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Simple Sauces/ Summer Lovin'

Burger Sauce

March 5, 2020 (Last Updated: June 11, 2022) by Chris Collins

This Homemade Burger Sauce truly couldn’t be easier to make. What’s best is you’ve probably got all the ingredients on hand already!

Look, I’m an absolute sucker for Big Mac sauce, I really am. But once you start making your own burger sauce I promise you’ll never go back. It’s smooth and creamy, yet tangy and bursting with flavour. Not convinced? Follow me…

close up of burger sauce dripping down burger bun

The BEST Burger Sauce

I mean, in my humble opinion of course. First things first, let’s see what you’ll need:

Burger Sauce Ingredients

  • Mayo – Full Fat, don’t sub sour cream, yoghurt etc.
  • Ketchup – Avoid any brands which you know are particularly vinegary.
  • Mustard – I usually go Dijon, because that’s what’s usually knocking about in my fridge. But the Classic Yellow mustard works great.
  • Pickle Juice – Offers acidity and gives that classic burger/pickle combo.
  • Onion Powder – I prefer a smooth burger sauce, so use powder. But you could use a small amount of finely minced shallot/white onion.

A lot of recipes use minced pickles or pickle relish in the sauce, but again I prefer a smoother sauce. You can sub the pickle juice for minced pickles and some sort of acidity (preferably white vinegar) or just pickle relish.

burger sauce ingredients in bowl with arrows and labels

How to make Burger Sauce

It truly is as easy as combining in a bowl and Bob’s your uncle. I do recommend letting the sauce rest in the fridge before serving, just to allow the flavours to marry together. This also helps if you’ve got dried onion to allow it to soften into the sauce.

Burger sauce is incredibly easy to customise too, so do feel free to tweak to your tastebuds. I.e for a more creamy sauce add more mayo, a sweeter sauce add a pinch more sugar, or a more ‘tangy’ sauce add a dash more acidity etc.

How long does Burger Sauce keep?

Like most condiments burger sauce has a long shelf life if keep tightly sealed in the fridge. I usually keep mine for around 3-4days, but feel free to store for a lot longer at your discretion. If at all in doubt just look at the shelf life of the mayo, ketchup and mustard you use.

spoon dipping into small glass pot of burger sauce

How to use Burger Sauce

The most obvious usage is of course on burgers. But this sauce actually works great as a dip, most notably for French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries or Potato Wedges.

This sauce also goes incredibly on my Breakfast Burgers too!

If you’re looking for another delicious copy cat recipe then definitely check out my Domino’s Style Garlic and Herb Dip. But for now, let’s tuck into the full burger sauce recipe shall we?

dunking french fries into small glass pot of burger sauce

How to make Burger Sauce (Full Recipe & Video)

close up of burger sauce dripping down burger bun

Burger Sauce

This Homemade Burger Sauce truly couldn't be easier to make. What's best is you've probably got all the ingredients on hand already!
5 from 10 votes
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Servings (click & slide): 6
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Calories per serving: 78kcal
Cost per serving: £1 / $1

Equipment:

  • Medium Sized Mixing Bowl
  • Spatula

Ingredients (check list):

  • 4 tbsp Full Fat Mayo
  • 2 tbsp Ketchup
  • 2 tsp Mustard (I use Dijon, but Classic Yellow works great)
  • 2 tsp Pickle Juice (Gherkin in UK, Dill Pickle in US)
  • 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Sugar (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp Salt (or to taste)

Instructions:

  • Add all of your ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning to preference then tightly cover and pop in the fridge, or serve right away!

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Pickle Juice - This serves two functions: first is to offer the classic pairing of burger and pickle, the second is to add acidity. I prefer my burger sauce smooth, but you could sub minced pickle and a different vinegar (i.e. white vinegar). If you don't have pickles/pickle juice on hand then you can just sub any acidity you have (i.e lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar). Start with 1 tsp and adjust up. But pickle juice is definitely preferable.
b) Onion Powder - Again, I like my burger sauce smooth, hence the onion powder. You could however sub a small amount of finely minced shallot or white onion.
c) Flavour Preference - This sauce is very customisable, so do tweak to your tastebuds! I.e if you want more of a 'tangy' flavour consider upping the pickle juice, for more 'heat' consider more mustard. If you want it sweeter add a dash more sugar, or for a creamier sauce add more mayo etc.
d) Make Ahead - Making in advance and allow the sauce to rest will allow the flavours to marry together, especially if using dried onion. I usually rest my sauce for an hour before serving then keep leftovers tightly cover in the fridge for 3-4days (longer at your discretion).
e) Calories - Makes around 6 tbsp's worth, serving size is 1 tbsp. Calories for 1 tbsp using measurements in recipe card.

