This Big Mac Sauce copycat recipe is so close to the McDonald’s special sauce, you won’t be able to taste the difference!
A while back I tried being humble for a day, and I can proudly say, I was the greatest humble person ever. Now that I got that horrible experience out of the way, I need to brag that I developed, quite possibly, the best Big Mac Sauce recipe on the web. All with one hand tied behind my back just to make it fair.
Ok, truth be told, I cheated a little bit. I actually watched a video of one of McDonald’s executive chefs making the Big Mac Sauce and did my best to replicate the ingredient ratios. It took a bit of trial and error, so I am still taking credit for it!
Is Big Mac Sauce the Same as Thousand Island Dressing?
I spent most of my life believing McDonald’s Special Sauce was simply Thousand Island dressing. Big Mac Sauce is not Thousand Island dressing. Thousand Island dressing requires tomatoes, which isn’t actually an ingredient in authentic Big Mac Sauce.
For this same reason, I also make my Big Mac Sauce without French dressing. You will find 95% of the Big Mac Sauce recipes on the web call for French dressing. Don’t be fooled. Though, I will admit the flavor is in the right ballpark, but, *spoiler alert*, it still tastes like French dressing.
What is in Big Mac Sauce?
How do I know there are no tomatoes in McDonald’s Special Sauce? Because, I looked up the ingredient list. This is what is in McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce:
Soybean Oil, Pickle Relish (Diced Pickles, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Spice Extractives, Polysorbate 80), Distilled Vinegar, Water, Egg Yolks, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Onion Powder, Mustard Seed, Salt, Spices, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Mustard Bran, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Vegetable Protein (Hydrolyzed Corn, Soy and Wheat), Caramel Colour, Extractives of Paprika, Soy Lecithin, Turmeric (Colour), Calcium Disodium EDTA (Protect Flavour)
How to Make Big Mac Sauce
I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you don’t have a pantry full of preservatives and chemical binders, so let me break this down into ingredients you understand. Based on the above ingredient list, you will need sweet pickle relish, mayo, vinegar, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. That sounds a lot more reasonable, doesn’t it?
How to Make a Big Mac
How to Make a Big MacOnce you craft your own Big Mac Sauce, you are well on your way to earning your children’s undying love and affection by making them homemade Big Macs! You will want to brush up on my fast food burger recipe to really hit these out of the park. Though I have been known to slather this sauce on larger homemade burger patties too!
To make a Big Mac, light toast a sesame seed bun, and grab an extra bottom bun to use as the middle piece. Spread the special sauce on the bottom bun, sprinkle with diced onion, shredded lettuce, and top with a slice of American cheese. Place one burger patty on the cheese, then add the middle bun, top with more sauce, lettuce, and add pickles. Finally add the second burger patty, top with the crown of the bun and enjoy!
Big Mac Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mayo
- ¼ cup Sweet Pickle Relish
- 1 ½ tablespoons Prepared Yellow Mustard
- 1 teaspoon White Wine Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
Instructions
- Place all ingredients together in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Can be enjoyed immediately, but the flavor is best when allowed to sit in the refrigerator overnight. Store in an air-tight container.
Notes
If you enjoyed my Big Mac Sauce recipe then you should probably like me on Facebook and follow me on Pinterest too. That’s what I would do at least, because if you don’t get to know me but you still use my recipe it is kind of like taking candy from a stranger, and your mom taught you not to do that. Don’t disobey your mom, subscribe to Fox Valley Foodie today.
Lynn says
May 3, 2018 at 5:19 pmTried this. Too “mustardy “ and really yellow in color. Wondering if it’s a typo. Maybe should be a teaspoon and a half? That’s what I’m going to try next time. It’s not too bad tho.
Fox Valley Foodie says
May 3, 2018 at 6:02 pmI double checked the recipe and did a side by side comparison with Big Mac Sauce from McDonalds and 1 1/2 tablespoons is correct. Initially I tried just 1 tablespoon of mustard and the real sauce had a noticeably stronger mustard flavor. I encourage you to get some sauce from your local McDonalds and let me know what you think after tasting them side by side.
Jim says
February 15, 2019 at 8:43 pmIs it 1.5 tablespoons of dry yellow mustard or regular mustard from a bottle
Fox Valley Foodie says
February 16, 2019 at 8:49 amMustard from the bottle, there is a link below the recipe that shows exactly what is being referenced if you are unsure.
lisa zietz says
March 10, 2019 at 4:04 pmcan i use another type of vinegar if i dont have white wine vinegar
Fox Valley Foodie says
March 11, 2019 at 9:48 amThe flavor will be off if you substitute another type of vinegar, but in a pinch I would use rice wine vinegar or a lesser amount(half?) of white vinegar.
jessie adams says
April 17, 2019 at 12:37 amI just eyeblld it andkept tasting
DRMiller says
May 26, 2019 at 11:39 amI thought it was too strong on the mustard as well. So I tried it with less and it really rated off. I found some dill mustard, and now my son thinks I’m a super hero! Lol! Thanks for the recipe Valley Foodie!
Nancy says
May 20, 2018 at 11:11 amOMG this tastes EXACTLY like big mac sauce! My kids love you now haha
Jim says
June 14, 2018 at 1:30 pmThis recipe was spot on to McDonals!
Line says
September 7, 2018 at 3:52 amI really want to try this I have searched for a recipe for sweet pickle relish but there is a lot of different ones. Do I need cinnamon, mustard seeds and special sugar to make the relish? I have some pickled cucumbers so I don’t need to start from scratch. Do you have a simple recipe?
Fox Valley Foodie says
September 7, 2018 at 7:20 amI hope you enjoy it. Unfortunately, I have not created a sweet pickle relish recipe yet, but it sounds like a really good idea though!
Kareem says
December 9, 2018 at 1:17 amYou can always go buy a jar of sweet relish out the condiments aisle in the grocery store.
janet lanham says
September 13, 2018 at 3:48 pmI made this it is amazing didnt have onion powder so i used seasoning salt instead & it still turned out amazing
M. Oniker says
November 21, 2018 at 10:02 amIs the mustard dry mustard powder or prepared mustard condiment?
Fox Valley Foodie says
November 23, 2018 at 9:41 amThe condiment
Diane says
November 23, 2018 at 9:30 amWhat brand of sweet pickle relish do you use?? Plus do you use smoked paprika or regular paprika??
Fox Valley Foodie says
November 23, 2018 at 9:40 amI don’t buy any specific brand of sweet pickle relish. Purchase the seasoning simply labeled as “Paprika” in the store, paprika is regular paprika. Recipes will typically specify “smoked paprika” if it is needed.
Alisha says
January 6, 2019 at 10:15 pmI have been eating big mac’s for almost 10 years now I never ordered anything else from McDonald’s I am going to try this . It will be my holly grail if it turned out the same! This has a high expectation to meet. Will let you know how I like it 🙂
Geoff says
January 9, 2019 at 5:11 pmHas anyone tried using a greek yogurt combo instead of just mayo? Just looking for a healthier way to enjoy this!
Fox Valley Foodie says
January 9, 2019 at 5:14 pmPlain Greek yogurt is a good substitution for mayo. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would work well.
Geoff says
January 9, 2019 at 7:48 pmThanks for the quick reply, that’s on my list for tonight!
Fabio says
January 27, 2019 at 5:46 am“Yellow mustard”. I feel so sorry you live in such a sad place that all mustards taste alike and you need not be more specific about the kind of mustard to get this right 😀
Sarina says
January 31, 2019 at 9:38 amThere is a thing such as STANDARD YELLOW MUSTARD…so no feeling sorry for us wherever you are…we have TONS of mustards to choose from. French’, Heinze or Plochman’s is standard in most states…
Camalita Lee Daniels says
February 8, 2019 at 12:02 pmI feel sorry you live in such a sad place you talk sh*t about things you know nothing about. Now, I’m going to my fridge, where I have yellow mustard, brown mustard, spicy brown mustard, Chinese hot mustard, Dijon mustard, champagne mustard, horseradish mustard, honey mustard, and whole grain mustard. I bought my condiments from standard old Safeway, not even a fancy import shop where they would have an even bigger selection.
