Do you love McDonald's famous Big Mac and the special sauce that comes with it? Learn how to make this easy Big Mac Dressing at home without needing to grab fast food! This homemade version of the "secret sauce" is just like the real thing. Prepare for the perfect burger, enhanced salads like our Big Mac salad, tasty sandwiches, and more with this versatile sauce! It comes together in about 10 minutes!
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Disclosure: This post was originally published on March 15th, 2019, but has been rephotographed with an improved recipe and instructions as of January 7th, 2024. We hope you enjoy the new look!
The best part about this delicious copycat Big Mac sauce recipe is that it's super easy to make! You may even already have the simple ingredients needed to make it at home. Just grab a few items from the pantry and fridge and mix them together to help bring scrumptious tangy flavor to a variety of dishes.
Try it drizzled on our Big Mac salad, this Big Mac casserole, or this Reuben casserole!
If you're looking for some more delicious homemade sauce recipes to take your dishes to the next level, you'll love our Instagram-famous cowboy butter dipping sauce, this Wingstop ranch recipe, this honey lemon vinaigrette, this pesto aioli, or this creamy horseradish sauce!
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Very easy to make. Craft your own homemade Big Mac sauce in the comfort of your own kitchen. No culinary expertise is required! It's ready in 10 minutes with no special techniques.
- Made with simple ingredients. You only need 8 simple ingredients to make this recipe. Anything you don't already have on hand in the pantry and fridge can be found at any grocery store.
- Perfectly sweet and tangy. Experience the perfect balance of sweet tanginess, making this sauce a versatile delight for burgers, sandwiches, salads, chicken tenders, and beyond.
- Easily adaptable. You can have this sauce on various diets, including the keto diet. This dressing is also naturally vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy free!
🧅Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- White onion. This will give the most traditional flavor to this sauce, but you can use yellow or red onion if that's all you have on hand.
- Relish. Sweet relish adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce, so we highly recommend using a sweet version if you can. If you don't have sweet relish on hand, you may want to add a touch of sugar to balance out the sauce.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Swap out regular mayo. You can use Miracle Whip instead for a tangier twist.
- Experiment with different types of mustard. Try Dijon or whole grain mustard to customize the flavor.
- Swap the vinegar. Try white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar as an alternative to white vinegar. Pickle juice also makes an excellent tangy substitute. We often use it to thin out the sauce when drizzling it over top of salads.
✨Variations
- Keto big mac sauce. On a keto diet? While this sauce is already naturally pretty low in carbs and sugar, there are a few swaps you can make. Use sugar-free ketchup and extra dill pickles or dill relish instead of sweet relish. For a little added sweetness, add in a teaspoon or two of your favorite sugar substitute.
- Make it vegan. Swap the mayo for a vegan version to make this dressing completely vegan-friendly.
- Less sweet. Swap the sweet relish for dill pickle relish instead.
- Extra flavor. Add a bit of onion powder or garlic powder or even minced garlic for a boost of flavor.
- Dress multiple dishes. Explore using this homemade sauce on various burgers, including chicken, beef patties, or even hot dogs, fish sticks, and more!
- Use as a dip. This mac sauce makes the perfect dipping sauce for onion rings, french fries (like these air fryer waffle fries), tater tots, and more.
🔪Prep work
- Use a sharp knife to finely mince the dill pickles and the onions.
- Measure out the remaining ingredients.
📋Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, white onions, (Image 1) mustard, minced dill pickles, sweet relish, and white vinegar. (Image 2)
Mix everything to combine, and add salt and seasonings to taste. (Image 3)
For best flavor, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the dressing to a jar with a tight-sealing lid. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or, if possible, longer to allow the flavors to meld together.
✨Pro Tip: Make sure to taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference, and if you have time, chilling the sauce really helps the flavors meld together.
Once chilled, give it a good stir, and your dressing is ready to be used. It's perfect for burgers, sandwiches, salads, and more. Enjoy!
✨Tips & tricks
- Let it sit. Letting the dressing refrigerate for a few hours or overnight allows the flavors to meld together and intensify.
- Finely mince the pickle and onion. Ensure that your pickles and onions are minced very fine. This will give the sauce a smooth consistency, making it easier to spread on burgers or mix into salads.
- Taste and adjust. Feel free to tweak the recipe to suit your palate. Some people prefer a tangier taste and might add more vinegar, while others might want a sweeter profile and could add a bit more relish or a touch of sugar.
- Use quality ingredients. The flavor of the dressing can vary significantly depending on the quality of the ingredients you use. High-quality mayonnaise, for instance, can make a difference.
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container and use it within 5-7 days. Do not freeze.
These two dressings are very similar, but they use different amounts of ingredients. However, both are extremely tasty!
If you like mayo, you will definitely like this dressing. However, the combination of all of the ingredients together makes it really flavorful and the mayo flavor is not overpowering at all.
More Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Big Mac Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup sweet pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 4 medium medium dill pickles finely minced
- ½ medium white onion finely minced
- 1.5 teaspoons white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of mayonnaise, ¼ cup of ketchup, ¼ cup of sweet pickle relish, 2 tablespoons of mustard, minced dill pickles, minced onion, and 1.5 teaspoons of white vinegar. Stir well until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Add a dash of kosher salt (ip to ¼ teaspoon), tasting as you go, until it reaches your preferred level of seasoning.
- For best flavor, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the dressing to a jar with a tight-sealing lid. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or, if possible, longer to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Once chilled, give it a good stir and your dressing is ready to be used. It's perfect for burgers, sandwiches, salads, and more.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container use within 5-7 days. Do not freeze.
Save This Recipe! 💌
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Notes
- Let it sit. Letting the dressing refrigerate for a few hours or overnight allows the flavors to meld together and intensify.
- Finely mince the pickle and onion. Ensure that your pickles and onions are minced very fine. This will give the sauce a smooth consistency, making it easier to spread on burgers or mix into salads.
- Taste and adjust. Feel free to tweak the recipe to suit your palate. Some people prefer a tangier taste and might add more vinegar, while others might want a sweeter profile and could add a bit more relish or a touch of sugar.
- Use quality ingredients. The flavor of the dressing can vary significantly depending on the quality of the ingredients you use. High-quality mayonnaise, for instance, can make a difference.
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