The #1 burger in America has officially received a low carb makeover — introducing the keto Big Mac, the only burger recipe you’ll need this summer!
What makes a Big Mac different than most burgers is it’s two beef patties and icon “secret sauce”. Typically there are 3 buns worked into the mix, but since this is a low carb recipes site, I’ll share a few tasty options for low carb hamburger buns.
So if you’re tired of Big Mac salad and low carb McDonalds, this low carb dinner is for YOU!!
Let’s light the grill and get started!
Looking for more keto dinners? Check out my keto burgers, keto cheeseburger casserole, or my egg roll in a bowl.
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What I Love About This Low Carb Big Mac Recipe
What do I love about this keto Big Mac?! Everything…
- Nothing scream weekend/summer/holiday more than a big old juicy burger. And with this recipe, you get to eat 2 of them in the same dish!
- A serious upgrade from the traditional burger.
- SO.EASY! What makes this burger so special is the sauce, and all you need to do for that is measure and mix!
- This recipe is easy to make the way you want to make it… add different toppings, swap the bun, sweeten up the sauce. You do you! I’ll share some ideas in the recipe variations below.
Recipe Notes
Not much to it!! Just a few simple steps and you’ll be chowing down…
Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients that’ll shave down the Big Mac calories and carbs:
Burger patties. Like McDonalds, I kept the mix for these patties simple — the beef doesn’t need much, as the sauce and cheese are the stars here.
That said, if you’d like to upgrade your patties, check out my bunless burger recipe — it’s my favorite recipe for delicious beef patties!
Cheese. Traditionally, Big Macs are made with American cheese (because it’s suuuper melty). You can use any keto cheese you prefer — I always opt for cheddar!
Sauce. Big Mac sauce is essentially a sweeter version of Thousand Island combined with mayo.
To make it low carb, we’ll use keto sweeteners (my faves are Lakanto/Swerve!) combined with pickles (read labels and be leary of added sugar!), dried minced onions, and tomato paste. Easy peasy.
Buns. I wanted to keep this recipe simple by using low carb lettuce wraps for buns — I like large leafy greens for this like iceberg (adds a bit of a crunch) or Romaine!
Tools To Make
Just a few simple tools to make these keto Big Macs:
- Large bowl to combine the beef and seasoning.
- Grill/stovetop + pan to cook the patties. You can even make baked hamburgers if that’s your cooking method of preference!
- Small bowl to combine the sauce.
Storing Tips
As I’m sure you know, burgers are best served immediately. But if you happen to have leftovers, store the lettuce and sauce separately from the burgers, so you can reheat the meat and add the lettuce and sauce after!
Serving Recommendations
These low carb Big Macs are pretttty hearty… But if you want even more of that McDonald vibe, serve them with a side of low carb fries (our faves are jicama fries) and keto ketchup.
Recipe Variations
There are SO many things you can do with this recipe! To name a few…
- Turn this into a salad. Simply chop the cooked patties into small pieces and toss everything together with shredded lettuce (they make for great mason jar salad). I use the Big Mac sauce as a dressing. PRO TIP: Eat these burgers for dinner, and turn your leftovers into keto salads for lunch the next day!
- Don’t feel like grilling? Turn this into a casserole. Keto casseroles are great for feeding the fam without having to tend to the stovetop or grill — check out this low carb cheeseburger casserole, and add your new favorite sauce!
- Not feeling lettuce wraps? Check out my keto hamburger buns or chaffles for a more authentic version, try portobello mushrooms, or eat your patties with a knife and fork!
- Swap the sauce. I won’t tell McDonalds if their secret sauce isn’t your fave… just try a different low carb sauce instead, such as keto bbq sauce or keto honey mustard.
- Use a different type of patty. Don’t get me wrong, I love beef, but I try not to eat it all the time. And this recipe is perfect to swap in a different type of meat, as the sauce and cheese do most of the flavor-packing work.
More Keto Beef Recipes
Looking for more hamburger recipes to add to your rotation? Here are a few more you may love:
Keto Big Mac
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Big Mac Sauce:
- 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Pickles minced
- 1 Tablespoon Pickle Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Swerve or Lakanto (see sweetener notes below)
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Minced Onion
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Water
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
Burgers:
- 1 1/2 Pounds Ground Beef
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 4 Slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Head Lettuce core removed
- Sliced Pickles
Instructions
- Combine the big mac sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine ground beef (1 1/2 pounds), salt (1 teaspoon), pepper (1/2 teaspoon), and Worcestershire sauce (1 teaspoon ) together in a large bowl.
- Use your hands to form 4 flat patties. Add a dimple to the center with your thumb.
- Grill/pan-sear your burgers based on preference, be sure to add the slice of cheddar cheese to the top of each patty during the last minute of cooking...Grill: Heat grill to hot and cook burgers on each side for about 3-4 minutes, or until the burger is done to your liking.Pan-sear: Warm a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet over high heat and cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking.
- Place 2-3 lettuce leaves the size of the patties on each plate, followed by a patty, then big mac sauce, and pickles. Place another 2-3 lettuce leaves on top, then repeat: patty, big mac sauce, pickles, and lettuce leaves.
- Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Fans Also Made These Healthy Recipes:
Lindsey's Tips
- Lakanto, Swerve, or Erythritol. I stick to Lakanto and Swerve which are a 1:1 swap with traditional sugar. If using a different brand of Erythritol, keep in mind it's 70% as sweet as sugar, so you may need to add more to taste.
- Pickles - Many pickles contain added sugar, check the labels before purchasing a product. We love Vlasic.
- Toppings. These are the traditional toppings on a Big Mac, but feel free to customize to your liking! I love sliced yellow onions and tomatoes.
- Nutritional information is based on 1 burger, if you make 4 using this recipe:
