This McDonalds-style Big Mac recipe comes complete with sesame seed buns, juicy hamburger patties, sharp cheddar cheese, pickles and Big Mac sauce!
I love my fast food over here, but definitely don't like the overload of calories and food coma afterward, so I decided to try my hand at crafting a McDonalds-style Big Mac burger complete with sesame seed buns, juicy hamburger patties, fresh sharp cheddar cheese and special, homemade Big Mac sauce. Mmm, doesn't that just sound delicious?! It's way healthier, trust me. You might just be able to make this Big Mac recipe for dinner tonight!
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While I tried my best to stay true to the burger there are a number of healthier alternatives you could make to keep the same flavours and basic concept of the Big Mac but definitely introduce more ways to pack a variety of sources of nutrition in there.
My first suggestion would be to switch to a whole wheat bun, and use ground chicken or turkey instead of ground beef. You could also introduce leafy greens such as chopped kale, spinach or romaine into the lettuce mixture, and sneak in a fresh tomato or two.
But sometimes it's way better just to go the traditional route, like what I have here! I used extra lean ground beef on burger patties, and seasoned the meat with salt and pepper before cooking. I also mixed in a tiny bit of olive oil to keep the burgers from sticking. When cooking your patties, you'll want to ensure you flatten them out super thin, and then cook for only 2-3 minutes per side to ensure they don't shrink up too much. If they are spread very thinly, they will cook very quickly.
The Big Mac sauce is also highly debated in the recipe world, but I've developed what I think is the closest possible combo – you could use ketchup or French dressing, but the kind I made with ketchup and a tiny bit of white wine vinegar is by far the closest match I have come up with!
Have you ever made a Big Mac before? What are your tips and tricks?
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Homemade Big Mac Recipe with Frites
Ingredients
- 4 sesame seed hamburger buns
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 slices sharp cheddar cheese or sliced thinly from a block of cheese
- dill pickles
- white onion finely chopped
- iceberg lettuce finely shredded
Big Mac Sauce
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 1/8 cup ketchup
- 1/4 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1/8 cup chopped white onion
- 2 tsp sweet pickle relish
- salt and pepper to taste
Frites
- 2 baking potatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tsp dried/fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Cut potatoes thinly by hand or by mandolin. Squeeze out excess starch and liquid with paper towel, then toss with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook at 450 degree oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Mix together 2 tbsp olive oil with herbs and salt & pepper. Drizzle overtop of fries once finished in oven.
- Meanwhile, prepare Big Mac sauce, onion, lettuce, and pickles. Slice two of the tops of the burger buns in half, and butter each side of every bun.
- Season beef with salt and pepper and mix in a bit of olive oil (1 tsp). Preheat oven to broil, and heat olive oil in frying pan over med-high heat.
- Form burger patties by rolling into palm sized balls and flattening until very thin. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes until beef is fully cooked but just before it starts to shrink. When oven is hot, place buns inside to toast them lightly on each side, watching carefully.
- Assemble burgers by putting hamburger patties on bottom bun, then lettuce and special sauce, then the sliced buns and pickles, and then repeat the process.
Jill says
I have never had a Big Mac before, but these look delicious! I heard that McDonald’s will be marketing their famous sauces in grocery stores soon too. Great post as always!