Big Mac Sauce is magic.
It’s tangy, it’s creamy, it’s sweet, it’s got that little pickle zing, and it’s the whole reason you find yourself in the McDonald’s drive-thru at 9pm when you swore you were going to eat healthy today.
I get it. I’ve been there. Way too many times.
After years of obsessing, taste-testing, and whisking together what feels like a hundred different copycat versions in my own kitchen, I’ve finally nailed it. Actually, I’ve nailed it FIVE times.
Forget that tiny watered-down sauce packet they give you. I’m talking about thick, glorious, slather-it-on-everything Big Mac Sauce you can make at home with stuff you already have in your fridge.
From the dead-on classic dupe that tastes exactly like the real thing, to a smoky, spicy, and even a healthier twist – I’ve rounded up my 5 all-time favorite copycat recipes. No fancy ingredients, no chef skills required.
Get your buns ready. Let’s make some sauce.
Sauces I Keep Making For Burgers
These sauces fit different tastes and pantries. Some are sweet and orange, one is sharp with Dijon, and one is light. For each sauce, I tell you what kind it is, give you the full ingredient list, and link the video I used to make it.
Creamy French Dressing Big Mac Sauce
Creamy French Dressing Big Mac Sauce is my sweet and tangy keeper, and the French dressing gives it that orange color. I tried this sauce because the comments under its video on YouTube are full of people who made it for their families. Everything goes in one bowl with no cooking. The sauce takes about two minutes and makes a little under a cup.
I made this sauce for smash burgers, and it tasted like a Big Mac, only fresher. That taste is why I keep making it. I also spooned it on a plain cheeseburger for my dad, and he said it was the best he’d had in a long time.
If you can’t find creamy French dressing, regular French dressing works, but the sauce comes out thinner. I let it sit covered in the fridge a couple of hours before serving, and it tastes even closer to the real thing. Salt and pepper are up to you, so I start light and adjust after it rests.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sweet relish
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp creamy French dressing
- salt and pepper to taste
SaveNo-Ketchup Big Mac Sauce
No-Ketchup Big Mac Sauce is my plain classic, and it sticks close to the ingredients McDonald’s executive chef named in a 2012 video. I wanted a version with no ketchup and no bottled dressing: just mayo, sweet relish and yellow mustard, with paprika for color. You measure, stir in one bowl and chill, and it makes enough for four or five burgers.
The first time, I made this sauce exactly as listed, because small changes shift the taste. It was the closest copycat I had ever made. A pinch of salt made it pop a little more for me.
Out of sweet relish? Chopped sweet pickles or bread and butter pickles work and keep the sauce sweet. If you like more tang, a splash of sweet pickle juice and a bit more vinegar cut the heavy mayo taste. I let mine rest a full day in the fridge when I can, and it’s even better for the wait.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet relish
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
SaveBig Mac Sauce With Hollandaise
Big Mac Sauce With Hollandaise is the richest sauce I make. It has creamy French dressing plus a spoon of hollandaise, the warm butter and egg yolk sauce, cooled before it goes in. I wanted the buttery taste I miss in a lot of copycats. Once the hollandaise is cool, it’s a one-bowl stir with no cooking, done in a few minutes, and it makes a small bowl for a round of burgers.
I made this sauce for sliders, and some in my house said it tasted just like the real thing and asked for more. I felt the French dressing makes it more of a twist than the plain classic, since the dressing brings in a little tomato. So here is the catch: richer and a bit sweeter, but further from the original. I use store-bought hollandaise to skip making it from scratch. Just let it cool all the way before it goes in.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 heaping tablespoon sweet relish
- 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely diced onion
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons creamy French dressing
- small dash of paprika
- 1 heaping tablespoon hollandaise sauce, cooled
Dijon Big Mac Sauce
Dijon Big Mac Sauce is my big batch jar for when I want sauce for more than one meal. A full cup of mayo goes in with sweet pickle relish and Dijon, which gives it a sharper mustard tang. You whisk it for a minute or two, then cover and chill it for a few hours or overnight. It makes about a cup and a half.
I kept this sauce because one batch feeds a crowd without mixing twice, and it was a hit with my family. Yellow mustard works in a pinch if you’re out of Dijon, but Dijon gives the deeper taste I like.
This sauce isn’t only for burgers. I’ve put it on fish sandwiches and on pastrami on rye, so it earns its spot in the fridge. Once I added too much paprika by mistake, and it still turned out fine. I taste it before I add the optional pinch of salt.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 g) mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup (60 g) sweet pickle relish
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Dijon or Dusseldorf mustard
- 1 tsp (5 ml) white wine vinegar
- 1 1/4 tsp (3 g) paprika
- 1 tsp (2.5 g) onion powder
- 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp (0.3 g) white pepper
- pinch of salt (optional)
SaveHealthy Greek Yogurt Big Mac Sauce
Healthy Greek Yogurt Big Mac Sauce is my lighter bowl for when I want a tangy sauce without mayo. It’s made with full-fat Greek yogurt, with a little avocado oil for body and maple syrup instead of sugar, so there’s no white sugar in it. It stirs smooth in a small bowl in about five minutes and makes just under a cup.
I reach for this sauce when I want something tangier and lighter than a mayo sauce. Relish is optional here, so I stir some in for burgers and leave it out when the food already has pickles. Mustard powder is fine, but jarred mustard works if that’s what you have, and honey can stand in for the maple syrup. Plain white vinegar works in place of apple cider vinegar. If you like it sweeter, add a little more maple syrup, a teaspoon at a time, and taste as you go.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- dash of pepper
SaveQuestions About Big Mac Sauce
Here are the answers I come back to after making these sauces a few times.
Does Big Mac Sauce Have Ketchup In It?
Not in the version McDonald’s executive chef made in a 2012 video. He used mayonnaise, yellow mustard and sweet relish, plus a little white wine vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. There was no ketchup, French dressing or Thousand Island dressing, and the color came from the paprika. The French dressing sauces here are twists people love, not the chef’s list.
Why Does It Taste Better The Next Day?
The onion and garlic need time to soften into the mayo. I cover my bowl and let it rest at least a couple of hours, and a full day is even better. I keep mine cold in a closed jar and use it within about a week. The week is my own careful rule, not a tested number.
Will It Taste Exactly Like McDonald’s?
Close, but not the same. Even McDonald’s chef made a home version in his 2012 video, and cooks who have tried lots of recipes say none is a perfect match. I tweak the salt, vinegar and relish to my taste and stop when my burger tastes right.
What Else Can I Put It On?
Plenty beyond burgers. This sauce is good for dipping fries and nuggets, spread on a fried chicken sandwich, or thinned a little as a dressing for a burger salad. Start with a spoonful and add more, since a little goes a long way.
I keep one small jar in the fridge and mix a fresh one when it runs low. Pick the style that fits your pantry tonight, stir it, and taste it on your first burger.
