Big Mac Sloppy Joes
These Big Mac Sloppy Joes are a fun twist on the classic sandwich, packing all your favorite burger flavors into one easy, saucy meal. With seasoned beef, that iconic special sauce, melty cheese, and all the fixings, they turn an ordinary family dinner into something exciting and delicious.
If you’re looking for a saucy, crowd-pleasing dinner that you can enjoy any time of the year, this is it! Best of all, you can whip up this crave-worthy meal in just 25 minutes – even faster than a trip to the drive-thru for a Big Mac! And did I mention – I love making these for Game Day? This recipe makes 5, so double or triple it for a crowd.
Toast the buttered buns right in the heated skillet for the perfect crunch, and don’t be shy about doubling the special sauce for an extra sloppy consistency (or store the extra sauce for other dishes in the week). Your guests are going to LOVE you!
What are Big Mac Sloppy Joes?
Big Mac Sloppy Joes are a brilliant mash-up that captures the iconic flavor of a Big Mac hamburger in the easy, comforting form of a Sloppy Joe sandwich. All the signature components (seasoned ground beef, shredded lettuce, melty cheese, tangy pickles, and the famous “special sauce”) are piled onto toasted buns.
The result is a deliciously messy, homemade sandwich that delivers that fast-food nostalgia without having to order in. It’s a fun and satisfying twist that turns a weeknight dinner into something truly rewarding. And don’t skimp on the pickles!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s perfect for Game Day (or Super Bowl Sunday). Double or triple the recipe!
- Love these sloppy Joe’s served with this 4 Bean Salad and potato chips – easiest menu ever!
- The “anytime of year” comfort burger. Any season, any party, kids love these, too!
Ingredients needed to make Big Mac Sloppy Joes
- Ground beef mixture: This Sloppy Joe meat mixture combines juicy browned ground beef with chopped onions, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, seasoning salt, and chopped hamburger pickles.
- Secret sauce: A combination of tangy mayonnaise, French dressing, sweet relish, ketchup, white vinegar, onion powder, and salt. TIP: If you have to, and are in a pinch for time, use Thousand Island Dressing. But homemade is the best.
- Hamburger buns: We use brioche buns with sesame seeds for these Big Mac Sloppy Joes, but any hamburger bun will work. Slider buns, grilled French bread, or hot dog buns can be used instead.
- Fresh burger add-ins: These Big Mac Sloppy Joes call for typical hamburger fixings, such as shredded iceberg lettuce, hamburger pickle chips, and slices of Cheddar cheese (we use Sharp Cheddar, but American cheese can be used since this is authentic for a real Big Mac).
- Butter: Use salted or unsalted softened butter to spread on the buns for toasting.
How do you make these Big Mac Sloppy Joes
Make the sauce:
- Whisk all of the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Reserve 3/4 cup for the meat mixture and set aside the remaining sauce to slather on the toasted buns for assembling.
Make the meat:
- Brown the ground beef in a large hot skillet for 3 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients for the meat mixture.
- Continue to cook for another 4 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces as it browns.
- Drain any excess grease from the skillet, if needed.
- Stir in the chopped pickles, cooking for another minute.
- Add in the reserved sauce and cook for another minute. Set the saucy meat mixture aside.
Toast the buns:
- Butter the hamburger buns and lightly toast them in a separate hot skillet before assembling the Sloppy Joe’s (for about 1-3 minutes). This can also be achieved in an air fryer.
Assemble the Sloppy Joe’s:
- Spread the sauce on a bottom bun. Spread sauce on the top bun as well if you want a saucy sandwich.
- Add shredded lettuce and a slice of cheese.
- Add a large spoonful of the meat mixture on top of the cheese, and then add the top bun.
Serving
These hearty and comforting Big Mac Sloppy Joes can be enjoyed as is or with a serving of No Roux Mac and Cheese,Sweet Potato Fries, Creamy Jalapeno Coleslaw, Red Potato Salad, Watermelon Basil Salad with Feta, or a simple green salad.