Your Private Notes:

Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts
Burger Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 78 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 6.99g11%
Saturated Fat 1.084g5%
Trans Fat 0.017g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.133g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.595g
Cholesterol 4mg1%
Sodium 246mg10%
Potassium 20mg1%
Carbohydrates 3.56g1%
Fiber 0.2g1%
Sugar 2.81g3%
Protein 0.22g0%
Vitamin A 41IU1%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 5mg1%
Iron 0.11mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.
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Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

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Recipe Rating




26 Comments

  • Reply
    marion philips
    March 1, 2023 at 2:25 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Hope well & love your stuff fab do you have cookbook marion

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      March 2, 2023 at 10:22 am

      Hi Marion! I don’t currently, but hopefully sometime soon 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Steve Ober
    January 7, 2023 at 6:08 pm

    Loved this recipe! Made many times! Using tonight with supper!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      January 8, 2023 at 3:01 am

      Great to hear! Thanks Steve 🙂

  • Reply
    Debra Ayers
    August 6, 2022 at 7:10 pm

    Can you use miracle whip instead of mayo?

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      August 7, 2022 at 11:06 am

      I can’t say I’ve ever tried it, so couldn’t say for sure unfortunately!

  • Reply
    Lauren Wingert
    July 11, 2021 at 2:06 am

    5 stars
    I was going to make a few different burger sauces to compare, but after trying this one I didn’t even bother with the others. The only changes I made was adding garlic powder, black pepper and equal parts Dijon and yellow mustard. So good!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 12, 2021 at 10:17 am

      Ah so glad you enjoyed it, Lauren! Thanks for popping back for a review 🙂

  • Reply
    Glug
    July 6, 2021 at 1:18 am

    5 stars
    Fun fact: Burger sauce doesn’t actually exist in America. It is, as it happens, an adaptation of ‘Fry Sauce’ which is a creation that you see in the West of the USA. I believe that, just like KFC, it started in Utah and spread from there. Amazing stuff, and you’ll find more versions in Utah, Idaho, and Arizona than you’ll find anywhere else in the US (good luck finding it on the East Coast).

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 6, 2021 at 8:06 pm

      Good to know – thanks for that! 🙂

    • Reply
      Sans
      August 11, 2021 at 1:18 am

      5 stars
      DUDE. I don’t usually reply to recipes, like,,, ever, but THIS. Omg, I highly recommend. I didn’t have pickle juice on hand, so I used lemon juice instead, and it was a huge hit. My family used it on their burgers, fries, and everything in between. They loved it, thank you so much!

      • Reply
        Chris Collins
        August 12, 2021 at 12:23 pm

        That’s great to hear, Sans! Thanks so much for the review 🙂

  • Reply
    Jason Hernandez
    December 1, 2020 at 1:37 am

    5 stars
    Easy and fun to customize.. I ended up adding crushed black pepper corn and jalapeno juice with the pickle juice . Easiest way to give a kick

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      December 1, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      That’s awesome to hear, Jason! Will have to try some jalapeño juice – what an awesome idea!

  • Reply
    Ruth
    March 11, 2020 at 3:05 am

    Just wondering if people are using sweet pickle or dill pickle juice. These are so different, so would really change the taste.
    Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      March 11, 2020 at 10:04 am

      Dill Pickle Juice! Apologies, recipe card amended 🙂

  • Reply
    Irina
    March 6, 2020 at 1:50 am

    5 stars
    The first picture of your recipe is so mouthwatering that I ran to the kitchen to make the burger sauce immediately. LOVE it! It is so tasty and delicious!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      March 6, 2020 at 9:26 am

      Hahah thank you!!

  • Reply
    Sally
    March 6, 2020 at 1:04 am

    5 stars
    Looks fabulous! Gonna make this simple burger (and fry) sauce for my next cookout! I can just taste it through your pictures – summer can’t come soon enough!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      March 6, 2020 at 9:26 am

      I can’t wait for Summer either!

  • Reply
    Katie
    March 6, 2020 at 12:41 am

    5 stars
    Made this for the family and it was a hit!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      March 6, 2020 at 9:25 am

      Awesome! 🙂

  • Reply
    Cyndy
    March 5, 2020 at 11:38 pm

    5 stars
    You got this recipe just right! I kept trying different ones and I think it’s the pickle juice that makes this one so perfect. LOVE it!

    thanks for the inspiration

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      March 6, 2020 at 9:25 am

      You’re so welcome! 🙂

  • Reply
    Krissy Allori
    March 5, 2020 at 11:18 pm

    5 stars
    My family loves this sauce. They can’t have burgers without it now. It’s great for dipping fries in too.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      March 6, 2020 at 9:25 am

      It’s so versatile isn’t it!?

    5 KNOCKOUT

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    YOU'LL NEVER STOP MAKING!

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