Big Macs are one of the most popular fast-food items around, in part, because of its secret sauce. Since the iconic Big Mac sauce is not available in stores, a former McDonald’s corporate chef revealed a brand that is nearly identical: Great Value’s Secret Sauce.
In a new video, Mike Haracz (@chefmikeharacz) shared “the best option” for a store-bought dupe. “I don’t care if you like a different version than the one I’m showing you. There are ones I like better, but that is not the requirement,” Haracz told his followers. Instead, finding a store brand closest to McDonald’s Big Mac sauce is what mattered most. To find the most similar dupe, Haracz first researched Big Mac sauce’s ingredients, nutritional information, and calories.
From there, he revealed that the Great Value brand sauce was closest to McDonald’s version, though the two were not identical. “[The Great Value] version has a little more sweetness. That has to do with water activity and food preservatives,” he said. But ultimately, Great Value’s Secret Sauce “best replicated” Big Mac’s, Haracz said. The Great Value brand’s nutritional value is “almost identical,” to McDonald’s sauce, with a “few things in a different order” and is “slightly sweeter,” he added.
@chefmikeharacz Former #McDonalds corporate chef tells you where you can buy #BigMac sauce. #mcdonaldshacks #McDonaldsHack #McDonaldsSecrets #McDonaldsSecret #mcdonaldslife #McDonaldsTikTok #McDonaldsBigMac #mcdonaldsbigmacsauce #BigMacSauce #bigmactiktok #MacSauce #bigmacsaucerecipe #FastFood #FastFoodSecrets ♬ original sound – Chef Mike Haracz
Haracz is not the only former McDonald’s chef on the hunt for Big Mac sauce outside of McDonalds. Earlier, another chef leaked the entire Big Mac sauce recipe online. In a video, he revealed that the sauce consists of mayo, yellow mustard, and sweet pickle relish. To top it off, he also added white wine vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. (For what it’s worth, the Great Value product contains almost all of the same ingredients except mayo and mustard. In addition, it contains distilled vinegar, dried onion, and dried garlic.)
As of Wednesday morning, Haracz’s video had over 367,900 views, and many commenters agreed with the chef.
“I bought a bottle a while back and it definitely isn’t as good (probably the preservatives). Anyway, I add ketchup and it’s all good,” one viewer wrote.
“Oh man! I bought this over the summer. It’s a winner for sure,” a second agreed.
Others, however, said that alternative products work best for them.
“Thousand island sauce close enough for me [probably] even better try it,” one user revealed.
“I’ve found that a decent approximation is Kraft Catalina, mayo, dehydrated onion, and sweet relish,” a second said.
“In the UK – Aldi’s burger sauce tastes exactly the same! [They’ve] nailed it,” a third person wrote.
Update 2:41pm CT, Oct. 24: Heracz told the Daily Dot he worked at McDonald’s from 2015 to 2019. He said he thinks what people love about the Big Mac sauce is that it’s “nostalgic.” He said he discovered the Great Value sauce by researching the Big Mac sauce ingredients, comparing different retail options, and doing a taste test.
“It’s pretty close in flavor but the great value is a little sweeter and has a little more acid bite,” he shared via Instagram direct message.
In addition, Heracz emphasized that the Big Mac sauce is different than Thousand Island Dressing.
“Big Mac sauce is not 1000 island dressing. 1000 island has either ketchup or tomato paste, and Mac sauce has neither,” he said.