What's In McDonald's Big Mac Sauce, And Can You Recreate It At Home?

McDonald's rise in popularity happened mostly in the 1950s and 1960s, when fast food as a whole was making waves throughout the United States. These days, some people know the chain for its crispy, salty fries, and some people know it for its eternally-broken ice cream machines. But everyone knows this burger giant for one classic menu item: the Big Mac. And, of course, the Big Mac wouldn't be what it is today without the iconic Big Mac sauce. But it turns out it's pretty easy to make your own sauce at home.

Big Mac sauce is what makes a Big Mac different from any other fast food burger. It's tangy and salty, yet creamy and decadent. Surprisingly, the recipe is pretty basic. There is a big misconception that the slightly-pink coloring of Big Mac sauce comes from ketchup, but it's actually from paprika. The recipe doesn't contain any ketchup, but it does have plenty of mayonnaise.

It's no surprise this rich, creamy sauce has a mayonnaise base, but it's everything that's added to the mayo that gives it its signature taste. According to a TikTok shared by former McDonald's chef Mike Haracz, the sauce starts with a cup of mayonnaise, followed by a ¼ cup of sweet pickle relish. He then adds 2 tablespoons of Dusseldorf mustard, which is a bold-tasting creamy mustard, and adds even more zing with 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar.

Next, it's the spices that take this sauce home. Add plenty of paprika — about 1 ¼ tablespoon — along with 1 teaspoon each of onion powder and granulated garlic. Finish the sauce with ⅛ teaspoon of white pepper. Mix it together so everything is blended evenly, then add it to any dishes you want. There's no doubt this fast food special sauce is great on a cheeseburger, but it's also a tasty makeshift salad dressing, especially if your salad has onions and a little ground beef. You can even use the sauce as a secret ingredient to a bolder-tasting grilled cheese.