The Big Mac from McDonald’s is one of the world’s most popular and loved burgers. But what makes the Big Mac truly special is the McDonald’s Big Mac sauce. For the longest time, this sauce was kept a secret. Now, it is one of the best McDonald’s menu items.
The Big Mac sauce was introduced with the Big Mac burger in 1968. This loyal sauce has come a long way since then and has its own identity now.
The Big Mac sauce is a flavorful combination of different sauces and spices. This sauce has a more tangy kick with a creamy texture. You’ll find the texture to be a bit chunky as well. This is because there is some relish in the mix too.
The Big Mac’s primary texture comes from its base ingredient; mayonnaise. The sauce predominantly has warm and tangy flavors that come from spices, onion, relish, and mustard.
The sauce is fairly easy to make. You can serve it with your fries and nuggets or use it as a sub-ingredient in your homemade Big Mac recipe. Whichever way you choose to go, we are here to help. Keep reading for the recipe and everything you need to know about it.
Can You Buy The Big Mac Sauce Separately?
Call it the “Special Sauce,” “Secret Sauce,” or the “Big Mac Sauce,” the Big Mac sauce is a creamy, tangy, and sweet sauce that goes great with burgers, fries, and nuggets. People consider the Big Mac sauce as one of the best sauces avilable on the McDonald’s menu.
With the increase in its popularity, people started asking for the Big Mac sauce separately.
In 2017, McDonald’s gave away about 10,000 Big Mac sauce bottles as a part of the campaign. But fans eagerly waited for the day it’d be officially introduced to the McDonald’s menu.
On April 27, 2023, McDonald’s finally released the Big Mac sauce as a dipping sauce in blue and white packaging. You only need to pay $0.35 to get the Big Mac sauce dip, but it could be ordered exclusively through the McDonald’s app. The good news was, however, short-lived as this offer was for a limited time only. It was available until May 10, 2023.
I guess it’s a good thing you have this recipe. You can make your favorite Big Mac sauce and enjoy it anytime, anywhere.
Does This Big Mac Sauce Taste The Same As McDonald’s?
Our version of the Big Mac sauce is pretty close to the original at McDonald’s.
The recipe is identical, and the homemade version has all the ingredients as the McDonald’s one.
The homemade version might be chunkier, considering the size of the chopped onions and relish added. But this gives the sauce a nice texture.
So, if you can’t find the Big Mac sauce, I say whip up a big bowl at home. No one will be able to tell the difference, and this way, you’ll never run out of it.
Does The Big Mac Sauce Have Ketchup?
Many look at the peach color of the Big Mac sauce and think about whether it has ketchup or not. It is alright to assume that because the Big Mac sauce has a tangy taste with a little sweetness, much like ketchup.
But despite the speculation, the Big Mac sauce doesn’t have ketchup. The tangy flavor comes from mustard and vinegar, the sweetness is courtesy of sugar, and the peachy color comes from the added paprika powder.
Even if you’re tempted to add ketchup, I would advise against it as the ketchup might disturb the acidity and flavor of the sauce and might make it too sweet.
Equipment Used To Make The Big Mac Sauce?
- Bowl – A big bowl should suffice to make the sauce.
- Whisk/ Spoon – Use a whisk or a spoon to mix all the ingredients.
McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce Ingredients
- Mayonnaise – Mayonnaise is the base ingredient for the sauce and acts as a medium for all the other ingredients.
- Mustard – The mustard sauce gives the sauce a slightly bitter yet tangy taste.
- Onions – We add some chopped onions to the sauce to add warm and sharp notes.
- Sweet Pickle Relish – The sweet pickle relish adds not only sweetness and tang to the sauce but also a spicy flavor that bodes well with the paired foods.
- White Vinegar – White vinegar plays a major role in making the Big Mac sauce tangy.
- Garlic Powder – Garlic powder adds that much-loved garlic flavor to the sauce.
- Onion Powder – Onion powder enhances the onion flavor but doesn’t add the sharpness of fresh onion.
- Paprika Powder – The spicy kick and the peachy color of the sauce come from paprika powder.
- Salt – The salt balances all the flavors in the sauce. You can add it as per your taste.
- Sugar – Sugar adds a mellow sweet taste to the sauce that just reduces the sharpness of the other ingredients.
McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce Preparation Time
| Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Minutes | – | 5 Minutes |
McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce Recipe Steps
Step 1- Take a big bowl and add mayonnaise to it.
Step 2- Then add some finely chopped onions to the bowl.
Step 3- After that, in go the sweet pickle relish and mustard. Mix the ingredients a little.
Step 4- It’s time for spices now. Add onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika powder to the bowl. Also, add some salt to it.
Step 5- Lastly, add some sugar and white vinegar. Whisk the sauce, and you’re done.
Step 6- Your amazing Big Mac sauce is ready!
What Does Big Mac Sauce Taste Like?
The Big Mac sauce is a much-loved burger dressing and for a good reason. It is the perfect combination of spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors. The sauce has a creamy texture with some chunks of relish and onion here and there.
Other ingredients balance some of the ingredients that may have come strong. The combination of flavors and its creaminess makes it a great burger sauce as well as a dip for your fries and nuggets. This amazing sauce can do it all!
