How To Make A McDonald's Big Mac: 11 Steps (with Pictures)

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Make a McDonald's Big Mac PDF download Download Article Explore this Article Steps Ingredients Steps Other Sections Expert Q&A Video Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Article Summary Reviewed by Chef Jeff Woodward

Last Updated: January 25, 2026

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This article was reviewed by Chef Jeff Woodward. Jeff Woodward is a Private Chef and the Owner of The Rogue Chef based in Branson, Missouri. With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, he has cooked for esteemed clients including The Harlem Globetrotters, Peyton Manning, Mark Wahlberg, and Justin Timberlake. Chef Jeff won the Branson Tri-Lakes News Reader's Choice Award 2023 for Best Catering. He has been the Featured Chef Demonstrator for 2 years in a row for The Women's Show in Springfield, MO. The Rogue Chef has been the Hollister Chamber of Commerce Spotlight Chef, an award published in Tri-Lakes News. Chef Jeff's food has been featured on KY3 Television. He publishes a recipe weekly in the Branson Globe newspaper and monthly in Lost on the Lake Magazine. He published a feature article for Chef Talks in Discover Home and Style Magazine. He has an associate’s degree from Southwestern Illinois College and a Culinary Arts degree with a Certification in Baking from Ozark Technical College. This article has been viewed 422,305 times.

“Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun!” What's that spell? BIG MAC! You know you want one, but you don't want to drive to McDonald's, so how do you get your fast-food fix? Making this recipe is easy, fun to do -- and you can make it your own way!

Ingredients

For the Sandwich:

  • 1 regular-sized sesame seed bun
  • 2 regular-sized sesame bun (top removed for one)
  • 2 beef patties (2 ounces each, flattened to bun size)
  • 2 tablespoons Special Sauce (recipe below)
  • 2 teaspoons finely-minced onions
  • 1 slice American cheese
  • 3 dill pickle slices
  • 1/4 cup shredded iceberg lettuce (rinsed, drained)

For the Special Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons French salad dressing
  • 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
  • 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Steps

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  1. Step 1 To make the sauce: 1 To make the sauce: Mix all of the sauce ingredients together, and blend the mixture until smooth. Store it in the refrigerator for about an hour before use to allow flavors to blend.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a McDonald's Big Mac 2 Prepare buns. Take the crusts of the bun or in other words the bottom and top part where it's hard, and feed it to the birds, use it as a coaster, or just throw it away if you wish because it's not needed in this recipe. Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a McDonald's Big Mac 3 Prepare the beef patties. Flatten two patties to about 3-1/2 inches (85mm) in diameter, and about 1/4 inch (8mm) thick.
  4. Step 4 Prepare the toppings. 4 Prepare the toppings.
    • Mince about a quarter of a small white onion and set aside.
    • Shred or chop an iceberg lettuce leaf into thin strips.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a McDonald's Big Mac 5 Cook the beef patties. You can cook it however you wish and to your preference for doneness (rare to well done).
  6. Step 6 Toast the 3 buns. 6 Toast the 3 buns. While the patties are frying, gently toast the buns. Do this to the both sides of the regular bun bottom and toast the sesame bun as usual (the inner sides).[1]
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Make a McDonald's Big Mac 7 Sauce the toasted buns. Take the bottom of the regular bun and the bottom of the sesame bun and put 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) of the sauce on them.
  8. Watermark wikiHow to Make a McDonald's Big Mac 8 Add lettuce, cheese, and pickles. Grab a big pinch of the sliced lettuce and plop it onto each sauced bun.[2]
    • On the bottom bun (the sesame), place a slice of cheese on top of the lettuce. On the regular bun, put the pickle slices on the lettuce.
  9. Watermark wikiHow to Make a McDonald's Big Mac 9 Load on the meaty goodness. Stack each burger patty on top of the condiments (cheese and pickles) on each layer.[3] Top both layers with minced onions.
  10. Watermark wikiHow to Make a McDonald's Big Mac 10 Stack it up. Pick up, carefully, the regular bun (with everything) and stack it on the bottom layer.
    • Place the top of the sesame bun on top of the burger.
  11. Step 11 Enjoy your home-made Big Mac! 11 Enjoy your home-made Big Mac!
    12. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

