A former McDonald's corporate chef has shared a recipe for the iconic Big Mac sauce, revealing that it contains no ketchup. Mike Haracz, who previously worked for the fast-food giant, posted the recipe on TikTok, detailing the ingredients that give the sauce its distinctive flavour and pink colour.
The sauce is mayonnaise-based and gets its tang from Düsseldorf mustard and white wine vinegar. The orange tint comes from paprika, which also adds flavour. Other ingredients include sweet pickle relish, onion powder, granulated garlic, and white pepper. Haracz advises combining these and letting the mixture rest for at least 30 minutes to achieve a thick consistency similar to the original.
Haracz claims this recipe is the closest approximation to the genuine sauce, and it aligns with the ingredients listed on McDonald's website. Notably, there is no ketchup or any tomato-derived products in the list. Instead, the restaurant version uses stabilisers, preservatives, and spices, which can be omitted when making the sauce at home.
The homemade alternative will not have the same shelf life but offers a way to recreate a McDonald's-style meal with lower cost and calorie content. The Big Mac itself features two 100% British beef patties, three sesame seed buns, cheese, diced onion, lettuce, and pickles, all held together by the secret sauce.
