This easy burger sauce recipe is an easy way to take your burger game to the next level. The flavor rivals your favorite restaurant! It’s creamy, tangy, and delicious, with balanced flavor that pairs perfectly with a juicy burger!

Spoon dipping into a jar of homemade burger sauce

Restaurant-Style Burger Sauce, But Better

Call it whatever you want–special sauce, big mac sauce, secret sauce…but I LOVE a classic burger sauce. It’s a perfect pairing for a great burger, and there’s SO much to love:

IT’S EASY. It’s VERY easy to make your own hamburger sauce at home. It’s made from simple ingredients, with just a tiny bit of dicing and stirring. It’s done in 5 minutes or less!
THE FLAVORS ARE SO GOOD! This is the perfect blend of creamy, tangy, savory flavor with a tiny hint of sweetness. It’s balanced and perfect for pairing with a grilled burger.
IT’S VERSATILE! This homemade burger sauce is not *just* for burgers! Try it as a dip for fries and onion rings, spread it on a wrap, or try it on crispy chicken!

Happy cooking! xo, Emily

Gather Your Ingredients

The best burger sauce recipe around starts with simple ingredients! This creamy sauce is in the same family as other homemade sauces like Thousand Island dressing, Classic Fry Sauce and Comeback Sauce, so you might notice some familiar ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Mayo. Yep! We’re doing it. Mayonnaise adds creaminess and richness that’s just SO good with a good burger.
Ketchup. A little sweetness, a little tanginess…it’s a must.
Pickles + Pickle Juice. Some people use dill relish or sweet relish, but for best results, I love chopped dill pickles here for a bit of texture. Finely chopped pickles + a bit of the dill pickle brine are a great way to add some brightness and tanginess.
Worcestershire Sauce. A secret hero! This adds umami and depth that rounds out the flavors beautifully.
Paprika. For some color and a little extra flavor.
Salt & Black Pepper. Simple, but a must. Easy-peasy!

How To Make Burger Sauce, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

Making homemade burger sauce, step by step

Combine. In a small bowl, combine mayo, ketchup, diced pickles, pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt and pepper.
Stir. Whisk to combine until it’s smooth and evenly blended.
Taste & Adjust. Now, taste it and adjust seasoning if needed, adding more Worcestershire, paprika, salt, or pepper, to taste.
Serve & Store. Enjoy on burgers and burger bowls, try with french fries, or serve with crispy chicken, onion rings, and more! Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week.

A jar of burger sauce surrounded by burger toppings and a basket of waffle fries

A cheeseburger with homemade burger sauce

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Burger Sauce

Try One Of These Variations: Swap in some sweet pickle relish in for the diced pickles, add some cayenne pepper, a little squeeze of yellow or dijon mustard, or add a pinch of fresh or dried dill!

Ways To Serve This Sauce. Other than a classic beef burger, you can spoon this sauce over a burger bowl, turkey burgers, smash burgers, and veggie burgers, use it as fry sauce, try it as a dip for onion rings, or enjoy it on crispy chicken tenders. It’s SO GOOD!

Gluten-Free? Double check your ingredients! If you’re gluten-free, make sure to buy a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce. In the United States, Lea & Perrins brand works well! (If you’re out of the U.S., the formulation of this brand is NOT gluten-free.)

More Yummy Burger Recipes To Try

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Healthy Buffalo Chicken Burgers

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BBQ Cheddar Chicken Burgers

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Bang Bang Chicken Burgers

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Burger Bowls

Did You Make This Recipe?

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Classic Burger Sauce

You can call it secret sauce, special sauce, or big mac sauce, but our homemade burger sauce is an easy way to level up burger night. It's creamy, tangy & delicious, with balanced flavor that pairs perfectly with a juicy burger! (And rivals your favorite restaurant!)

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Print Pin Rate

Servings: cup dressing

Calories: 71kcal

Ingredients

1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Ketchup
2 Tablespoons Finely Minced Dill Pickles
1 Tablespoon Dill Pickle Juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce*
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
1/8-1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/8-1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions

Combine. In a small bowl, combine mayo, ketchup, diced pickles, pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt and pepper.
Stir. Whisk to combine until it's smooth and evenly blended.
Taste & Adjust. Now, taste it and adjust seasoning if needed, adding more Worcestershire, paprika, salt, or pepper, to taste.
Serve & Store. Enjoy this creamy sauce on a great burger, use as a fry sauce, or serve with crispy chicken, turkey burgers, and more! Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week.

Notes

Worcestershire Sauce. If you’re gluten-free, make sure to buy a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce. In the United States, Lea & Perrins brand works well! (If you’re out of the U.S. this brand is NOT gluten-free)
Try One Of These Variations: Swap in some sweet pickle relish in for the diced pickles, add some cayenne pepper, a little squeeze of yellow mustard or dijon mustard, or add a pinch of fresh or dried dill!