What’s in Big Mac sauce?

Okay…so arguably it’s perhaps the greatest burger sauce on the market. It’s adored by zillions the world over and there’s very good reason for that: It’s delicious, and the taste alone has catapulted sales of this one McDonald’s menu item through the roof. But just what is in it that makes it so delicious? Foodies have been trying to find out for years and we’ve decided to charge ourselves with the task of finding out and answer the mystery:  What’s in Big Mac sauce?

Kind of like trying to figure out how they get the caramel inside of a Caramilk bar…right? Seems like there’s no answer out there, but believe me many people have tried…myself included.

My relationship with the good old Big Mac certainly goes back. From my first trip to the Golden Arches with my mom and sister when I was but a little tyke, to high school when we would eat our prepared lunches after gym class in the morning and be starving by lunch…and yes, even then the Golden Arches were there, as was the Big Mac….

That takes us to even my days in college, when my buddies and I would ask an entirely different question, trying to solve yet another mystery: How many Big Macs can you eat?

I won’t go there…trust me…. And finally, to even enjoying these on a long drive with my wife by the river, enjoying many of the menu items. But all of this is a testament to just how classic the sandwich is, or rather burger, and I’m sure you all have a love affair with this burger…stories about how many you’ve eaten and with whom you’ve eaten them…and that too adds to the sandwich’s allure.

So how about solving the mystery of the Big Mac Sauce? Is it even possible? Let’s see, shall we?

But what is it about this sandwich? Is it the three layers of bread—the sesame seed bun itself? Is it the meat…the lettuce? I believe the secret lies within the sauce, and the sauce in combination with all those other aforementioned ingredients.

The Big Mac itself was first introduced in 1967 in the Pittsburgh area. It was finally released across the nation the following year. It was created by a franchisee by the name of Michael James Delligatti. He would go on to own 48 McDonalds branches. He passed away at the age of 98 in 2016.

Personally I think he was thus blessed with such a long life for bringing the Big Mac and therefore joy to the masses, but that’s just me. God rest his soul. And talk about legacy! Now that’s a culinary legacy to leave behind!

Further History…

The original sauce was different according to the official McDonald’s website however. It changed a few years after its inception and then was apparently tweaked multiple times and in the early 70s they were already at batch 72.

Batch 72 was a sauce that was created in order to be considered universal…and all the franchises were to use it to avoid inconsistency as the site states.

It was tweaked again in 1991 and in 2004 was changed back to a former sauce. So you see, if you always thought the sauce tasted different from when you were a kid, you weren’t wrong. Take that anyone who thought you were crazy!

But again…we get to why was this sandwich is so successful.

Many people have tried and failed to create the perfect sauce. When I was a teenager I tried and got close to my estimation. The sauce was vinegary and orange slightly in color, so I figured I could replicate it and tried at a family BBQ. Burgers were on the menu, so I had at it.

My recipe was as follows: White vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup (for that reddish color), cheese whiz, relish, diced onion and yes…a wee bit of garlic powder. It came close, but still I wasn’t there yet.

According to tasteofhome.com, they believe they’ve solved the mystery stating that the sauce contains:

"“1/4 cup real mayonaise1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons ketchup1 tablespoon finely diced yellow onion1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish2 teaspoons yellow mustard1/4 teaspoon white vinegarTiny pinch cayenne pepper”"

The only difference here from my version is there’s no garlic powder in this one and the cayenne which I never added. Oh yeah and the cheese whiz. I don’t know why I added that back then, but I stick to my decision. There’s got to be some sort of cheese base in the sauce as well.

Some recipes online put paprika and no ketchup, adding granulated sugar for that sweetness….

So…?

So in the end who’s right? That’s what makes a mystery a mystery, folks, or rather an unsolvable one. Perhaps the secret died with Michael James Delligatti; perhaps it’s locked away in a vault and not even workers know what’s in the containers they get delivered to the locations (likely).

In the end, it’s delicious and worth eating, but perhaps after all of this that’s too much of an understatement. Something locked away with that much care is a jewel and not just a secret but a prized possession. Prize because their name and reputation grew from the time that sauce was conceptualized. Like I said before…what a legacy!

Have you ever tried, Guilty Eaters? What are your recipes for McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce?