What Is Big Mac Sauce? (The Story + FAQs About This Iconic Sauce)

The McDonald’s Big Mac is one of the most iconic sandwiches from the fast-food restaurant, with the special Big Mac sauce being the highlight of the burger.

Have you ever wondered what’s in the Big Mac sauce and whether or not you can purchase it in stores? Keep reading because I’ll tell you all you need to know about this signature sauce!

What Is Big Mac Sauce? 

Big Mac sauce is an iconic staple of the Big Mac that McDonald’s developed and doesn’t sell in other stores or restaurants. The sauce is made of various ingredients, including sweet relish, vinegar, spices, and paprika. Further, the sauce comes in a caulk gun device that the sauce supplier produces, Sealright.

Keep reading because I will get into all of the ingredients that make up the Big Mac sauce and who makes this delicious iconic sauce!

What Is the Big Mac Sauce Made Of?

Big Mac sauce is made of soybean oil, water, egg yolks, spices, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, distilled vinegar, vegetable protein (soy, wheat, and hydrolyzed corn), and sugar.

Additionally, caramel color, paprika extractives, turmeric, soy lecithin, propylene glycol alginate, and sweet relish are ingredients in Big Mac Sauce.

Furthermore, the sweet relish contains sugar, high fructose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, salt, calcium chloride, spice extractives, xanthan gum, and diced pickles.

Where Does McDonald’s Get Its Big Mac Sauce?

McDonald’s gets its Big Mac sauce from Sealright, although McDonald’s came up with the recipe and sauce itself more than 40 years ago.

Furthermore, Sealright came up with calibrated equipment to only serve a controlled amount of sauce, condiments, and dressing on McDonald’s food.

That said, the equipment is similar to a caulk gun, and you just squeeze the equipment to get the allotted portion for each burger.

Can You Buy a Bottle Of Big Mac Sauce?

Unfortunately, you cannot regularly buy a bottle of Big Mac sauce because stores do not sell it in the United States.

But if you live in Canada, you can purchase Big Mac sauce in McDonald’s locations.

In 2017, McDonald’s ran a promotion where it released 10,000 bottles in restaurant locations outside the United States, and people resold those bottles on eBay for $1,000!

Additionally, Walmart sells a bottle of Great Value Secret Sauce similar to Big Mac sauce, and people claim it’s almost identical to McDonald’s secret sauce.

Is Big Mac Sauce Thousand Island?

No, McDonald’s Big Mac sauce is not Thousand Island Dressing, although people assumed it was with other ingredients added to it for years.

Further, it’s not considered to be Thousand Island because the Big Mac sauce doesn’t contain tomatoes.

Is Big Mac Sauce Keto?

Is Big Mac Sauce Keto?

Unfortunately, Big Mac sauce is not keto, and you should always ask for no special sauce if you order the Big Mac and skip the bun too!

Big Mac Sauce Nutritional Facts

If you order a Big Mac, you should be aware of the nutritional value of the Big Mac sauce, which is calculated by one serving size and includes:

  • 90 calories
  • 9 grams total fat with 1.5 grams saturated fat
  • 10 mg of cholesterol
  • 90 mg of sodium
  • 2 grams of carbohydrates
  • 1 gram of sugar

Is Big Mac Sauce Gluten-Free?

No, Big Mac sauce is not gluten-free since it contains wheat and should be avoided if you’re sensitive to gluten.

Is There MSG in Big Mac Sauce?

McDonald’s does not use MSG in Big Mac sauce or any products on the menu.

Is Big Mac Sauce Dairy-Free?

Yes, Big Mac sauce is dairy-free, so you can enjoy this signature McDonald’s sauce with your burger even if you have sensitivity to lactose!

Does Big Mac Sauce Contain Artificial Preservatives?

McDonald’s removed artificial preservatives from Big Mac sauce around 2018 when the company was tweaking its food to remove artificial ingredients, preservatives, and colors.

Does Big Mac Sauce Have Ketchup?

No, Big Mac sauce does not contain any ketchup, and tomatoes are not part of the recipe, even though it does have a color that makes people assume ketchup is an ingredient.

Who Invented Big Mac Sauce?

The Big Mac and special sauce to go along with it was created by Jim Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchise owner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Additionally, it took two years for Delligatti to make the sauce perfect and to his liking for this now iconic burger.

Furthermore, he got the idea to make the Big Mac from seeing how successful the Filet-O-Fish became after a franchise owner in Cincinnati, Ohio, came up with the fish sandwich to deal with Lent.

To know more about McDonald’s, you can also read our posts on Big Mac vs. Whopper, whether McDonald’s Big Macs are good, and if McDonald’s fries are gluten-free.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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