Sometimes a craving strikes. You really want a takeaway burger, but you're determined to cook at home. The answer is the fakeaway, a tasty meal that replicates the flavours of your favourite takeaway, but is more wholesome, cheaper and easy to make at home. Here's how to make burger sauce for a successful fakeaway night.
Fakeaway bliss: How to make McDonald's style burger sauce at home
One of the most popular burger sauces of all is McDonald's Big Mac sauce. Unfortunately, the exact recipe is a closely-guarded industry secret — and Ronald McDonald doesn't want to share it. That hasn't stopped keen home cooks across the world from making their own versions, though.
Start with two parts mayonnaise to one part ketchup. This is the base of your sauce. To give it that tangy Big Mac flavour, you need vinegar, a tiny pinch of sugar, black pepper and finely chopped gherkins. Experiment with different ratios of the ingredients to suit your tastes. You may also want to try small amounts of onion powder and garlic powder.
Top tip: Add a dash of the juice from the gherkin jar to the sauce and whisk to incorporate smoothly. This will really add the zing that the Big Mac sauce is famous for.
How to make KFC-style Zinger sauce at home
When you order a chicken burger recipe in your food box subscription, it's a good opportunity to try some homemade KFC. The thick, creamy Zinger sauce is always a favourite. It's based on mayonnaise, but it also needs a squeeze of lemon juice to add sharpness. For an authentic-tasting Zinger sauce, you'll need to add some garlic powder, too. Don't be heavy-handed — a little goes a long way.
How to make Burger King-style cheese sauce at home
Making cheese sauce is pretty simple — just turn flour and butter into a roux, add milk over high heat, then remove from the heat and grate in some cheese. However, if you're really craving that trademark goopy texture of Burger King cheese sauce, that might not hit the spot, as tasty as it is.
Unfortunately, Burger King-style cheese sauce requires a special ingredient: food-grade sodium citrate. This is a kind of salt that stabilises the proteins in cheese so that it melts smoothly, giving it that Burger King texture. Dissolve it in hot milk before adding the grated cheese.
Spicy burger sauce and other alternatives
One of the best things about cooking at home is the chance to mix things up. Your fakeaway doesn't have to be an exact replica of a fast food favourite. Instead, you can take inspiration and then make your version even better!
Try adding Sriracha or your favourite chilli sauce to a basic Big Mac-style mix for a fiery, spicy burger sauce that will really wake up your taste buds. You could also add a steakhouse-style pepper sauce to these loaded cheeseburger wedges, or go to Italy for inspiration with this cheesy Italian herby beef burger. Yum!
Putting a fresh spin on burgers
Burgers are one of the most popular and versatile family meals around, and a good burger recipe collection is packed with variety. Not only can you use all kinds of sauces, but you can also experiment with different types of meat. If you're making the patties yourself, you can even mix seasoning and special flavours in with the meat. Try an inside-out cheeseburger: put a little ball of mozzarella in the middle of a patty, so it will give your diners a lovely cheesy surprise when they bite into their burger!
Use good-quality sausage meat instead of mince for burgers that come with plenty of rich flavour. This Tex-Mex cheesy beef burger is delightfully different and sure to impress the kids. For those days when you want to stick to classic beef, go for impressive sides: a double beef burger and fries will make you feel like Gordon Ramsay.
Burgers are the perfect choice for experimenting in the kitchen. Just choose your favourite flavours and let your imagination run wild!
Burger Sauce FAQs
How do I make my own burger sauce?
For a simple burger sauce that tastes just as good as the real thing, mix together two parts mayonnaise to one part ketchup. Add a pinch of sugar and black pepper, half a teaspoon of white vinegar and half a tablespoon of finely chopped gherkins in brine. Then, simply whisk it all together.
How can I make KFC burger sauce?
KFC's popular Zinger sauce is based on mayonnaise. Try mixing mayo with a tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of black pepper and salt. If you have garlic powder to hand, just half a teaspoon will make a big difference.
How do I make a burger sauce like McDonald's?
A homemade version of Big Mac sauce is roughly two parts mayonnaise to one part ketchup. Extra flavour is added with sugar, white vinegar, black pepper and gherkins. You can add a tiny dash of the gherkin juice from the jar to really bring it to life.
Is a basic burger sauce a mix of ketchup and mayonnaise?
Yes. Generally, burger sauce has more mayonnaise than ketchup, although you might want to adjust it to suit your personal tastes. Start with two parts mayo to one part ketchup and tweak as you like.
How do I make melted cheese sauce?
A simple melted cheese sauce can be made by melting butter, mixing with flour, then whisking in milk over heat. Once the sauce is thick, remove it from the heat and add grated cheese. Always add the cheese off the heat — otherwise, it may separate.