The secret behind the flavour is not the mince and not the bun. It is the dressing. And the Thermomix® blends it in two minutes.
We have been making this layer salad for years at barbecues and birthday parties. What sets it apart from other layer salads is the creamy dressing made from 200 g soured cream, 20 g ketchup, 20 g gherkin brine and hot mustard. The Thermomix® first emulsifies the egg with 100 g rapeseed oil at speed 4, then the soured cream and mustard go in. The result is a sauce that brings back exactly that moment when you take the first forkful at a burger restaurant.
Big Mac® Salad with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 21 ✓
- 4 burger buns
- 400 g beef mince
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 10 g rapeseed oil
- 2 onions
- 1/2 iceberg lettuce
- 3 tomatoes
- 4 gherkins
- 80 g Emmental in slices
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 100 g rapeseed oil
- 200 g soured cream
- 20 g ketchup
- 20 g gherkin brine from the gherkins
- 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp hot mustard
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
Instructions 0 / 12
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1
Toast and cut the burger buns.
For the salad, halve the burger buns and toast them. Cut 3 lids into quarters, then cut the rest into cubes.
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2
Sear the mince.
Season the beef mince with salt and pepper. Add the oil to a frying pan and sear the mince over a high heat.
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3
Peel the onions.
Peel the onions, halve them and place in the mixing bowl.
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4
Chop the iceberg lettuce.
Wash the iceberg lettuce, shake dry and add it in pieces to the mixing bowl.
Chop for 3 sec / speed 5 using the spatula, then set aside.
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5
Cut the remaining ingredients.
Cut the tomatoes into pieces, slice the gherkins and cut the Emmental into strips.
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6
Chop the garlic.
For the dressing, peel the garlic, place in the mixing bowl, chop for 3 sec / speed 8 and scrape down with the spatula.
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7
Mix the dressing base.
Add the egg, lemon juice and salt to the mixing bowl and mix for 10 sec / speed 4.
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8
Emulsify the dressing.
Set the Thermomix® to speed 4 with the measuring cup inserted. Pour the oil onto the mixing bowl lid and allow the Thermomix® to run until all the oil has dripped in.
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9
Finish the dressing.
Add the soured cream, ketchup, gherkin brine, balsamic vinegar, mustard and pepper to the mixing bowl and mix for 4 sec / speed 4.
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10
Layer the salad.
In a bowl, start with half the bread cubes, then layer half each of the lettuce, tomatoes, gherkins, dressing, mince and cheese.
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11
Complete with burger bun quarters.
Build the second layer in exactly the same way and finish with the bun quarters on top.
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12
Rest and serve.
Leave the salad to rest for about 30 minutes before serving.
Tip: If you prefer something heartier, add fried bacon strips on top of the mince layer.
Nutrition per serving
The dressing: why the order matters
Many recipes for this salad simply stir everything together. The result is often thin and separates after a short time. The difference with our recipe: we build a mayonnaise base first. The garlic is chopped for 3 seconds at speed 8, then the egg, lemon juice and salt go in for 10 seconds at speed 4. After that, the Thermomix® continues at speed 4 while the oil slowly drips through the measuring cup. This takes about 60 to 90 seconds and binds the dressing into a stable emulsion. Only then do the 200 g soured cream, 20 g ketchup, 20 g gherkin brine, balsamic vinegar, mustard and white pepper go in for 4 seconds at speed 4. This way the dressing stays smooth even after 30 minutes of resting and does not run out of the layers.
How to keep the layers properly crunchy
The burger buns are the one element where a common mistake can be made. We halve all 4 buns and toast them. Then 3 lids are cut into quarters to sit as decoration on the very top of the salad. The rest of the buns are cut into cubes and form the first layer in the bowl. Important: the bread cubes must be well toasted. Half-toasted bread goes soft after 30 minutes of resting. Bread that has been thoroughly toasted stays crisp for noticeably longer.
The iceberg lettuce goes into the mixing bowl for 3 seconds at speed 5. Use the spatula from above to help a little. The result is evenly fine pieces that fit well between the other layers. Cutting the lettuce by hand often produces chunks that are too coarse and ruin the layered look.
What can go wrong with the layers
The mince goes into the salad too hot. Freshly fried beef mince brings heat that causes the iceberg lettuce to wilt immediately. We fry the 400 g mince over a high heat in 10 g rapeseed oil, season with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper, then leave it to cool on a plate for 10 to 15 minutes before placing it on the lettuce layer.
The layers are piled on too thick. We mentally divide all the ingredients into two equal halves and layer through twice in full: bread cubes, lettuce, tomatoes, gherkins, dressing, mince, cheese. Then start again from the beginning. Finish with the bun quarters on top. This gives the salad an even appearance and ensures that every portion contains all the layers when served.
The salad is served too early or left to stand too long. The 30-minute resting time is not a suggestion but a necessity: the dressing needs to work through the bread cubes so they release their crunch and absorb the sauce. The finished salad should not stand for longer than 2 hours, as the buns will become soggy after that.
Vegetarian, with poultry or as a wrap
With bacon. Fried bacon strips on the mince layer make the salad much heartier. This is our favourite for barbecue evenings when the salad is meant to stand as a main course.
With chicken instead of mince. Chicken breast cut into small cubes works well. The salad becomes lighter overall but loses a little of the juiciness of the beef. If you swap out the mince, add a little more ketchup to the dressing (plus 10 g) so the flavour becomes more rounded.
With toast bread instead of burger buns. This works if you have no buns at home. Toast the bread more firmly than usual, otherwise it will go soft more quickly. The layered look with the bun quarters on top will no longer apply, of course.
Prepare the dressing ahead, layer just before serving
The dressing and the mince can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored separately in the fridge. The finished layered salad is best served on the same day. Leftovers keep for a maximum of 1 day, after which the bread cubes will be completely soggy. Freezing does not work for this salad.
If you are looking for more hearty party salads: the Friss-Dich-Dumm Salad with the Thermomix® is built in a similarly generous way and goes down just as well at buffets. And if you want to serve freshly baked bread alongside the salad, our Thermomix® pizza dough is a quick dough that can also be baked as flatbread.
What other recipes do differently
Goes well with: Coleslaw.
Most recipes online mix the dressing from plain mayonnaise with mustard, paprika powder and garlic powder. We deliberately use a combination of mayonnaise and yoghurt, because the salad can sit too heavy if left overnight in the fridge otherwise. Instead of firm bun cubes that many sources roast in the oven as sesame croutons, we let the bread cubes soak directly in the layers so they absorb the dressing. Cheddar features in most versions, but we also add a splash of gherkin brine to the dressing. That is the typical Big Mac® acidity that is completely missing from many Thermomix® versions.