Is Big Mac Sauce The Same As Thousand Island Dressing?
Big Mac sauce is not the same thing as Thousand Island dressing. With the same peachy color and creamy texture, many people think the Big Mac is the same as the Thousand Island dressing. But that’s actually incorrect.
The main difference between the two is the absence of ketchup in Big Mac sauce. This is where they really drift apart.
The two taste similar but have considerable differences when it comes to ingredients. The tang and spice of Big Mac sauce come from vinegar, mustard, relish, and other spices.
But Thousand Island dressing employs ketchup and tomato puree to get the sweet yet tangy taste in addition to the same ingredients.
Some recipes for Thousand Island dressing also use Worcestershire sauce and orange juice to give it a more tangy and umami taste.
Is This Big Mac Sauce Recipe Gluten-Free, Keto Friendly, or Vegan?
The Big Mac sauce is made with different sauces, spices, and condiments. None of the ingredients present in the recipe contain gluten. This makes the Big Mac sauce gluten-free.
To make the Big Mac sauce keto-friendly, you need to simply use full-fat mayo. The sauce is already great for the keto diet. But swapping the mayo for a full-fat one will remove all the doubts about its keto-diet suitability.
If you use the store-bought version of the Big Mac sauce, you’ll notice it is not vegan. The mayonnaise is the only non-vegan ingredient in the lot. Thus, to make the Big Mac sauce vegan, all you need to do is switch regular mayonnaise with vegan mayonnaise.
If you’d love to know about McDonald’s gluten-free, keto or vegan menu options in McDonald’s, then do check out our articles on the respective topics.
McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce Nutritional Facts
| Calories | 70 kcal |
| Total Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Trans Fat | 0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Total Sugars | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 5 mg |
| Calcium | 6 mg |
| Iron | 0 mg |
| Potassium | 5 mg |
| Sodium | 70 mg |
As you can see, Big Mac sauce has about 70 calories. Even though it has fewer carbohydrates and sugars, it has a good amount of fat. It also has a higher amount of sodium.
This low-carb high-fat sauce can be a great addition to your keto diet. But if you’re looking to cut fat from your diet, this might not be the healthiest sauce for you.
Where Can You Use This Big Mac Sauce?
Well, the simple answer to this question is with anything. When in McDonald’s, you can order the Big Mac sauce with literally anything. You can even order it with burgers other than the Big Mac.
But when you make the Big Mac sauce at home, the possibilities become endless. Of course, you can add it to burgers, fries, and nuggets. You can also add it to sandwiches or use it as a dressing for salads and poke bowls.
The creamy and tangy Big Mac sauce also pairs well with fried chicken. You can use it as a sauce, a dip, and a dressing. The choice is yours!
How To Store This Big Mac Sauce Properly?
The Big Mac sauce is amazing. It tastes best when served fresh, but if you have some left with you, you can store it in the refrigerator.
The best way to do that would be to store it in an air-tight container and place it in the refrigerator. You can store it there for 2 days. I am afraid it might not retain its taste well after that.
Also, I would advise against keeping it at room temperature. It has a lot of spices and sauce, making it more vulnerable to spoilage.
Other McDonald’s Sauce That You Can Try Too
This copycat Big Mac sauce recipe tastes so good you’ll never have to buy it from the store. If you are a Mickey D’s fan and are curious to know about the recipe for their other famous sauces, don’t worry.
We’ve covered them all. We have the recipes for McDonald’s Habanero Sauce, McDonald’s Hot Fudge Sauce, McDonald’s Honey Mustard Sauce, McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce, and McDonald’s Sweet And Sour Sauce.
You can also find amazing McDonald’s copycat recipes easily recreated at home. Comment down how you liked this recipe. I’ll see you another time.
Recipe Card
McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Bowl
- Whisk/ Spoon
Ingredients
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoons Mustard
- 2 tablespoons Sweet Pickle Relish
- 2 tablespoons Onions (chopped)
- 1 ½ tablespoons White Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
Instructions
- Take a big bowl and add mayonnaise to it.
- Then add some finely chopped onions to the bowl.
- After that, in go the sweet pickle relish and mustard. Mix the ingredients a little.
- It’s time for spices now. Add onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika powder to the bowl. Also, add some salt to it.
- Lastly, add some sugar and white vinegar. Whisk the sauce, and you're done.
- Your amazing Big Mac sauce is ready!
Video
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Big Mac special sauce made of?
McDonald’s big mac sauce is prepared with mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, relish, vinegar, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
Is Mac sauce the same as Thousand Island dressing?
McDonald’s Mac sauce and Thousand Island dressing are the two different sauces. Thousand Island is prepared with ketchup, whereas Big Mac sauce is made with French dressing and has tangier flavors.
What Flavour is Big Mac sauce?
Big Mac sauce is creamy, sweet, spicy, and has subtle tangy flavors added.
What makes the Big Mac so special?
The combination of relish and rich spices is what makes the Big Mac so special.
This McDonald’s special Big Mac sauce is a big secret and this is your chance to make it at home. Try it and tell me how well you liked it and share your experiences with me. Till then, have a great time!
