Big Mac Pasta Salad

Big Mac Pasta Salad recipe is everything you love about the fast food classic—just chilled, tossed, and made for sharing. Packed with ground beef, shredded lettuce, cheese, pickles, and creamy Thousand Island-style dressing, it’s bold, nostalgic, and always a hit at potlucks.

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Why You’ll Love This Big Mac Pasta Salad

• Big Mac flavor meets classic pasta salad in an easy, crowd-pleasing mashup.
• No grill needed—just cook the pasta and beef, toss everything together, and chill.
• Perfect for BBQs, potlucks, or weeknight dinners.
• Make ahead and customize with your favorite toppings.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Rotini pasta: You can swap this for elbow macaroni, penne, cavatappi, or bowtie pasta—whatever you have on hand works!
• Lean ground beef: Ground turkey or plant-based “beef” crumbles are great alternatives if you’re going for a lighter or vegetarian version.
• Cheddar cheese: Colby Jack or pepper jack are perfect substitutes for a melty or spicy twist.
• Shredded iceberg lettuce: Romaine lettuce works well too, especially if you prefer a crunchier or heartier green.
• Cherry tomatoes: Totally optional, but they add brightness and a pop of color. Grape tomatoes work just as well.
• Minced onion: Use red onion for a sharper bite, or skip it altogether for a milder flavor.
• Diced dill pickles: Sweet pickles give it a sweeter touch, or go bold with chopped pickled jalapeños for heat. Avoid sweet pickle relish unless you’re okay with a softer, saucier texture.
• Thousand Island dressing: Store-bought is the easiest, but you can also make your own with mayo, ketchup, relish, and a few spices.
• Mayonnaise: Adds extra creaminess to the Big Mac sauce—adjust to your taste, or skip it if your dressing is rich enough on its own.

Optional Garnishes

• Dill pickle chips – for extra crunch and presentation
• White sesame seeds – to echo that classic Big Mac sesame seed bun

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Big Mac Pasta Salad

1. Cool your ingredients: Boil the pasta according to package directions and brown the ground beef. Let both cool completely—this keeps the lettuce crisp and helps the salad hold its texture.
2. Combine the salad base: In an extra-large bowl, gently fold together the cooled pasta, ground beef, cheese cubes, shredded lettuce, cherry tomatoes, minced onion, and diced dill pickles until evenly mixed.
3. Make the dressing: In a separate bowl, stir together the Thousand Island dressing and mayonnaise until smooth and fully combined.
4. Dress the salad: Pour the dressing over the salad and gently fold again until everything is well coated.
5. Chill before serving: Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until nicely chilled.
6. Garnish and serve: Top with dill pickle chips and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired. Serve cold and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Let it chill: While you can eat it right away, chilling the burger pasta salad ahead of time really helps the flavors come together. It’s worth the wait!
• Bite-sized is best: Chop everything into small, even pieces so you get a bit of everything in each bite—just like the real thing.
• Make it your own: Not a fan of tomatoes? Leave them out. Want to kick up the heat? Add some spicy cheese or a dash of hot sauce. Craving more veggies? Toss in diced bell peppers, cucumber, or even sautéed mushrooms for extra flavor and texture.
• Add salt (or don’t): Some people like a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor, while others prefer it as-is. Taste and adjust to your preference.
• Feeds a crowd: This recipe makes about 16 cups, or 4 quarts, so it’s great for gatherings. If you’re serving a smaller group, consider halving the recipe.

Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions

• In The Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Make-ahead tip: Cook the pasta, brown the beef, and mix the dressing up to a day in advance. Combine everything just before serving for the freshest texture.
• Do not freeze — the lettuce and dressing don’t hold up well after thawing.

More Twists on Big Mac Recipes

• Big Mac Sliders
• Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
• Big Mac Salad
• Easy Pasta Salad Recipes
• Cheeseburger Tacos

If you’ve tried this Big Mac Pasta Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.

5 from 3 votes

Big Mac Pasta Salad

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves — 8

Big Mac Pasta Salad packs all the bold, nostalgic flavors of your favorite fast-food burger into a creamy, chilled pasta dish. Perfect for BBQs, potlucks, or an easy make-ahead meal.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Rest time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 1 pound Rotini Pasta cooked al dente and drained
• ▢ 1 pound Hamburger browned and drained
• ▢ 1½ cups Cheddar Cheese Cubes
• ▢ 1½ cups Shredded Iceberg Lettuce
• ▢ 1½ cups Cherry Tomatoes halved
• ▢ 1 cup Minced Onion
• ▢ 1½ cups Diced Dill Pickle
• ▢ 1⅓ cups Thousand Island Dressing
• ▢ ⅔ cup Mayonnaise
• ▢ Dill Pickle Chips optional garnish
• ▢ ½ teaspoon White Sesame Seeds optional garnish

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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.
  1 pound Rotini Pasta, 1 pound Hamburger, 1½ cups Cheddar Cheese Cubes, 1½ cups Shredded Iceberg Lettuce, 1½ cups Cherry Tomatoes, 1 cup Minced Onion, 1½ cups Diced Dill Pickle
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the thousand island dressing and mayonnaise and stir until combined.
  1⅓ cups Thousand Island Dressing, ⅔ cup Mayonnaise
• 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!
  Dill Pickle Chips, ½ teaspoon White Sesame Seeds

Jenn’s Notes

Makes about 16 cups or 4 quarts.

Storage :

• In The Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Make-ahead tip: Cook the pasta, brown the beef, and mix the dressing up to a day in advance. Combine everything just before serving for the freshest texture.
• Do not freeze — the lettuce and dressing don’t hold up well after thawing.

Tips:

• While you can eat it right away, chilling the burger pasta salad ahead of time really helps the flavors come together. It’s worth the wait!
• Chop everything into small, even pieces so you get a bit of everything in each bite—just like the real thing.
• Not a fan of tomatoes? Leave them out. Want to kick up the heat? Add some spicy cheese or a dash of hot sauce. Craving more veggies? Toss in diced bell peppers, cucumber, or even sautéed mushrooms for extra flavor and texture.
• Some people like a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor, while others prefer it as-is. Taste and adjust to your preference.
• This recipe makes about 4 quarts, so it’s great for gatherings. If you’re serving a smaller group, consider halving the recipe.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 705kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 924mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 721IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 208mg | Iron: 3mg

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