air fryer's non-stick surface.
- This recipe was tested in the Gourmia 7 quart digital air fryer from Costco. See our favorite air fryers.
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