Do you ever get a Big Mac attack? Be honest! The Big Mac was my favorite burger to order every time we went to McDonald’s when I was growing up. Back then it was a HUGE burger that I could barely finish, but now it seems more like a Mini Mac. I know that I’m bigger but the Big Mac seems to have gotten much, much smaller over the years. Sometimes I long for a burger with that special sauce…it’s a sirens song, luring me, tempting me, to cave in to my Big Mac attack.
Do you remember the Big Mac jingle? 🎼 2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun 🎶. Are you singing it in your head like I am…LOL! A truly brilliant marketing jingle! Most of us old timers can still recite it all these years later without even thinking. It’s also the recipe for making a Big Mac at home. The only missing part of the equation? The special sauce!
You could most certainly use a bottled Thousand Island dressing and you would have a perfectly respectable copy cat Big Mac burger. But I really wanted to recreate the iconic burger I remember from my childhood, only better!!! So I hit the internet to do some research. This is all my girlfriend Cindy’s fault! She’s been sending me pictures of Big Macs that she’s been cooking up lately for her family. She got my Mac attack cravings to go into hyperdrive!
Make the Special Sauce:
Oh, that special sauce, it’s what makes a Big Mac, a Big Mac! Guess what? It’s so very quick and easy to make it. I bet you probably have most of the ingredients in your fridge and panty right now. No exotic ingredients needed. So let’s whip up some better than McDonald’s Big Mac burgers at home with some of that delectable, iconic, special sauce!
Place mayonnaise, French dressing, sweet pickle relish, 1 tbsp minced white onion, white vinegar, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.
Stir to combine. Set sauce aside while you make the burgers.
Form ground beef into 3 large patties. Season each patty liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.
Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat on the stove.
Place buns, cut side down on the hot skillet and toast them until golden brown. Remove buns from the skillet and set aside.
The secret to cooking up the juiciest most flavorful patties is how you cook them and what you cook them with. What’s the secret ingredient? Lard. I keep a jar in my pantry, and whenever I cook up bacon, I save the bacon grease. You probably remember your grandmother saving bacon grease, she was definitely on to something!!!
Add a tablespoon of lard to the hot skillet.
Cook beef patties for 3 minutes on the first side. Do not turn, or move the patties around in the skillet. Allow them to cook so that they get a good sear on the bottom.
Flip patties over.
Top each patty with 2 slices of American cheese and cook them for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through. You want a good char on the bottom of the patties too and the cheese should be soft and getting melty.
While burgers are cooking, prepare the toasted buns.
Place a couple tablespoons of the special sauce on each bun, on both the bottom half and and top half of each bun.
Top the bottom bun with special sauce, slices of pickle, diced onion and then shredded lettuce.
Add special sauce and shredded lettuce to the top bun.
Place a cooked beef patty on the bottom bun and top with the prepared top bun.
One all beef patty, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a toasted sesame seed bun. Oh yah! Now we’re talking!!!
Serve immediately.
Now that’s a BIG MAC! This is what a real Big Mac should be! And it’s even better when you make it at home. Cooking up just one thick, juicy, perfectly seared, beef patty instead of two, puny, dried out paper thin patties ensures a much more flavorful burger than what’s served up at McDonald’s! Plus it’s the size I remember a Big Mac being back in the day! This is no Mini Mac. It’s so big you almost have to unhinge your jaw to get your mouth open wide enough to get a good bite. The special sauce is spot on too! It’s the perfect copy cat sauce! This burger is so very, very tasty and totally satisfies all my Mac attack cravings! You’re going to love it!
Big Mac Burgers
Equipment
- Cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- salt & pepper, for seasoning
- 1 tbsp lard
- ¼ head iceberg lettuce, finely sliced or shredded
- 6 slices American cheese
- dill pickle slices
- 3 tbsp white onion, finely minced
- 3 jumbo sesame seed buns
For the Special Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp French salad dressing
- 1 tbsp white onion, finely minced
- 4 tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Make the Special Sauce:
- Place mayonnaise, French dressing, sweet pickle relish, 1 tbsp minced white onion, white vinegar, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Stir to combine. Set aside.
Make the burgers:
- Form ground beef into 3 large patties. Season each patty liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat on the stove.
- Place buns, cut side down on the skillet and toast them until golden brown. Remove buns from skillet and set aside.
- Add a tablespoon of lard to the hot skillet.
- Cook each beef patty for 3 minutes on the first side. Do not turn, or move the patties around in the skillet. Allow them to cook so that they get a good char/sear on the bottom.
- Flip patties over. Top each patty with 2 slices of American cheese and cook them for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through and you have a nice char on the bottom and the cheese is soft and melty.
- While burgers are cooking, prepare the buns.
- Place a couple tablespoons of the special sauce on each bun, both the bottom and top bun.
- Top the bottom bun with special sauce, slices of pickle, diced onion and then shredded lettuce.
- Add special sauce and shredded lettuce to the top bun.
- Place a cooked beef patty on the bottom bun and top with the prepared top bun.
- Serve immediately.
Did You Make This?
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