Big Mac Sloppy Joes are a fun twist on a fast food favorite—seasoned ground beef, creamy burger sauce, melted cheese, and classic toppings in a toasted bun. This one-skillet meal brings bold Big Mac flavor home in a quicker, lighter, and even more delicious way.
Inspired by the classic McDonald’s Big Mac, but easier to make at home and even more delicious.
Why This Big Mac Sloppy Joe Recipe Works
- That signature “secret sauce” flavor: Sauces and dressings can be sneaky sources of carbs and sugar. Making your own lets you capture the classic Big Mac taste while keeping control of the ingredients.
- Savory, seasoned ground beef: Cooked with onions and just the right spices, the ground beef brings hearty, fast-food-inspired flavor without being greasy.
- Nostalgic comfort with convenience: All the flavors of a Big Mac, made with fresher ingredients and simmered on your stovetop. It’s cozy, satisfying, and skips the drive-thru.
- A fun twist on two classics: This one-dish dinner combines the best of both worlds: the bold, saucy vibe of a Sloppy Joe with the layered flavor of a Big Mac. Why choose just one?
Big Mac Fan? Us too!! Check out our Big Mac Salad (keto) and our Big Mac Pizza!
Ingredients You’ll Need (And a Few Swaps!)
- Unsalted butter
- Ground beef: I used lean beef, but you can also swap in extra lean, turkey, chicken, or a vegetarian alternative.
- Yellow onion
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Sweet pickle relish
- Thousand island dressing: I love the ease of making my sandwiches with Thousand Island dressing. Use your favorite bottled brand or make my famous copycat Big Mac sauce by combining mayonnaise, French dressing, ketchup, white vinegar, and onion powder.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Hamburger buns
- Iceberg lettuce
- American cheese: While classic American cheese slices bring that true Big Mac taste, you can switch it up with cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, or even pepper jack for a twist.
- Dill pickle slices
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make the Best Big Mac Sloppy Joes
- Brown The Beef: In a large skillet, cook the butter, ground beef, onion, salt, and pepper until the onions are soft and the meat is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
- Make The Meat Mixture: Lower the heat and stir the pickle relish, thousand island dressing, and Worcestershire sauce into the ground beef mixture. Cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Assemble: To the bottom half of each bun, top with shredded lettuce, onions, a slice of cheese, pickle slices, a scoop of meat mixture, and thousand island dressing. Cover with the top half of the bun.
- Serve: Serve with French Fries, Air Fryer Home Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, or tater tots and some extra Mac sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Tips & Variations
- Toast the buns: Lightly toasting your buns adds flavor and helps prevent sogginess from the saucy Big Mac Sloppy Joe mixture. Bonus: it gives the sandwich that extra fast-food feel.
- Make it a double decker: Use two bottom halves and one top piece of bun. Assemble the sandwich as follows: bottom bun, lettuce, onion, cheese, pickles, meat, bottom bun, dressing, lettuce, onion, cheese, pickles, meat, dressing, and finish with the top bun.
- Swap the seasoning: Want to match that signature McDonald’s flavor even closer? Add a touch of onion powder, a pinch of garlic powder, and a bit of yellow mustard to the meat mix.
Can You Make Big Mac Sloppy Joe Sliders?
Yes, you can absolutely make Big Mac Sloppy Joe Sliders! Use slider buns or Hawaiian rolls, sliced in half as one big sheet. Layer the bottom according to this same Big Mac Sloppy Joes recipe. Add the tops, brush with melted butter, and bake in a covered dish at 350°F for 10–15 minutes until warm and melty. Or check out our super popular Big Mac Sliders
Slice into individual sliders and serve as small sandwiches—perfect for parties, game day, or fun family mini meals and easy for little hands to hold.
Make It Lighter or Healthier
Looking for a lower-calorie, lower-fat option? Swap ground beef for lean ground turkey or chicken, use reduced-fat cheese, and choose a light or sugar-free Thousand Island dressing to keep all the flavor without the extra calories.
Want to cut the carbs too? Skip the bun and serve the Big Mac Sloppy Joe mixture in crisp lettuce wraps or over a bed of shredded lettuce as a “burger bowl.” All the flavor, none of the guilt—just the way we like it!
Storage and Reheating
- Make-Ahead Meal Prep: The Big Mac Sloppy Joe filling and fixings are perfect for meal prep and leftovers. Make sure to store components separately in individual containers. Keep the meat and toppings separate and assemble just before serving to keep buns from getting soggy
- In The Refrigerator: Once cooled, store the meat mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- In The Freezer: The cooked meat mixture freezes well! Cool completely, then store leftovers in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until warmed through.
Other Easy Copycat Recipes
- Taco Bell Frito Burrito
- KFC Zinger Burger
- Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Recipe
- Copycat Wendy’s Chocolate Frosty
- Little Caesars Crazy Bread
- Disney Cookie Fries
If you tried this Big Mac Sloppy Joes Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Big Mac Sloppy Joes
Serves — 4
All the flavor of a Big Mac in one easy skillet meal—seasoned beef, special sauce, cheese, and pickles piled high on toasted buns.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Ingredients
Meat Mixture
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 pound ground beef 85%-15% ground round
- ½ cup yellow onion small diced (plus additional for toppings)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup pickle relish
- ¼ cup bottled thousand island dressing Kraft brand(plus additional for toppings)
- 1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Assembly & Toppings
- 4 large soft sesame seed buns Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White
- ¼ head iceberg lettuce shredded
- 2 tablespoons small diced yellow onion about ½ tablespoon per sandwich
- 4 American cheese slices unwrapped
- Dill pickle (hamburger) slices (3-4 per sandwich)
- Bottled Thousand Island Dressing
Instructions
- In a large skillet, on medium-high heat, add the unsalted butter, ground beef, diced yellow onion, salt, and pepper.1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 pound ground beef, ½ cup yellow onion, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the onions are soft and the meat is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat from the skillet.
- Turn the heat to low and add the pickle relish, bottled thousand island dressing, and Worcestershire sauce to the cooked ground beef. Stir to fully incorporate and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.¼ cup pickle relish, ¼ cup bottled thousand island dressing, 1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- To assemble your Big Mac sloppy Joes, you will need to place the bottom half of a sesame seed bun onto your plate and top it with shredded iceberg lettuce, small diced yellow onions, a slice of American cheese, 3-4 dill pickle slices, a large scoop of the meat mixture and finally a generous amount of bottled thousand island dressing. Top your Big Mac sloppy Joe with the top portion of your bun.4 large soft sesame seed buns, ¼ head iceberg lettuce, 4 American cheese slices, Dill pickle (hamburger) slices, Bottled Thousand Island Dressing, 2 tablespoons small diced yellow onion
- Repeat step 4 until all your sandwiches are assembled.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: You can store the Big Mac Sloppy Joes meat mixture, covered in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat: Reheat the meat mixture in a skillet until warmed through.
- I love the ease of using a bottled Thousand Island salad dressing for the recipe. You can use my homemade Big Mac Sauce, or if you have a favorite recipe. Be sure to choose a bottled brand you would enjoy on a salad.
- I like to use a large 2½-3-inch cookie scoop to scoop out my meat mixture, then place the meat onto the bun. I find that I make less of a mess this way, and I can evenly portion out my servings.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1063mg | Potassium: 557mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 319IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 229mg | Iron: 5mg
It was very good! I made it too