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  • Question How can I make the patty juicy? Chef Jeff Woodward Chef Jeff Woodward Private Chef Jeff Woodward is a Private Chef and the Owner of The Rogue Chef based in Branson, Missouri. With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, he has cooked for esteemed clients including The Harlem Globetrotters, Peyton Manning, Mark Wahlberg, and Justin Timberlake. Chef Jeff won the Branson Tri-Lakes News Reader's Choice Award 2023 for Best Catering. He has been the Featured Chef Demonstrator for 2 years in a row for The Women's Show in Springfield, MO. The Rogue Chef has been the Hollister Chamber of Commerce Spotlight Chef, an award published in Tri-Lakes News. Chef Jeff's food has been featured on KY3 Television. He publishes a recipe weekly in the Branson Globe newspaper and monthly in Lost on the Lake Magazine. He published a feature article for Chef Talks in Discover Home and Style Magazine. He has an associate’s degree from Southwestern Illinois College and a Culinary Arts degree with a Certification in Baking from Ozark Technical College. Chef Jeff Woodward Chef Jeff Woodward Private Chef Expert Answer You have to start with the right meat. Go for 80-20 ground beef, meaning 80% lean and 20% fat. The extra fat keeps the patty moist and flavorful, avoiding that dreaded dryness you’d get from a leaner 90-10 blend. To season, a good sprinkle of salt and pepper does wonders, but adding some garlic powder or granulated garlic brings extra depth to the flavor. Now, let’s talk about shaping your patty. I recommend a thick patty, about six to eight ounces. Once you shape it, press a small dimple in the center of each patty. This helps keep it from puffing up and allows it to cook more evenly. When grilling, aim for medium—this keeps the inside juicy without overcooking. If you prefer cheese, put a slice on the patty while it’s still on the grill so it melts perfectly. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 1
  • Question How much time would it take to make a Big Mac? Community Answer Community Answer The amount of time that it'll take to make a Big Mac is around 3-5 minutes, depending on the orders. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 18 Helpful 16
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Video

Tips

  • You can double the number of patties in a sandwich to create a double Big Mac. Thanks Helpful 82 Not Helpful 38
  • Try adding a bit of tomato, swap out the minced onion for onion slices, and use a leaf of Romaine lettuce. It'll still have that Big Mac vibe — it'll just be more robust. Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 6
  • According to some websites (as stated in the food.com website source below), part of the dressing is really Thousand Island dressing. Take a bite of one, and taste it. You'll see that Thousand Island is really what part of this dressing is. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

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References

  1. ↑ Chef Jeff Woodward. Private Chef. Expert Interview
  2. ↑ Chef Jeff Woodward. Private Chef. Expert Interview
  3. ↑ Chef Jeff Woodward. Private Chef. Expert Interview
  4. Food.com Source

About This Article

Chef Jeff Woodward Reviewed by: Chef Jeff Woodward Private Chef This article was reviewed by Chef Jeff Woodward. Jeff Woodward is a Private Chef and the Owner of The Rogue Chef based in Branson, Missouri. With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, he has cooked for esteemed clients including The Harlem Globetrotters, Peyton Manning, Mark Wahlberg, and Justin Timberlake. Chef Jeff won the Branson Tri-Lakes News Reader's Choice Award 2023 for Best Catering. He has been the Featured Chef Demonstrator for 2 years in a row for The Women's Show in Springfield, MO. The Rogue Chef has been the Hollister Chamber of Commerce Spotlight Chef, an award published in Tri-Lakes News. Chef Jeff's food has been featured on KY3 Television. He publishes a recipe weekly in the Branson Globe newspaper and monthly in Lost on the Lake Magazine. He published a feature article for Chef Talks in Discover Home and Style Magazine. He has an associate’s degree from Southwestern Illinois College and a Culinary Arts degree with a Certification in Baking from Ozark Technical College. This article has been viewed 422,305 times. 4 votes - 65% Co-authors: 74 Updated: January 25, 2026 Views: 422,305 Categories: Burgers Article SummaryX

To make a McDonald's Big Mac, start by combining mayonnaise, French salad dressing, relish, mustard, vinegar, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika to make the special sauce. Then, toast 3 hamburger buns and spread the sauce on one side of each bun. Next, add lettuce, cheese, pickles, and a hamburger to the bottom bun. Then, add another bun on top of that and repeat. Finally, top your big mac with the last bun and enjoy. If you want to learn how to make and cook the burgers for your Big Mac, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Chef Jeff Woodward Reviewed by: Chef Jeff Woodward Private Chef 4 votes - 65% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 74 Updated: January 25, 2026 Views: 422,305

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