How To Make A Homemade Big Mac

I've updated this homemade Big Mac recipe after trying McDonald's new version. It’s not a copy, it’s better! This is how you can make an even tastier Big Mac at home.

About this homemade Big Mac Recipe.

After trying the new McDonald's Big Mac I was impressed. I do prefer other outlets when I go out for a burger but a lot of times it's hit and miss. I'm sure you will know that the burgers shown in a lot of takeaway menus are nowhere near as good as they look.

With McDonald's, at least you know what you're getting. This is my attempt to take their new Big Mac and make it better. Hopefully, you will agree that I succeeded. 

If you would rather no bun and make this recipe totally gluten free, you might like to try this Big Mac Salad recipe instead or try this Lettuce Wrap Burger!

Ingredients

For the best homemade Big Mac, fresh ingredients are key! I use good-quality minced beef for the patties, a soft sesame seed bun, and the freshest lettuce, pickles, and onions for that signature crunch. The Big Mac sauce brings it all together, made with real mayo, mustard, and relish for the perfect balance of tangy and creamy.

• top quality minced beef - Ask your butcher for a 60% meat 40% fat blend (Very important)
• sesame seed bun
• butter
• special sauce (recipe below)
• dill pickle
• Shredded lettuce
• American cheese
• finely chopped onion

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions for homemade Big Mac

1. Step 1: Brown the buns in butter over a medium heat until golden brown.

2. Step 2: Heat up your pan until smoking hot. Add two or more beef balls to the pan. Smash the beef balls down into thin patties.

3. Step 3: Add about a tablespoon of chopped onion to each beef burger.

4. Step 4: When the bottom of the beef patties has charred and caramelised, flip them over and season with salt and pepper. Add American style cheese slices to one of the patties so that it melts a little.

What is new with the Big Mac?

From what I could see, a new softer brioche bun which is far better than the buns they used before. There is also more meat and the cheese is melted rather than just adding it cold.

I'm pretty sure there is more special sauce on there too but how much sauce you add is down to you. I like lots of sauce.

One last thing. They used to add their rehydrated chopped onions directly to the bottom and middle buns. Now the onions are added to the meat and then seared while  you cook the meat. 

About the special Big Mac sauce

When I was a kid, I worked at McDonald's for two days. No, it just wasn't for me.

I did want to know how to make a Big Mac at home though and I squirted some of the Big Mac sauce into a plastic container and took it home with me. There I went to work recreating it and you will find the following Big Mac sauce to be close but also better than the real thing!

Contrary to popular belief, the Big Mac special sauce does not have ketchup in it. The redish colouring if from paprika. That isn't to say you can't add ketchup which I often do. 

Special Ingredients in the Big Mac sauce

It wasn't until I lived in the UK for a while that I realised most people here don't have a clue what a dill pickle is. It's a product everyone in the US is familiar with. The pickles are in a brine of water, vinegar, salt garlic and dill which gives the pickles, including McDonald's pickles their famous flavour.

Chopped dill pickle is added to the Big Mac sauce but you could get away with using another hamburger pickle for your homemade Big Mac. There isn't a lot of pickle in the sauce.

If you like, you could add about ¼ teaspoon freshly chopped dill to get the sauce even closer. The pickles in the UK are most often sweet pickles. If you use them, just don't add the sugar and it will still taste great. 

How do you make the homemade Big Mac special sauce?

Following it a rough breakdown of the sauce recipe. You could also check out this Big Mac sauce page with step by step photos.

That's easy! Mix 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon ketchup, optional and not used in the real thing, 1 teaspoon finely chopped dill pickle, 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, ½ teaspoon French's yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk it all together.

You will easily have enough for two homemade Big Macs. Go ahead and upscale the recipe to make more though if you want your homemade Big Mac to have even more sauce. This is something that is lacking in the real thing. Even the new version though they are a bit more generous with saucing up the new Big Mac.

Is it important to toast the Big Mac buns?

Yes! In fact McDonald's tried to leave out this step for a while and it was a money saving flop.

For the ultimate homemade Big Mac, you need to butter and then toast those buns.