End off your meal with something sweet, like a thick milkshake, rich brownies, or a bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Once assembled, these Big Mac Sloppy Joes should be eaten immediately or the sauce and meat mixture will turn the toasted buns soggy. Leftover meat mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Sauce storage: If you want to make the sauce ahead or make a double batch, store it in a glass jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I prefer to keep my homemade dressings and sauces in mason jars, but any sealable jar or airtight container will work. Give it a good shake or whisk before using again. Extra special sauce can easily be used instead of Thousand Island Sauce in other dishes.
- Make ahead: The sauce and browned seasoned ground beef can be made a day ahead of assembling these Sloppy Joe’s and stored separately in the fridge.
- Double the recipe: Make a double batch of these Big Mac Sloppy Joes when serving a larger crowd or assemble them on slider buns to make them stretch.
- Drain excess grease: Any excess grease from browning the ground beef should be drained to prevent oily Sloppy Joes. I recommend using 85/15 ground beef as it has the right fat percentage for the best flavor and moisture with enough fat to cook the onions. It also won’t leave much grease in the pan, so you won’t need to drain it.
- Bun preparation: Pop the buns in the freezer for 20 minutes to make slicing them even easier.Don’t skip the step for toasting these buns – it makes a huge difference!
Variations:
- Sauce: This special sauce is made with French dressing. If you don’t have this, use Catalina dressing and add in 1 tsp of vinegar and ½ tsp of lemon juice.
- Saucy meat mixture: Mix more sauce into the meat mixture if you enjoy extra saucy Sloppy Joes. Alternatively, spread sauce on both bun halves when assembling the sandwiches.
- Choice of buns: We use brioche buns for this recipe, but you could use slider buns, French bread that is first grilled in the air fryer, or hot dog buns (these help the fillings to stay together for reduced mess).
- Ground meat: You can use lean ground pork, chicken, or turkey in place of the beef.
For more comforting and indulgent meals in buns, check out our Easy Chili Dog Recipe, Slow Cooker Coke Pulled Pork Sandwiches, and Bird Dog Recipe.
More Sloppy Joe recipes you may want to try:
Get the Recipe:
Big Mac Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
For the ground Beef Mixture:
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef, (85/15)
- ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup hamburger pickles, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon seasoning salt, I like Lawry’s
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
For the Secret Sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup French dressing
- 2 tablespoons sweet relish
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Assembling:
- 5 hamburger buns, we buy brioche with sesame seeds
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 15 large hamburger pickles, dill pickle chips
- 5 slices Cheddar cheese, We use Sharp Cheddar, but American cheese is used for a real Big Mac
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add all the “sauce” ingredients and whisk together. Measure out ¾ cup for the meat and set aside the remaining sauce to add to buns.
- In a large hot skillet, brown the ground beef for 3 minutes, and then add the chopped onions, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt and garlic salt.
- Break the meat apart into small pieces as it cooks until fully browned, another 4 minutes. If your ground beef produces a lot of grease in the skillet, at this time, drain off the fat. If you use 85/15 you will not need to drain off any grease.
- Add in the chopped pickles; stir and cook another minute. Add in ¾ cup of the special sauce to the meat; cook for another minute. The meat is now ready to assemble on the “sloppy Joe’s" and it will be saucy!
- In a separate hot skillet, butter the buns and lightly toast the buns before assembling the Sloppy Joe’s (for about 1-3 minutes). You can also toast the buns in the air fryer.
- Assemble the sloppy Joe’s by spreading sauce on a bottom bun, then added shredded lettuce and a slice of cheese. Add a large spoonful of the meat mixture on top of the cheese, and then the top bun. If you want a saucy sandwich, you can add sauce to the top bun as well.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Sandy’s tips:
- Storage: Once assembled, these Big Mac Sloppy Joes should be eaten immediately or the sauce and meat mixture will turn the toasted buns soggy. Leftover meat mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Sauce storage: If you want to make the sauce ahead or make a double batch, store it in a glass jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I prefer to keep my homemade dressings and sauces in mason jars, but any sealable jar or airtight container will work. Give it a good shake or whisk before using again. Extra special sauce can easily be used instead of Thousand Island Sauce in other dishes.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
