Our All-Purpose Burger Sauce Recipe Elevates Any Sandwich

A burger can only be so good on its own, and typically, it's the toppings and the sauces that really take a burger from okay to exceptional. When dressing your burger, it's easy to just reach for a bottle of ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise, but even these condiments can seem a bit plain or stale time and time again. Enter this all-purpose burger sauce recipe, courtesy of developer Julianne De Witt, and suddenly, burger night (or any type of sandwich night, for that matter) is a whole lot more interesting.

Despite being such a simple recipe, and one comprised mostly of fridge and pantry staples, this all-purpose burger sauce goes a long way in breathing new life into your handhelds. "This all-purpose burger sauce is delicious, easy to prepare, and uses ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen," De Witt describes. "It's the perfect blend of creamy, sweet, and savory." For those familiar with and fond of McDonald's Big Mac sauce, you'll especially want to whip up this recipe, which, as it turns out, is somewhat of a copycat one. "I had my son help me taste test this one, and he immediately thought it tasted like McDonald's sauce," De Witt says, so if you, too, have a family of McDonald's lovers at home, then this burger sauce recipe will be a hit for the whole crew.

Mayonnaise, ketchup, and sweet green relish make up the base of this creamy, sweet, and tangy burger sauce. Apple cider vinegar adds the perfect splash of acidity, whereas seasonings like garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper add the final flavor boosts.

Add the mayonnaise to a medium bowl.

Add the ketchup.

Add the relish.

Add the apple cider vinegar.

Add the garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

Use a whisk to combine the ingredients.

Serve with your burger of choice.

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While this recipe follows a pretty straightforward formula that yields a tried-and-true (not to mention versatile) burger sauce, that doesn't mean that there isn't room for experimentation. Though you might want to stick with plain ketchup and sweet relish, you can switch up the type of mayonnaise you use. Go with a low-fat mayonnaise if you want a slightly lighter sauce, or opt for a plant-based mayo if you want to make the sauce vegan. Another easy swap would be to use white vinegar in place of apple cider vinegar, but be sure to keep that vinegar component as it adds just the right tangy flavor to the sauce, one that "helps to balance the richness of the mayonnaise," per De Witt.

If you'd prefer to keep the base of the sauce as-is, then there's still lots of room for experimentation when it comes to the sauce's seasonings. De Witt keeps things pretty simple here, opting for savory additions like garlic and onion powder, a slightly sweet paprika component, and staples like salt and pepper. If you want to add a certain smokiness to the sauce, opt for smoked paprika instead of the regular paprika. Another option is to add a spicy element. To do so, De Witt recommends mixing in some dried chiles (or something in powdered form, like cayenne pepper would work), harissa paste, or, of course, good old hot sauce. 

It's not too much of a stretch to assume that something called burger sauce might pair best with burgers, and this recipe is no exception. Slather this sauce onto a plain cheeseburger, a bacon burger, a chicken burger, or even just a fast food burger, and you've instantly enhanced your handheld. De Witt also notes that the sauce works well on veggie burgers, though if you want to enjoy it on a vegan burger (and keep the burger vegan), you'll want to make the plant-based mayo swap.

Though this burger sauce pairs well with just about any burger under the sun, that doesn't mean that it's limited to just burgers. This sauce would work well with many types of sandwiches, including patty melts, Reubens, club sandwiches, or even plain old turkey sandwiches. And, you aren't limited to only sandwiches, either. "This versatile burger sauce would be great with fish and chips, calamari, onion rings, fried chicken, grilled cheese sandwiches, smokies, or in wraps," De Witt recommends. So, while you'll want to keep this recipe handy for all future burger nights, keep its versatility in mind and add it to any food that might benefit from creamy, tangy, slightly sweet flavors. 

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