This McDonalds-style Big Mac recipe comes complete with sesame seed buns, juicy hamburger patties, cheese slices, pickles and Big Mac sauce!
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Ingredients in a Big Mac
These homemade Big Macs are super easy to make. Here's what you need on hand:
- sesame seed hamburger buns
- ground beef
- cheese slices
- dill pickles
- white onion
- iceberg lettuce
- Big Mac Sauce (a mixture of ketchup, mayo, relish, vinegar and onion – see more details further on in this blog post)
How to make these burgers
These burgers come together in a little over half an hour or less – especially if you make the sauce ahead of time. This can be done up to 1 week in advance. Here's how to make these burgers:
- Prepare toppings for the burgers.
- Mix up the Big Mac sauce.
- Divide the raw ground beef into 8 equal portions, rolling into balls and then flattening as thin as possible on a parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet. Season them with salt.
- Fry beef patties four at a time for 1-2 minutes per side in a large skillet over high heat.
- Assemble burgers by putting Big Mac sauce, lettuce, onion, cheese slice and first hamburger pattie on the bottom bun. Follow with middle bottom bun, then Big Mac sauce, lettuce, onion, pickles and second hamburger pattie.
- Finish with the final top bun, then serve and enjoy!
Ingredient substitutions
- Ground Beef – An easy way to lower the calories in your burger is to substitute ground chicken or turkey for the ground beef. If you're a vegetarian or vegan, using a black bean burger would be a great choice.
- Sesame Seed Bun – Feel free to use a whole wheat bun, or make a low-carb or keto Big Mac by using a lettuce wrap instead of bread.
- Lettuce – Shredded iceberg lettuce can easily be swapped out for healthier options such as chopped kale, baby spinach, or arugula.
- Cheese – Want to add some spicy kick? Use some pepper jack cheese. Lower fat cheese options include Provolone, Swiss, or Parmesan.
- Big Mac Sauce – The “special sauce” at McDonald's is loaded with sugar and high fat mayo. My version is a bit lower in fat, but you can cut the sugar by using sugar-free ketchup. Or use a different sauce completely, like ranch, Thousand Island, or blue cheese salad dressing.
How to make Big Mac sauce
My version of the sauce is very easy to make; it's just a matter of mixing a few ingredients together in a bowl.
Add some low-fat mayo, ketchup, finely minced onion, pickle relish, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to the bowl. Then, use a spoon or small whisk to blend until everything is combined.
Feel free to use regular white vinegar instead of white wine vinegar. You can also leave the vinegar out altogether as it's such a small amount. Finally, you can use dill pickle relish or sweet relish; it's your choice!
Big Mac calories vs the homemade version
It may go without saying, but the calories in the homemade version of the Big Mac will vary depending on the ingredients you use. If you make using identical ingredients to the ones I use, each homemade Big Mac will have approximately 497 calories.
In comparison, according to the company website, a McDonald's Big Mac made without any substitutions has 510 calories.
What to serve on the side
Aside from the common side of crispy French fries, there are plenty of other things you can serve along with your burgers. Here are a few ideas:
- In ‘n Out Animal-Style Fries
- Potato salad (try my recipe for Instant Pot potato salad!)
- Healthy Airfryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Coleslaw
- Steamed veggies
- Side salad
Storing and reheating
If you think you may end up with leftovers or extra burgers, it is best to keep the ingredients separate and allow everyone to assemble their Big Mac at the table. Otherwise, you will have to disassemble them before you can reheat them.
Place the burgers each of the toppings into its own airtight container or Ziploc plastic bag. Store the containers in the refrigerator and use the leftovers within 4 to 5 days.
To reheat the burgers:
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Place the burger patties into a single layer in a shallow baking dish.
- Sprinkle some tap water onto the tops of the patties, and place 1/4 cup of beef broth, stock, or water into the bottom of the dish. The liquid will help to keep the patties moist and juicy.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it into the preheated oven for 15 minutes or so to warm them through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
You can also microwave your burger patties for 1 minute, sprinkling some water overtop beforehand.
Freezing the burger patties
If you want to freeze any of the burger patties (cooked or uncooked) for later use, you definitely can.
To prevent them from sticking together, place a layer of parchment paper or wax paper between each patty.
Place the burgers into a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
More McDonald's copycat recipes
Meal prep tools
- You can order Big Mac sauce online if you don't feel like making it
- I get all my grass-fed beef from Butcher Box
Homemade Big Mac Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 sesame seed hamburger buns, plus 4 more bottom buns to act as the middle bun
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
- 4 cheese slices
- dill pickles
- white onion finely chopped
- iceberg lettuce finely shredded
Big Mac Sauce
- 1 cup light mayo
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp relish
- 2 tbsp finely chopped white onion
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Big Mac sauce by mixing ingredients together, then prepare onions, lettuce, and pickles for the burgers.
- Divide raw ground beef into 8 equal portions, rolling into balls and then flattening as thin as possible on a parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet.
- Heat a large skillet over med-high heat until hot. Cook beef patties four at a time for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Assemble burgers by putting Big Mac sauce, lettuce, onion, cheese slice and first hamburger pattie on the bottom bun. Follow with middle bottom bun, then Big Mac sauce, lettuce, onion, pickles and second hamburger pattie. Finish with the final top bun, then serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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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!