McDonald’s is bringing a new burger sauce to town and it might push the beloved Big Mac Sauce out of the spotlight for a while. If you live in Canada, Portugal, or Germany, you may have already had a chance to taste it. The rest of the world waits on bated breath to try the fast food chain’s Big Arch Sauce, coming to American McDonald’s restaurants sometime in 2025 (McDonald’s hasn’t confirmed an exact date).
Those who have tried Big Arch Sauce say it’s tangier and a tiny bit spicier than McDonald’s signature Big Mac Sauce. And it’s part of a bigger picture: the rollout of McDonald’s biggest, most indulgent and calorie-dense burger, the Big Arch. The burger is a cross between a Quarter Pounder and a Big Mac, made with two, quarter-pound beef patties topped with slices of white cheese, crispy and slivered onions, pickles, and lettuce on a toasted sesame and poppy seed bun — all smothered in Big Arch Sauce. While those with large appetites are excited about the Big Arch burger, Big Arch Sauce is a tangy, mustardy twist on Big Mac Sauce that ties together some of McDonald’s most classic flavors in a refreshing new menu item.
Big Mac Sauce and Big Arch Sauce are made with different ingredients
Big Mac Sauce and Big Arch Sauce do have some of the same ingredients. Both are made with vinegar, egg yolks, onion and garlic powder, and a few additives. But, while Big Mac Sauce is made with sweet pickle relish, Big Arch Sauce is made with tomato concentrate — at least in Canada, according to the nutritional information provided by McDonald’s Canada.
Big Mac Sauce famously does not containing ketchup — the color comes from paprika — but that’s not quite the case for Big Arch Sauce. Since its base is tomato concentrate and the rest of the ingredients include things like vinegar (a main ingredient in ketchup), you’ll likely detect hints of the condiment in McDonald’s new burger sauce. You’ll also detect more tang and spice thanks to mustard seed in the Big Arch Sauce recipe.
From the Arch Deluxe with a potato flour bun to the Big Xtra with a larger patty and special grill seasoning, McDonald’s has tried introducing a “grown-up,” premium hamburger to its menu several times before. They’ve all been discontinued for various reasons, or they just faded out of existence like the Big N Tasty did in 2010 in favor of newer, trendier burgers. None of these previous burgers have what the Big Arch has, though: A brand new sauce that’ll pique curiosity and most likely keep customers coming back for more.
