You’re just minutes away from enjoying your favorite fast-food burger sauce right at home. You may be surprised at the common ingredients that make this versatile, delicious “special sauce” so special!
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McDonald’s Big Mac Special Flavor
It’s undoubtedly the world’s most famous burger, from Philadelphia to the Philippines. The Big Mac has become a true food and pop culture icon, complete with a catchy jingle seared into the memory of millions of people around the world. But among the list of ingredients, there’s one that truly makes the Big Mac “special” — the Big Mac Sauce. This creamy, tangy, perfectly spiced, and ideally textured sauce is what elevates a Big Mac over any old double burger.
Naturally, McDonald’s knows customers love it, even occasionally selling bottles of the sauce that can sometimes end up resold online for thousands of dollars. But you don’t need to drain your savings account or constantly make trips to the Golden Arches just to enjoy this tasty, distinctive condiment. With a deceptively simple group of ingredients, it’s easy to whip up at home for use on all of your favorite burgers, sandwiches, and other dishes.
The Birth of the Big Mac and Big Mac Sauce
The Big Mac traces its roots back to the late 1960s. It wasn’t invented by McDonald’s itself; it’s actually the product of early franchise owner Jim Delligatti, who served the burger at his Pittsburgh-area locations in 1967. But it didn’t stay a Western Pennsylvania specialty for long. Within a year, corporate had taken notice, and the Big Mac was popping up on menu boards around the country.
In the Big Mac’s earliest days, the sauce varied somewhat from restaurant to restaurant while sticking to the general theme and flavor profile. That all changed in 1972, when Mickey D’s standardized the recipe, ensuring each and every Big Mac has the same mouthwatering flavor.
As for that flavor, don’t be fooled — McDonald’s special sauce is not just Thousand Island dressing in disguise, as many believe. While they certainly bear some similarities, there are notable differences that introduce the subtle differences that make Big Mac sauce so craveable.
Why this is the best recipe for Big Mac Sauce
There are few things better when home-making a sauce than lots of flavor and an easy process. This Big Mac Sauce recipe has both, using common ingredients that may already be in your fridge or on your spice rack. Plus, it costs just pennies to whip up a batch, and comes together in just a few minutes of active work.
Ingredients
There are no big surprises among the Big Mac sauce ingredients:
- Mayonnaise
- Relish
- Brown mustard (like Gulden’s)
- White vinegar
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Granulated garlic
- Ground white pepper
While you can use any old relish, India relish produces the tastiest and most authentic results. This more complex relish has more of a spicy and tangy kick, along with the addition of other veggies beyond pickles. It’s available at many larger supermarkets as well as online, but you can also use ordinary sweet pickle relish if that’s all you have on hand but do not use dill pickle relish. Those who are feeling especially adventurous can even make their own India relish.
How to make Big Mac Sauce
This copycat Big Mac Sauce recipe is very simple to make! Here’s how:
- Simply measure the ingredients and place them in a bowl
- Stir until fully combined.
- Allow the sauce to rest for at least an hour to let the flavors meld before using.
Tips for making and storing homemade Big Mac Sauce
- Try to make ahead of time for the best taste. Like with many sauces, giving it a few hours to rest allows a true blending of the varying tastes into a cohesive, delicious final result.
- Don’t use the sauce cold. Remove only as much sauce from the fridge as you anticipate using in advance of cooking your meal, and allow it to come to room temperature gradually. For food safety reasons, you should throw out any of this sauce that doesn’t get used, not put it back in the larger container in the fridge.
What goes well with Big Mac Sauce
While this sauce is obviously a perfect fit for its namesake burger, it’s just as good on any other kind of sandwich or wrap, providing a convenient and creamy flavor boost. It’s also an ideal choice as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets, French fries, tater tots, onion rings, potato chips, or even fresh veggies. You can even use it as the salad dressing on a Big Mac Salad.
See how to use this sauce for a homemade Big Mac.
How to store
Store your Big Mac sauce in an appropriately sized, airtight container in the fridge. It’ll be good for up to a week. We don’t recommend freezing it for textural reasons and because it’s so easy to make fresh.
More Tasty Sauces
- Arby’s Barbecue Sauce
- Chick Fil A Honey Mustard Sauce Recipe
- Chinese Hot Mustard Sauce
- How to Make Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
- How to Make Garlic Parmesan Sauce for Wings
- Japanese Hibachi Mustard Sauce Recipe
- Papa Johns Creamy Italian Sauce
- Restaurant Sweet and Sauce Sauce
- Submarine Sauce
- TGI Friday’s Jack Daniels Sauce
Popular McDonald’s Frozen Drink Copycat Recipes
Be sure to check out all my easy sauce recipes and the best copycat McDonald’s recipes.
McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish (Heinz India relish is preferred)
- 2 tablespoons brown mustard (such as Guldens)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
- Let the sauce rest for 1 hour before serving.
Melissa Lee Ragsdill
Help me Obi won…I need some new recipes for hamburger..Can help a girl out? <3
Mitchel E Jones
I like several of the homey versions you publish. Big Mac sauce might be accurate, but I won’t try it. I decided in 1953 (I was 5 yr old) that every time I ate a Big Mac, a headache followed. I’ve tested it several times since, and there’s been numerous opportunities. Invariably I reach for the aspirin. The sandwich has the same ingredients as other varieties without the effect, just their tweaked tartar sauce, so….
Stephanie
Well, if I were you, I would do the same thing!
GRINNING GOAT
Try the 1968 McDonald’s Manager’s handbook for the original special sauce, it’s spectacular. It isn’t even 1000 Island dressing.
It is just a few dashes of French dressing in that one. (Tastes just like the special sauce I know from McDonald’s, no Indian Relish, just 1 part regular sweet to 3 parts dill relish.)
1000 Island was barely known until nor introduced to consumer market until after 1972. Maybe McD’s used 1000 Island in their later standardized version.
There is about 8 or 9 separate ingredients in the original to include about 1 tsp of ketchup.
Stephanie
Are you sensitive to MSG? So many restaurants add MSG to their food.
john
Some people can really go off course with their comments. I loved this.
SM Chef
My husband and I quit fast food so we are excited to try this! I didn’t find India relish in the store 🙁 so we will improvise. I also thought the color seemed a little on the lighter side ( plus I am not the biggest fan of mayo) So i am trying with a bit more of the dressing, and splashed a tiny bit of the juice in.
I am setting it in the fridge overnight and excited to try it tomorrow!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Stephanie
I hope this turns out well for you!
Theresa
They do actually have the Big Mac Sauce in stores now…I found it at Save On Foods in Canada
Frank
I loved this!
Stephanie
It’s easy to be bitter online!
Tomas Senna
Kraft thousand island dressing is in the big mac when i work there 1981 Stockholm
Sandi
Here is a version that tastes just like Big Mac Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons french dressing
4 teas sweet pickle relish
1 Tablespoon finely minced white onions
1 teas white vinegar
1 teas sugar
1/8 teas salt
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well. Cover and let set in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. It tastes 100% like McDonalds. Go ahead, try it
Trevor
I understand that I am late, but your iteration of this sauce is off the chain!
I walked in and my roommate was using it as a chip dip. [Redacted]
Cat Reed
I have used thousand island dressing on my burgers….and almost…but no…it is not the same sauce as McDonalds….i love that sauce.
Theresa
I agree thousand island is not the same sauce. I also appreciate Stephanie posting these copyKat recipe’s. Ty
Will
I have made this three times !
Stephanie Manley
Thanks Will.
kkbarringer
The sauce is
1 cup miricle whip
2 Tbs. Dill relish
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs katchup
mix well.
I mix it to taste, so add or subtract what you like. We made this for our salad before they put thousand island in a bottle.
That’s all mc Donalds uses
Lorna Schinske
I worked at a McDonalds in Ft Pierce FL in the late 1970’s. I opened up #10 cans of the “special sauce”. The labels said “Thousand Island Dressing”. Then the labels changed. The new labels (slapped on top of the old labels) said “McDonalds Special Sauce” yet was still the same old “Thousand Island Dressing” both on the label and in the can.
DeeDee
this is the recipe that i know of 1/4 cup salad dressing( miracle whip) 1/4 cup mayo, 3 tbs french dressing, 1/2 tablespoon sweet pickle relish, 1 1/2 tbs. dill pickle relish , 1 tsp sugar 1 tbs hydrated onions. mix together heat in microwave 25 sec remove and stir repeat then place in refrig for hr before serving. enjoy !!
DeeDee
there is hydrated onions in the sauce this recipe is not correct.
Dweyer
Can’t be true. Worked at McDonald’s for quite a few years and I’m positively sure there’s onion in the sauce.
Erin Hernandez
it’s a simple thousand island dressing.try it at home on your own burgers and you’ll see, just like Mc’d
Ednastrickland88
Its ketchup, relish and mayo.
Stephanie Manley
Great thanks for your tips.
Claire
There has to be more to it. Your sauce is white while McD’s is somewhat orange.
Stephanie Manley
My sauce is somewhat orange.
Matthewpacheco Pacheco
your are SO STUPID
Anonymous
this is the best ever