Big Mac Crispy Rice

Stir together 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons relish, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl until combined. 

Add rice to a large bowl and add 1/4 cup ketchup mixture; reserve remaining ketchup mixture in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons relish, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup, and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika to rice mixture; stir until well coated. Stir remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise into reserved ketchup mixture; set aside until ready to serve. 

Heat olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, undisturbed, until browned, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir and break up with a wooden spoon into small pieces. Cook, stirring often, until just cooked through and no more pink remains, about 1 more minute. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 tablespoon relish. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a paper towel-lined plate; cover with foil to keep warm.  Drain and set aside all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet.

Add rice mixture to skillet and use the back of a spoon to flatten into an even layer to cover bottom of skillet. Press rice with spoon to ensure there are no gaps.

Cook over medium heat, uncovered, pressing rice down occasionally, and turning pan 90 degrees every 2 minutes, until it sizzles and begins to brown and crisp along edges of skillet, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. 

Spray a large plate with cooking spray. Place upside down over the skillet. Holding both firmly, flip the skillet over so rice is on the plate. Add reserved drippings back to skillet, then gently slide rice back into skillet. Cook over medium until a crust begins to form and edges are crisp, about 8 more minutes. Remove from heat and place 1 slice of cheese in center of rice. Arrange remaining 4 cheese slices over rice with pointed sides along edges of rice. Cover for 1 minute until melted. 

Slide rice onto a large plate. Top rice with reserved beef, lettuce, onion, and pickles. Drizzle with some of the remaining mayonnaise mixture. Serve immediately with any remaining sauce on the side.

Allrecipes / Qi Ai

From the Editor:

This recipe was tested with jasmine rice, but you can use any cold leftover rice. Here’s everything you need to know about how to cook jasmine rice.