Keto Big Mac in a bowl is a low-carb way to enjoy the flavors of a classic burger without the bun. It makes a great make ahead meal so you have a lunch that is easy to grab and go.

Keto Big Mac Bowl with Big Mac sauce


 

One of the hardest parts of keeping a keto diet is saying goodbye to fast food favorites like the Big Mac. That is one of our favorite meals to get on the go, but with all of the carbs in a Big Mac it is definitely not keto-friendly. 

Don’t worry, we have you covered. You know we’re all about that delicious special sauce! We use it in our Keto Big Mac Bites, Keto Big Mac Casserole, and on our Big Mac Keto Meatloaf. For this easy recipe we’re going to use it like a salad dressing for an amazing burger in a bowl!

We love a hot an cold option for lunches and dinner so this in this recipe we subbed out the lettuce you usually find in a Big Mac salad and piled everything on top of perfectly cooked cabbage. But, if want to simplify this recipe even further you can use shredded iceberg lettuce instead.

I’m all about throwing things in a bowl and making them a meal. This chicken gyro bowl and chicken taco bowl are two more keto meals that are in heavy rotation in my house.

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ingredients for Keto Big Mac Bowl

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need for these.

For the burger bowls, you’ll need:

  • Ground beef – You can use your preferred cut, but we like to use 85/15 or better to reduce the fat content.
  • Onions – Yellow, white, or red work well for this.
  • Seasonings – Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper give the ground beef that burger flavor.
  • Shredded cheese – We use cheddar cheese because we like that better on a salad but you can use American. cheese if you want the truest Big Mac flavor.
  • Cabbage – You’ll want to use green cabbage for this recipe. If you want this to be a keto Big Mac salad you can substitute iceberg lettuce.
  • Dill Pickles – If you prefer, you can use dill relish instead.

For the special sauce, you’ll need:

  • Mayonnaise – To keep it keto, make sure you use regular, full-fat mayo. Lower fat options have added sugar.
  • Dill pickle relish – Just make sure to check the sugar content of the relish and choose ones with no added sugar. If you can’t find dill relish just finely chop up dill pickles. Problem solved!
  • Yellow mustard – You can use your favorite brand.
  • White wine vinegar – In a pinch, regular distilled vinegar can work too.
  • Seasonings – You’ll need paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Keto Big Mac Bowl in a black bowl

Instructions

Here’s how to make this yummy bowl.

Step 1 – Brown the beef. In a skillet set over medium-high, heat brown the ground beef. As it’s coking add the worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. When it is almost cooked through, add the onions and continue cooking until it is fully cooked and the onions are translucent. 

Drain the grease and set aside while you prepare the cabbage.

Step 2 – Prep the cabbage. Next, add the thinly sliced cabbage to the skillet and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until softened. 

Step 3 – Portion out and serve. Divide the cooked cabbage between 4 bowls and top each with a portion of the ground beef.

Next, sprinkle each with a 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and top with pickle slices or relish. Finally, pour the special sauce over each bowl, serve, and enjoy!

Step 4 – Making the special sauce. The sauce is super simple. All you need to do is whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. You can do this right before serving or first so that the flavors have a chance to combine together.

Keto Big Mac Bowl with big mac sauce on top

Is Big Mac Sauce Keto? 

The original Big Mac sauce is absolutely delicious and I know lots of people eating low carb love it. But if you’re trying to follow strict keto the version you get it at McDonalds does have added sugar from the sweet relish used in the sauce.

For this recipe, we use dill pickle relish that does not include any added sugar. I promise it’s so good you won’t even notice the change. In fact I like this version better!

Make it a Salad

You can easily make these bowls into big mac salads instead.

You can substitute shredded iceberg lettuce instead of cooked cabbage. Transforming it into a salad makes it a quick and easy to throw together lunch. 

It also reduces the amount of cooking you need to do for meal prep for the week. 

And as an added bonus, lettuce has fewer carbs per cup than cabbage, so you reduce the carbs even further if you sub cabbage out.

McDonald's copycat Keto Big Mac Bowl

How to Make it Ahead of Time

You can make everything ahead of time, including the special sauce. 

Once it is ready, assemble the Keto Big Mac Bowl – just don’t add the special sauce. Place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

When you are ready to serve the bowl, you can heat it up in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave.

Top it with the special sauce and you have a quick and easy, low-carb lunch or dinner!

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Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Keto Big Mac Bowl

Keto Big Mac in a bowl is a low-carb way to enjoy the flavors of a classic burger without the bun. It makes a great make ahead meal so you have a lunch that is easy to grab and go.
Keto Big Mac Bowl with Big Mac sauce
Print Recipe
4.42 from 62 votes

Ingredients

Big Mac in a Bowl

  • 1 pound Ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
  • ½ cup Diced onions
  • 1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
  • 16 ounces Cabbage, thinly shredded
  • 16 Dill Pickle slices

Special Sauce

Instructions

  • In a skillet over medium-high heat brown the ground beef. As it cooks add the worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  • When it is almost cooked through add the onions and continue cooking until the ground beef is cooked through and the onions are translucent. Drain the grease and set aside.
  • In the same skillet add a small amount of olive oil and the shredded cabbage. Saute until cabbage is slightly softened. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Divide the cabbage between 4 bowls, top each with a 1/4 portion of the ground beef.
  • Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and top with 4 pickle slices each.
  • Pour the special sauce over each bowl and serve.

Special Sauce

  • In a small bowl whisk together all of the ingredients and set aside.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl, Calories: 566kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 44g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 115mg, Sodium: 875mg, Potassium: 293mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
Author: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell
Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bunless burger, ground beef, keto, keto dinner recipe, low carb, low carb dinner
Handwritten signature for Kat & Melinda