Charlie says
February 15, 2019 at 4:52 amIs yellow mustard ‘american mustard’? In the UK we do not have anything called yellow mustard.
Fox Valley Foodie says
February 15, 2019 at 7:45 amYellow mustard is occasionally also referred to as Ballpark mustard and/or American yellow mustard.
Jessica says
April 29, 2019 at 8:41 amUse the mustard in the picalilly .. same stuff
Erik says
February 2, 2019 at 1:26 pmYou say its 12 servings, but what is the size per serving? I need to carb count so I was just wondering. I plan on making a Big Mac salad and stumbled across your recipe.
Brandon says
February 15, 2019 at 5:45 pmSpot on. Thank you!
Rick says
February 24, 2019 at 6:32 pmThis recipe is perfect! I have tried many other copycats and they are not even close. Great job!
Fox Valley Foodie says
February 24, 2019 at 6:56 pmThanks so much, I am glad you enjoyed it. I appreciate the feedback.
Jr says
February 25, 2019 at 6:51 amHow long will it store in a mason jar in refrigerator thanks
Marlene says
March 5, 2019 at 8:25 pmSooo good!
AJ says
March 16, 2019 at 10:04 pmWow, this sauce is AMAZING…the whole family devoured these burgers because of the sauce. I only refrigerated the sauce for one hour but I can just imagine how much more amazing it could be marinating for longer. We are truly in awe and so incredibly pleased with the results. thank you so much!! God Bless
Chris says
March 25, 2019 at 5:54 pmAbsolutely perfect. The only thing that wasn’t quite right for me was the color. So I added about 2 drops of red food coloring. It was spot on. I let it marinade in the refrigerator for about 6 hours. You can’t get more perfect than that. Thank you!!!!!!
Gordon says
April 1, 2019 at 8:32 pmI tried it and something was missing. I added a tablespoon of French dressing and now it is much closer to the Big Mac flavor. It is worth noting that other online recipes call for either Thousand Island dressing or French dressing.
Jennifer Rolland says
April 25, 2019 at 4:33 pmLove this, was so happy when I made it, my Son and I loved it. I was sooo impressed with myself ( you too for posting !! ). I called my husband at work and told him all about it and that we were having these burgers for dinner. After a LONG pause my husband (whom I have been married to for 30 years and together as teenagers for 5 ) said ” Don’t you know me at all ? I hate big macs, I have never ordered one in the 35 years we have been together !!! AGHHH I really didn’t know that. My Son and I had Big Macs and Mr. Party Pooper just had a burger… Have a great year, gonna have to watch my weight with this one. Having them again tonight.
J.P. says
May 4, 2019 at 1:04 pmThis is seriously wrong. The real recipe was leaked from an 80s manager manual. You need sweet and dill relish. You also need Mayo and miracle whip. Every now and then it gets reposted. Look for the real thing don’t use this awful copy cat recipe.
KC says
June 2, 2019 at 5:20 pmI worked at McDonalds in 1975 & 1976. Back then, the special sauce came pre-made in 1 gallon containers. We never made it from scratch.
Kurt Holzmuller says
May 21, 2019 at 11:02 amI have been trying to find a good copycat recipe for this sauce for a long time. I made this sauce last night for a “Big Mac cheeseburger salad” recipe I have. This sauce was fabulous and I will make it again and again. I also am enjoying the new Beyond Beef and will use this sauce when making burgers. Thanks for posting this and figuring it all out for us.
Kim says
June 2, 2019 at 5:48 pmThis sauce is awesome! Also tastes great on tacos.