The famous Big Mac is one of the most iconic items on the McDonald’s menu – and has been a firm favourite since it was first introduced in a Pennsylvania restaurant back in 1967.
If you’re a McDonald’s regular, you’ll know that a key component of the Big Mac is the special sauce, which is so coveted that fans have long been attempting to recreate it at home.
But now, a former McDonald’s corporate chef has revealed the ‘secret’ to the Big Mac sauce.
Taking to TikTok to share his insight, Mike Haracz (@chefmikeharacz) started off by dispelling the idea that it contains ketchup.
‘If any of you have put ketchup in Big Mac sauce, it is not Big Mac Sauce, it’s some other delicious sauce that you made yourself,’ he argued.
‘I’m sure it’s great, but it is not authentic.’
Sharing how he makes the recipe, he noted that the ingredient list includes one cup (around 240g) of mayonnaise, specifically Hellman’s ‘not because it is better than any other mayonnaise, but because that is the recipe that is used to dupe the McDonald’s Big Mac sauce.’
Next up, it’s a quarter cup of sweet pickle relish, of which Mike says fans can use whichever brand they like, followed by two tablespoons of Düsseldorf mustard.
‘If you can’t find Düsseldorf, you can use Dijon [but] it’s not going to be as accurate of a recipe,’ Mike adds.
Then, it’s one teaspoon of white wine vinegar, one and one-quarter teaspoon of regular paprika, and one teaspoon of onion powder.
‘If it says onion powder and it looks granulated, you’re using the wrong thing. It needs to be onion powder,’ Mike notes.
You’ll also need one teaspoon of garlic powder (again, not granulated), one-eighth of a teaspoon of white pepper, one-eighth of a teaspoon of sugar, and a pinch of turmeric.
The final ingredient? It’s vegetable protein, which Mike notes regular people ‘don’t have access to.’ Instead, he advises using either a pinch of autolysed yeast extract or MSG for ‘that extra umami flavour.’
Got all that? After mixing, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes and give ‘one big old mix’ right before serving.
However, as Thomas O’Neill, the head of menu at McDonald’s UK & Ireland previously told Metro.co.uk, there are slight differences to the Big Mac recipe in the UK.
As such, Thomas exclusively shared a little-known fact with Metro.co.uk that is all to do with the beloved sauce.
He said: ‘There are some nuances around our recipe changes that are different to elsewhere, so, for example, [we] use a different amount of Big Mac Sauce in the UK, which we always have done.
‘Fundamentally the idea is that every Big Mac should taste the same wherever you go. But there are market nuances wherever you go in the world, and it could be because we have a different bakery in one country to another.
‘Ultimately, flavour-wise it’s pretty much the same though.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted McDonald’s for comment.
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