Learn How to Make Easy Big Mac Sloppy Joes with an almost identical Big Mac Sauce recipe! Ready in under thirty minutes, this recipe is also one pot and kid friendly.
If you like this recipe, you will love Bun-less Sloppy Joes!
Table of Contents
WHAT IS A BIG MAC?
Certainly, you have heard of the infamous Big Mac, and most reading this post have eaten it at least once, right? With that said, I wanted to share a few fun facts about this worldwide popular burger.
- The Big Mac was created by Jim Delligatti, a restaurant operator out of Pittsburgh, PA.
- The Big Mac had two original names; the Aristocrat and Blue Ribbon Burger before coining the known name we use now.
- This popular burger was introduced in 1967 and was sold for $0 .47. Today, the Big Mac is sold for $3.99!
BIG MAC SLOPPY JOE, WHAT IS IT?
To explain, the traditional Big Mac consists of two beef patties, special sauce, shredded lettuce, American Cheese, dill pickles and minced onions served on a toasted sesame seed bun. On the contrary, the Big Mac Sloppy Joe has almost identical flavor with the biggest difference being how the beef is prepared.
Besides preparing the beef differently, the additional toppings and special sauce is almost identical to the original. With that said, this recipe will become a staple in your home!
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE BIG MAC SLOPPY JOES
As mentioned, this recipe is considered one pot as you will only need a medium to large sized sauté pan to prepare the sloppy joe mixture. Here is what you will need:
- Ground Beef
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Liquid Smoke
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- White Onion
- Shredded Lettuce
- American Cheese
- Sesame Seed Buns
HOMEMADE BIG MAC SPECIAL SAUCE INGREDIENTS
While there are several Big Mac or "Special Sauce" recipes on the internet. Of course, this recipe in my humble opinion is extremely close to the original. Not to mention, I researched the original ingredients that are in the Big Mac Sauce and have gotten pretty close to the taste, color and texture.
Here is what you will need:
- Mayonnaise
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Turmeric (optional, only used for color)
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Sweet Relish
- Rice Vinegar
- Yellow Mustard
- Ketchup
WHAT TYPE OF BEEF WORKS BEST FOR BIG MAC SLOPPY JOE?
As mentioned, this recipe is almost identical to the original Big Mac recipe. The Big Mac is prepared with trimmings of cuts like ground chuck, round and sirloin. Prepared with salt and pepper with no fillers, preservatives or fillers. To read more about the original, click here!
- Use pure ground beef with at least an 80/20 ground chuck.
- Ground chuck is not too lean but has enough fat that will hold flavor. Be reminded the beef will be drained but during the cooking process, this will aide in having optimal flavor.
- Whatever ground meat you use, make certain that the beef comes to room temperature. This ensures the meat cooks through evenly!
HOW TO MAKE BIG MAC SLOPPY JOES
- Brown the ground beef. Simply place the room temperature ground beef in a sauté pan and begin breaking the ground beef down into small crumbles.
- Season the beef. As the ground beef cooks, season the ground beef with dry and wet seasonings.
- Layer in half of the white onion. Pour in half of the small diced white onion and stir until translucent and combined.
- Dran ground beef fat. Drain the ground beef fat being careful to store the strained fat properly.
- Add water and Big Mac Sauce. To create the traditional sloppy joe texture, pour in water and Big Mac or special sauce.
- Stir. Stir the mixture until all ingredients are combined and beef mixture is slightly thick.
- Using butter in a pan, lightly toast the sesame seed buns and set aside.
Lastly, set the ground beef mixture and buns aside until later use.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BIG MAC SAUCE
Again, this sauce is extremely close to the original BIG Mac Sauce also called "special sauce". To achieve best results, use the items listed in the recipe.
Here is how easily this sauce comes together!
- Measure base ingredients. Begin by measuring the mayo, sweet relish, ketchup, yellow mustard and place in a large bowl.
- Pour in additional ingredients. Pour in dry seasonings, Worcestershire Sauce and rice vinegar.
- Whisk. Stir thoroughly using a whisk ensuring all ingredients are combined.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE BIG MAC SLOPPY JOES
It is important to realize, assembling the Big Mac Sloppy Joes takes slight extra care. With that said, make certain to follow the steps in the written blog post and recipe to achieve best results.
To explain, layering the ingredients in the listed order ensures the bread stays toasted and does not fall apart. Here is how to assemble the burger.
- Begin with the bottom layer bun. On a serving plate, place the bottom layer bun down first.
- Homemade Mac Sauce. Pour the Mac Sauce over the center of the bun.
- Shredded lettuce. Add the shredded lettuce on top of the toasted bun with homemade Mac Sauce.
- White onion. Add the small diced white onion on top of the lettuce.
