Notes: As it turns out, the reason McDonald’s hamburgers (with some exceptions) aren’t very good isn’t because their team of food scientists haven’t worked out some delicious flavor combinations; they have. All you have to do is use fresh ingredients. Today’s sandwich uses 1/3 pound of ground sirloin, divided in half, pressed thin, and grilled, a homemade “special sauce” that combines almost equal parts mayonnaise, ketchup, and sweet relish, shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced processed American cheese, sliced dill pickles, and minced white onions, piled high on a sesame seed bun (with an extra bottom serving as the interstitial bun) grilled in butter. The result is as delicious as it is tall; a burger you have to put your whole face into.
About the Author: Malcolm Bedell
My first memories of cooking start in Maine at six years old, when I wore a yellow rainslicker to avoid getting spattered by the bacon I was frying in a skillet. My interest in both Mexican cooking and recreating classic New England dishes from scratch developed while living in Mexico, on a steady diet of pork and habanero peppers. You can see more of my writing and photography online on Serious Eats, the Huffington Post, BlogHer, and Foodista, as well as in print for Downeast, Indulge, and Cigar Snob magazines.
fromawaymaine
fromawaymaine
We're Jillian and Malcolm. We cook comfort food from around the world, designed to make you feel right at home, wherever you are. Join us as we explore Maine's vibrant food culture and cook New England's classic dishes, as well as our favorite recipes From Away. 
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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve done this before, though for my “special sauce” I used a traditional 1000 islands dressing recipe, complete with cornichons and hard boiled eggs. My result was also 3 feet tall, like yours. That same night, my roommate and I bought every single type of chili that Hannaford’s carries to see which one made the best popper – the result? Cherry Peppers.
I think there were some things I could have done to make this hamburger more delicious, but less true to the original. For this one, I was trying to do a true copycat. What if we took classic fast-food burgers and made them the best possible versions of themselves, rather than straight copies? Could be a fun series.
it’s beautiful.
Malcolm, that is truly a work of gastronomical art. I stand in awe.
Thank you, sir.
For years I struggled to duplicate the “special sauce.” Being a Heinz ketchup and Hellman’s mayo die hard turned out to be my achilles heel. Recently I needed to make “special sauce” using generic ketchup and mayo…
And like a scientist accidentally stumbling on a cure for cancer, I found the “secret;” use the cheapest ketchup and mayo you can find and mince your own sliced pickles (not relish). The flavors of the “big boys” are too pronounced for the subtle burger sauce. It’s incredible Malcom, try it.
Russell
Russell, I hear your words, and will heed your advice, on my next attempt. Thanks for stopping by and checking out the site!
Love making our own Big Mac’s can’t remember the last time we actually have had a real one.
Classic commercial.
I have been making these Big Macs for years. I just figured out what was in them and made them, everybody loves them, although I used sweet pickles instead of dill much better taste. The special sauce is basically thousand island dressing. It is better homeade than bought dressing.
I love this. My little brother works at McDonald’s, which is sort of a sad state of affairs. But, he has some great stories. My favorite is when he knocked over an entire bucket of “rehydrating onions” and then had to spend 30 minutes mopping up tiny onion bits. He also has to store his work shoes outside so the pug doesn’t lick / hump them to pieces.
I love that…both that onions are rehydrated in massive buckets, and that the pug is equal parts licking and humping.
Nice big mac. Is that really what the secret sauce is? Ketchup, Mayo and relish?
Some of the knockoff recipes I’ve seen online have a few more ingredients, and use French dressing instead of ketchup…but this has always been my quick ‘n’ dirty version. It works pretty well. For a TRUE copycat recipe for special sauce, check this out:
http://recipes.calputer.com/mcdonalds-big-mac-special-sauce-recipe.html
Thanks for reading!
Wow, like the other commenters – I stand in awe, you’re my hero! I’m totally trying this over thanksgiving, who needs dry turkey when a Big Mac is waiting?
Hahahaha! Good thinking, Astrid!
Well, looks like I’m late on the ‘I’ll take two of them, please’ bandwagon, but I don’t care. That is inspired genius.
Thanks Rich. When I took a bite, the top bun was seriously above eye level.
Haha that is one hella gigantic burger!
This is officially my new favorite comment on this website. Thanks, Cindy!
Ummmmm….where is the actual recipe? Am I missing something embarrassingly obvious here?
On the west side, almost entirely in Utah, we have a local chain that started a dipping sauce for fries that has become the new Utah craze, but in all actuality it is mcdonalds special sauce without the relish. Maybe with some spices thrown in for more subtle flavors, but I find the best “fry sauce” as it is called here, is made with miracle whip, or salad dressing, instead of mayo.
I love your site! It is so great & so many ideas….. I will recommend your site to all of my friends….. Keep up the great work!!!!
We have a McDonald’s nearby to where we live in Iguala (Mexico). In the window you see lots of pictures featuring their different sandwiches. The Big Mac has always been my favorite but as I’ve gotten older they just don’t sit well in my stomach. But I still crave them. So we decided to go ahead and try our Mexican McD’s. The first thing you notice is that the sandwich is nowhere near in appearance to what it is on the poster in the window. The quality and taste are horrible too. After trying this recipe we were happy to know that we can now get our burger fix in our own kitchen. Without a stomachache! And guess what? The picture above is exactly what you can expect to be able to sink your teeth into. Great job, guys!
I’m really surprised to hear that! Where we lived in Yucatan, the McDonald’s was consistently excellent, I suspect because a combo meal cost more than most people earned in a day, putting a meal at McDonald’s on par with a fancy restaurant. But that was just a theory.
Everyone knows there is no ketchup in the sauce. The head chef was on the Today show, you can google the real recipe he gave a demo of
I didn’t know “everyone” knew that, Cheryl. I wish I’d thought to consult you before writing this up! Seriously though, my goal here was not to provide an ingredient-by-ingredient clone of the Big Mac, just offer a way to approximate the same results at home. I maintain that a mixture of ketchup, mayonnaise, and pickle relish will get you pretty close to Mac sauce.