Copycat McDonald's Big Mac Sauce Recipe - Tammilee Tips (2025)

How to make McDonald's Big Mac Sauce Recipe at home! It is the perfect sauce for burgers or dipping fries! Making this yummy copycat restaurant sauce at home in minutes is super easy.

Big Mac Sauce Recipe

When it comes to famous restaurant sauces, you can't get much more popular than Big Mac Sauce! It is iconic.

This delicious sauce recipe was so much fun to put together. My husband loved that I bought multiple Big Macs to compare our sauce to the original. Watching him use a spoon to taste the sauce on the burger and then a different spoon to try ours was pretty funny.

The restaurant may have thought I was odd when I asked for multiple Big Macs with extra sauce. LOL! I got a look when I went to pay for my order, but it was so worth it.

We recommend pairing this with McDonald's Sweet Tea for a great meal.

We use this Big Mac Sauce on our Big Mac Salad and love it! It's the perfect summer salad without the addition of a hamburger bun.

You can also make a homemade Big Mac from home by combining this sauce with pickles, crisp shredded lettuce, finely chopped onion, and American cheese for a 100% beef burger on a sesame seed bun.

This special copycat sauce recipe also works great for dipping onion rings or French fries. No matter what you enjoy it with, I hope you love it!

We keep being asked if this sauce is the same as thousand island dressing and we think it has a different taste.

Ingredients List

Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make Copycat McDonald's Big Mac Sauce! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.

• Mayonnaise
• Yellow Mustard
• Sweet Pickle Relish
• White Vinegar
• Paprika
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder

Equipment Needed

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Tablespoons and teaspoons
• Whisk/Spatula
• Airtight container for refrigerated storage

How to Make Copycat McDonald's Big Mac Sauce

I've included complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here's a quick version.

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.
2. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to get the best flavor.

Preparation and Storage

Make Ahead:

This Big Mac Sauce tastes best when it has time to rest in the fridge. The flavors meld together and taste better a few hours later and even more so the next day.

Storage:

Store this copycat restaurant sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy it within a week.

Freezing/How to Freeze:

We do not recommend freezing this sauce. It is mayonnaise-based, so its texture will change and may separate when thawed.

Recipe Variations + Tips for the Best Copycat McDonald's Big Mac Sauce

Substitutions:

For a lighter version, you can replace the mayonnaise with light mayo, Miracle Whip, or Greek yogurt.

You can replace the white vinegar with apple cider vinegar and the sweet pickle relish with dill pickle relish. The sauce will taste a bit different but still be good.

We have also seen versions that use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika for more flavor.

Vegetarian Option: This Copycat Big Mac Sauce is naturally vegetarian.

Vegan Option: Vegans should replace the mayonnaise with a plant-based substitute to make this recipe vegan.

Gluten-Free: The ingredients in this recipe should be gluten-free, but check for gluten-free labels on the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, and ketchup if you are highly sensitive and want to avoid cross-contamination.

Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: This recipe makes a little over a cup of Big Mac Sauce. Scale it up or down to your desired yield.

Make It Spicy: Adding spice will make the flavor different from McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce, but you can add sriracha for heat as we did in our Japanese Spicy Mayo.

Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 15 grams of sugar. Replace the mayonnaise, pickle relish, mustard, and ketchup with sugar-free substitutes to make it sugar-free.

Recipe Tips

• McDonalds ingredient list for the Big Mac Sauce Ingredients as Soybean Oil, Pickle Relish (Diced Pickles, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Spice Extractives, Polysorbate 80), Distilled Vinegar, Water, Egg Yolks, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Onion Powder, Mustard Seed, Salt, Spices, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Mustard Bran, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Vegetable Protein (Hydrolyzed Corn, Soy and Wheat), Caramel Color, Extractives of Paprika, Soy Lecithin, Turmeric (Color), Calcium Disodium EDTA (Protect Flavor).

What are the layers in a McDonald's Big Mac?

• Top bun
• 100% Beef Burger Patty
• Pickle Slices
• Shredded Lettuce
• Onions
• Big Mac Sauce
• Middle Bun
• Burger Patty
• Cheese - Pasteurized American Cheese
• Shredded Iceberg Lettuce
• Onions
• Big Mac Sauce
• Bottom Bun

There are no tomatoes on a Big Mac.

In the 70s Big Mac Sauce was called special sauce in the advertising we all grew up with - ​T​​wo all-beef patties, Special Sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle​​s, onions – on a sesame seed bun.

What to Serve with Copycat McDonald's Big Mac Sauce

This copycat recipe lets you enjoy McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce for all your dipping and burger condiment needs! Here are some menu planning ideas.

Sides: Air Fryer French Fries, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Air Fryer Tater Tots, Air Fryer Onion Rings, Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers, Air Fryer Fish Sticks

Main Dishes: Big Mac Salad, Carnival Cruise Guy's Burger Joint Pig Patty Burger, BLT Burger with Avocado Aioli, Air Fryer Fish Fillets, Air Fryer Chicken Patties, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp, Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets, Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken

Desserts: Copycat McDonald's Shamrock Shake

Drinks: Copycat McDonald's Sweet Tea

When to Serve

• Lunch
• Dinner
• Snack time
• As salad dressing
• Great secret sauce

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