- American Cheese. Layer one slice of American Cheese on top of the lettuce and diced white onion.
- Ground Beef. Layer the Big Mac Sloppy Joe mixture on top of the American Cheese.
- Pickles. Top the sloppy joe mixture with dill pickles.
- Finish with top bun. Finally, add Big Mac Sauce to the top bun and add to the sandwich!
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BEST RESULTS!
- Prepare the Homemade Big Mac Sauce first. This will help for best flavor results to let the ingredients develop and marry.
- Toast the sesame seed buns. This really results in maximum texture! The toasted buns can withstand the sauce and additional ingredients.
- Cheddar vs American Cheese. If you are a cheese lover like me, use cheddar cheese versus American. Cheddar cheese has a slightly stronger "cheese" flavor than American but will work!
- Serve immediately! This Big Mac Sloppy Joe is best served immediately after assembly.
HOW TO STORE BIG MAC SLOPPY JOES
This recipe is perfect for leftover use. Simply store each ingredient separately. With that said:
- Store the ground beef mixture in an airtight container.
- The homemade Big Mac Sauce should also be stored in an airtight container.
- The additional toppings should be stored separately and all stored in the refrigerator.
How to Make Easy Big Mac Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
Big Mac Sloppy Joes
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- 3 tablespoon Water
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 cup White Onion split into ½ cups (for cooking and topping)
- 1 cup Shredded Lettuce
- 8 oz American or Cheddar Cheese
- 4 Sesame Seed Buns
Homemade Big Mac Sauce
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Sweet Relish
- 1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard
- ¼ cup Ketchup
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder optional
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar
Instructions
Big Mac Sloppy Joes
- Brown the room temperature ground beef and begin breaking down into small crumbles.
- As the ground beef cooks, season the beef with dry and wet seasonings excpet the water.
- Pour in half of the small diced white onion and stir until translucent and combined.
- Drain the ground beef fat being careful to store the strained fat properly.
- To create the traditional sloppy joe texture, pour in water and about ¼-1/2 cup of Big Mac Sauce. (Mac sauce amount depends on your desired level of creaminess/texture. Add more sauce for creamy texture, about ¼ cup for what's used in this recipe and images)
- Stir the mixture until all ingredients are combined and beef mixture is slightly thick.
- Using butter in a pan, lightly toast the sesame seed buns and set aside.
Homemade Big Mac Sauce
- Begin by measuring the mayo, sweet relish, ketchup, yellow mustard and place in a large bowl.
- Pour in dry seasonings, Worcestershire Sauce and rice vinegar.
- Stir thoroughly using a whisk ensuring all ingredients are combined.
How to Assemble Big Mac Sloppy Joes
- On a serving plate, place the bottom layer bun down first.
- Pour the Mac Sauce over the center of the bun.
- Add the shredded lettuce on top of the toasted bun with homemade Mac Sauce.
- Add the small diced white onion on top of the lettuce.
- Layer one slice of American Cheese on top of the lettuce and diced white onion.
- Layer the Big Mac Sloppy Joe mixture on top of the American Cheese.
- Top the sloppy joe mixture with dill pickles.
- Finally, add Big Mac Sauce to the top bun and add to the sandwich!
If you like this recipe, you will love:
Wilma says
This recipe puts the can method to shame. I made this on Wednesday night and we ate for days!! Thanks for this wonderful taste !! Your instructions were easy to follow! Thank you!!!
Carita says
Yay! So happy to hear this, glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Richard says
We had this recipe Wednesday and it was delicious!! Most definitely will have again very soon!
Carita says
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Tamara says
Whew! These sloppy joes were a BIG hit with the kiddos. I love how you gave me step/by-step instructions too. I made them in well under 30 minutes! We will definitely keep this in our recipe rotation!
Carita says
Yay! So happy to hear they turned out amazing. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Tee Epps says
I’ve got my niece and nephew this week….we are definitely trying this! Thanks
Carita says
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you all enjoy it. 🙂
Savanah says
These sound delicous and I plan to make them next week. Is there a certain amount of mac sauce to add to the beef to get the sloppy joe texture? I'd imagine it wouldn't be the entire amount if we are also using it to spread on the bun. Thanks in advance!
Carita says
Thanks so much for your awesome question and good catch! I added 1/4-1/2 cup of the mac cause to the beef mixture. I am not sharing an exact measurement as the level of creaminess/consistency you'd want is totally up to you. I've updated the recipe card to reflect this as well. Thanks so much for stopping by, hope to see you back soon. 🙂
Alyse says
What about the liquid smoke? It’s in the recipe list but it doesn’t say anything about it in the recipe.
Carita says
Hi there! It's in the recipe portion that states to add the dry and wet ingredients to the brown ground beef. Hope this helps!