The Best Homemade Big Mac Recipe

This Big Mac recipe tastes just like your favourite McDonald’s burger with juicy hamburger patties, sesame seed buns and secret sauce.

When I first started this blog a decade ago, I was obsessed with trying to create my favourite restaurant dishes at home – this Big Mac was one of the first ones I did and I've been making it for YEARS still!

Why you'll love this recipe

• Takeout copycat: Curb your fast food cravings with a healthier option made with whole ingredients.
• Secret sauce: It tastes exactly like the Big Mac sauce from McDonald's. You'll want to put it on everything!

Ingredients and substitutions

• Sesame seed hamburger buns – use a whole wheat bun or a lettuce wrap instead.
• Extra-lean ground beef – ground chicken or ground turkey would also work.
• Cheese slices – use pepper jack, Provolone or Swiss instead.
• Dill pickles – or any other pickle variety you want.
• White onion – yellow onion has a similar flavour.
• Iceberg lettuce – romaine or baby spinach are healthier options.

Big Mac sauce

• Light mayo – you can use regular mayo, it will just increase the calorie count.
• Ketchup – try sugar-free ketchup instead.
• Relish – dill pickle relish or sweet relish would both work.
• White onion – try diced yellow onion instead.
• White wine vinegar – regular vinegar is also fine or you can leave it out altogether.

How to make a Big Mac at home

Step 1: Make the sauce.

Mix the mayo, ketchup, relish, onion and vinegar together.

Step 2: Form the patties.

Round the beef into balls then flatten into patties.

Step 3: Cook the patties.

Cook in a skillet until cooked through.

Step 4: Assemble your burgers.

Assemble your burgers with two layers of toppings then serve.

Frequently asked questions

What is Big Mac sauce made of?

Big Mac sauce is made of mayo, ketchup, relish, white onion, white vinegar, salt and pepper.

How do you layer the burgers?

Layer them in the following order: bottom bun, sauce, lettuce, onion, cheese, patty, middle bun, sauce, lettuce, onion, pickles, cheese slice, patty, top bun.

Can you make this recipe low-carb?

If you're looking for a low-carb option, try out my low carb Big Mac salad!

Storing and reheating

Storing: Store the patties and sauce in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing: Freeze the patties raw or cooked for 3 months, with wax paper in between each patty. Thaw in the fridge then cook or reheat.

Reheating: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or reheat in a frying pan over medium-high heat for a minute each side. Assemble your burgers then serve.

Meal prep tools

• You can order burger sauce if you don't feel like making Big Mac sauce.
• I get all my grass-fed beef from Butcher Box.