This DELICIOUS Big Mac Skillet is everything you love about your favorite cheeseburger, all made the easy way in a single skillet! This delicious dinner idea, is not only easy, but also the perfect way to satisfy your Big Mac craving, while staying gluten free and low carb!
Easy Big Mac Skillet Recipe
This simple dinner recipe is one that is well loved by my family! Both the kids and my husband love cheeseburgers, and this Big Mac Skillet gives us all the delicious flavors in a ridiculously quick and easy to make dinner that is perfect for busy weeknights!
You can serve it just like that as a filling dinner, which also keeps it gluten free and low carb, or spoon it over or onto a bun for the classic taste. See the Serving Ideas section below, with many more ideas on how to serve this in a way that is perfect for your family!
Tips for Making Big Mac Skillet
This Big Mac Skillet comes together fast. I am going to walk through a few tips and substitutions to hopefully answer any questions you have come up along the way.
The Meat
I like to make this skillet with basic ground beef. I usually use the more lean ground beef because it is my family’s preference. You can use any ground beef you want for this recipe though, and even substitute ground turkey or ground chicken with great (very tasty) results!
Additionally, I like to cook my meat with onions for a little extra flavor and to get some extra veggies in the kids since they don’t even notice them once cooked and covered in sauce. If you don’t care for onions, or want to lower the carb count, you can leave these out.
Homemade Big Mac Sauce
The key component to making this dish have all the deliciousness of a Big Mac is in the sauce!
It is pretty straight forward and quick to make, just mixing the listed ingredients together. If you want to save a bowl, you can just dump them all on top of the meat mixture and mix it right in!
A light mayonnaise can be substituted here if desired, but using Miracle Whip is not advised because it will significantly change the flavor.
Big Mac Toppings
For the Big Mac toppings we go classic for this recipe, and include the same things you would find if you bought this burger at the drive thru.
- American Cheese
- Shredded lettuce
- Dill pickles
- Tomato
- Onion
You can really get creative and change it up if you don’t mind veering from the classic Big Mac flavors. Try different kinds of cheese, my kids love colby jack, or additional premium toppings like grilled mushrooms or avocado. You can also use other types of lettuce and extra veggies to make it even heartier.
How to Serve the Big Mac Skillet
Easy is the name of the game for this skillet, so we generally just whip it up as you see in the photos, pile all of the toppings on, then set it in the middle of the table to eat.
If you have picky eaters, multiple taste preferences, or you know you will have leftovers you want to save, then I think the best way to serve it is more of a buffet style where you have the meat mixture in the skillet, then you place the toppings out separately and let everyone top their own as they like it.
There are two ways we like to eat this as a family:
- In a bowl- just scoop it out and serve it up!
- Over a bun- You can lay a bun down and spoon it over the top, then eat with a fork, or just put it inside the bun and eat it as a burger.
This is a classic burger feel so you can serve it with classic burger sides, or just beef up the toppings and it can be a stand alone meal!
Here are some of our favorite classic side ideas and low carb side ideas for serving with your Big Mac Skillet.
Classic Side Dishes
- Smashed Potatoes – Gives the french fry vibe but easy and baked in the oven!
- Easy Rotini Pasta Salad – Family favorite!
- Hashbrown Casserole– If you have the time, this hashbrown casserole is another great potato option, and feeds a crowd!
- Corn Casserole– A reader favorite!
Low Carb Side Dish Ideas
Hungry for more family-friendly recipes? Sign up for my free recipe club to get new family-friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing daily meal-time inspiration on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok.
Big Mac Skillet
Ingredients
For the Beef
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion chopped and divided
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
For the Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 2 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
For the Toppings
- 4 slices American cheese
- 5 oz iceberg lettuce shredded
- 1/2 beefsteak Tomato diced
- 1/4 cup dill pickles sliced
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef, 3/4 of the chopped onion, salt and pepper over medium heat until the meat is cooked through and browned. Drain the beef, then return to the skillet and set aside.
- To make the sauce, combine the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, mustard, vinegar, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder and mix until evenly combined.
- Pour the sauce over the meat and stir until all of the meat mixture is coated in the sauce.
- Top the meat mixture with american cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato and the remaining 1/4 onion. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Leftovers
Leftovers of the meat can be saved in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and reheated in the microwave. If you save leftovers, I recommend leaving the toppings separate.Dairy Free Modification
Leave out the cheese in step 4, otherwise, prepare as directed.Gluten Free
This recipe is made with ingredients that are generally gluten free. Please check all individual brands/packages to ensure compliance. ©2019 Easy Family Recipes- Recipe found at: https://easyfamilyrecipes.com/big-mac-skillet/ ÂNutrition Information:
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Brittany says
I was unsure if this would really have the Big Mac flavor, but it definitely did! This is one of my favorite recipes so far!
Jenn says
I was curious but doubtful, but willing to try the recipe. It smelled and tasted like a big mac! (although I realized while eating it that Big Macs don’t have tomatoes). It was a hit, we will be making this again. I suppose someone could increase the veggies and serve it like a taco salad.
Rebecca says
I made this a few weeks ago and the kids loved it! They have asked me to make it again so it is on the menu for supper tonight! Perfect for an easy Friday night meal. Thanks for the recipe!
Erica says
Made this two weeks ago for the family and one of the neighborhood kids and it went over very well. The neighbor kid asked when I would be making it again (which is tonight) and has been begging him mom to make it.
I followed it to the letter the first time, but tonight I am going to make the big mac sauce replacing the mustard for french dressing as per the original McDs sauce has it included. Definitely a great meal to have when hosting kid’s friends over. Thanks for sharing it with all of us.
Shannon Frye says
So delicious! I don’t even miss the bread. Thank you!
Laura Simpson says
I literally just made this recipe for our lunch. Had it made, eaten and cleaned up in under 1 hour. I cannot say enough about this recipe everyone loved it. That flavor is authentic and it’s easy and quick and delicious. I think turkey burger could easily be substituted if that’s your thing. I will be making this again. My son did say that he wouldn’t mind it on a steak roll or hoagie roll (wherever you’re from.) But make with confidence just like the recipe states…. it’s a delicious keeper!!
Brianna Sanchez-Haddock says
This was a simple and easy recipe. I loved it
Sharon Cameron says
The Big Mac skillet was very tasty. Everyone loved it!!! I’ll have to make it again someday.
Kimber Matherne says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to comment here!
Angela A Citte says
This recipe is A-MA-ZING!!! My family absolutely loved this and thought it tasted just like their favorite burger joint!
Cynthia Landriault says
I’ve never had a Bic Mac, ever, but my kids tell me that it tastes exactly the same. So even though I may have never had a Big Mac, I can say that I feel like I have…lol Thank you! And my kids thank you very much!
Laura says
This recipe is such a huge hit in my house. Kids and husband both like it and there was even an argument on who got the leftovers for lunch today.