Big Mac Sauce

Big Mac sauce is mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, minced onion, ketchup, yellow mustard, white vinegar, sugar, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder stirred together in a bowl. Five minutes, makes about 3/4 cup, keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge.

Dill pickle relish instead of sweet relish is the choice that gets you closer to the real thing. Sweet relish makes the sauce taste like Thousand Island dressing, which is close but not the same. Dill relish adds tang instead of sweetness, and the sugar in the recipe handles the sweetness separately so you can control both.

Letting the sauce sit for at least 2 hours in the fridge before using it is the difference between a bowl of mixed condiments and something that tastes like one sauce. The onion, relish and spices need time to dissolve into the mayo base. Overnight is even better. You will taste the difference.

FAQs

Can you use sweet relish instead of dill?

Yes, but drop the sugar from the recipe since sweet relish already has sugar in it. The flavour shifts from tangy to sweeter, which pushes the sauce closer to Thousand Island territory. I prefer dill because it keeps the tang and the sugar separate so you can dial each one independently.

Does McDonald’s actually put ketchup in their Big Mac sauce?

No. The original does not include ketchup, and this recipe adds it as a deliberate improvement over the original. It rounds out the flavour and gives the sauce a slightly deeper colour. You can leave it out if you want a stricter copycat.

How long does Big Mac sauce keep?

Up to 2 weeks in the fridge in a sealed jar or container. Spoon out what you need rather than double dipping, since that introduces bacteria and shortens the shelf life. Give it a stir before each use since the liquid settles to the bottom.

What should you serve Big Mac sauce with?

Beyond burgers, it works as a dip for fries, onion rings, chicken nuggets and fried shrimp. Use it as a sandwich spread, drizzle it over lettuce wraps, or thin it with a tablespoon of milk and use it as a salad dressing. It also works on baked potatoes and sweet potato fries.

How is this different from Thousand Island dressing?

Both start with a mayo base and share some ingredients, but Big Mac sauce uses mustard, vinegar and spice powders that Thousand Island does not. Thousand Island leans sweeter and usually includes hard-boiled egg. The two taste similar but Big Mac sauce has a sharper, more savoury edge.