Inspired by McDonald's Big MacMarquee pick

Copycat McDonald's Big Mac Recipe

Name: Copycat McDonald's Big Mac Recipe
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 2 buns Sesame seed buns; 0.5 lb 80/20 ground beef; 2 slices American cheese; 1 cup Iceberg lettuce, shredded; 0.25 cup Yellow onion, finely diced; 8 slices Dill pickle slices; 0.5 cup Mayonnaise; 2 tbsp Sweet pickle relish; 1 tsp Yellow mustard; 1 tsp White vinegar; 0.5 tsp Garlic powder; 0.5 tsp Onion powder; 0.25 tsp Paprika; 1 tsp Sugar; 1 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper

From the kitchen of Carly

Inspired by McDonald's Big Mac. Two thin patties, the three-layer bun nobody else builds, and a sauce that's a thousand-island riff and not the ketchup-heavy mess most home versions land. The whole thing is in the silhouette and the sauce.

The Big Mac is the burger everyone has an opinion on, which means most home versions miss what makes it work. It isn't the meat. It's the silhouette. Two thin patties so you taste sauce against cheese against bread on every bite. Three bun rounds so the structure stays honest end to end. The sauce is a thousand-island riff with paprika and a real squeeze of relish, no ketchup. Smash the patties wide. Toast the buns in the fond. The shape is the recipe.

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 5 min
Total: 40 min
Servings: 2
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

2 servings

2 bunsSesame seed buns
1/2 lb80/20 ground beef
2 slicesAmerican cheese
1 cupIceberg lettuce, shredded
1/4 cupYellow onion, finely diced
8 slicesDill pickle slices
1/2 cupMayonnaise
2 tbspSweet pickle relish
1 tspYellow mustard
1 tspWhite vinegar
1/2 tspGarlic powder
1/2 tspOnion powder
1/4 tspPaprika
1 tspSugar
1 tspSalt
1/2 tspBlack pepper

Instructions

Whisk mayonnaise, relish, mustard, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and sugar in a small bowl. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Slice each bun into three rounds: top with sesame seeds, middle, and bottom.
Divide the beef into two 4-ounce balls. Press each into a thin, wide patty just larger than the bun. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Cook the patties in a hot cast iron pan or on a flat top, 90 seconds per side. Top each with cheese during the last 30 seconds.
Toast the bun rounds in the pan for 30 seconds.
Build: bottom bun, sauce, lettuce, onion, cheese-topped patty, middle bun, sauce, lettuce, onion, pickles, second patty, top bun.

Secret sauce

The "special sauce" is a thousand-island riff: mayo plus relish plus mustard plus vinegar plus warm spices. Skip the ketchup. The pink color comes from the paprika and a generous squeeze of relish, not tomato.

Substitutions

Sesame seed buns to Brioche buns. A little richer; the structure still holds.
80/20 ground beef to 85/15 ground chuck. Slightly leaner; pat the patties dry first.
American cheese to Sharp cheddar. Less melt, more flavor.

Pairs well with: Crinkle-cut fries, A vanilla shake, Pickled jalapeños on the side

Pro tips

Make the special sauce a day ahead. The flavors deepen overnight.
Press the patties thin and wide. The Big Mac sells the silhouette as much as the taste.
Toast the bun rounds in the patty fond for 30 seconds; it ties the build together.

Try the original

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