McDonald’s Big Mac is two thin beef patties with American cheese, special sauce, shredded lettuce, dill pickles and diced onion stacked on a triple-layer toasted sesame seed bun. Thirty minutes active, serves 6 at 757 calories. The sauce needs to be made the day before.
Making the sauce 24 hours ahead and letting it sit overnight in the fridge is the step that makes or breaks the whole burger. Mixed and used straight away, you taste mayo, ketchup and relish as separate ingredients. After 24 hours they merge into something that tastes like the real thing. There is no shortcut for this.
The middle bun is the detail most people forget, and it is what makes a Big Mac structurally different from every other double cheeseburger. You need one complete bun plus one extra bottom bun per burger. The middle layer is a bottom bun toasted on both sides, sauced on both sides, and it is the platform that keeps the two halves from sliding apart.
McDonald’s Big Mac
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes20
minutes757
kcalTwo thin seasoned beef patties with American cheese, homemade special sauce made from mayo, French dressing, sweet relish, pickle juice, sugar and ketchup, shredded lettuce, dill pickles and diced onion. Stacked on a toasted triple-layer sesame seed bun.
Ingredients
- For the sauce (make the day before):
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons French dressing
1 heaping tablespoon sweet relish
3 teaspoons dill pickle juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon ketchup
Dash of salt
- For the burgers:
2 pounds lean ground beef
Salt and pepper
12 sesame seed buns (6 tops and 12 bottoms)
Butter, for toasting
12 slices American cheese
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Dill pickles, sliced
White onion, finely diced
Directions
- Make the sauce ahead:Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.
- Form the patties:Divide the ground beef into 12 equal portions and shape into thin, wide patties slightly larger than the buns since they shrink. Season with salt and pepper.
- Toast the buns:Butter the cut sides of every bun, including both sides of the 6 middle bottom buns. Toast in a hot skillet until golden.
- Cook the patties:Fry in a skillet over medium-high heat to your preferred doneness. Top each patty with a slice of American cheese and let it melt.
- Build the Big Mac:Spread sauce on the inside of every bun. On the bottom bun, add diced onion, pickles, lettuce, then a patty. Add the sauced middle bun, then repeat with onion, pickles, lettuce, second patty, and the top bun. Serve hot.
FAQs
Why does the sauce need to sit overnight?
The sugar, dried onion and relish need time to dissolve into the mayo base. Used immediately, you can pick out each ingredient as a separate flavour. After 8 to 24 hours in the fridge, everything blends into one sauce that tastes like what comes out of the dispenser at the restaurant.
How do you get the patties thin enough?
Use a burger press or flatten each portion between two sheets of cling film with the palm of your hand. Make them slightly wider than the bun since they shrink as they cook. If they are too thick, the proportions go wrong and you end up with a double cheeseburger instead of a Big Mac.
Can you freeze the patties and sauce?
Freeze the raw patties between sheets of wax paper for up to 2 months. Cook straight from frozen, adding an extra minute per side. The sauce does not freeze well. Keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days and make a fresh batch when it runs out.
What should you serve alongside a Big Mac?
French fries are mandatory. Hash browns work if you are eating this for brunch. Coleslaw adds crunch if you want something on the side. A milkshake or a cold cola finishes the meal.
How do you store and reheat leftover Big Macs?
Take the burger apart before storing. Wrap the patties separately from the buns and toppings. The patties keep for 2 days in the fridge. Reheat patties in a hot skillet and toast the buns again fresh. Rebuilding it takes two minutes and tastes ten times better than microwaving the whole stack.
