Equipment
Ingredients
Healthier Special Sauce
- 45 g plain greek yogurt, 0 percent fat
- 15 g light mayonnaise
- 15 g sweet pickle relish
- 5 g yellow mustard
- 2 ml white vinegar
- 1 g garlic powder
- 1 g onion powder
- 1 g paprika
Patties
- 200 g lean ground beef, 5 percent fat
- 2 g salt
- 1 g black pepper
Assembly
- 3 sesame seed burger bun
- 50 g iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
- 20 g white onion, finely diced
- 30 g dill pickles, thinly sliced
- 2 reduced-fat american cheese slice
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 565 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbohydrates
- 82 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 1863 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 36 mg
- Potassium
- 439 mg
- Calcium
- 407 mg
- Iron
- 10.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 42 mg
- Phosphorus
- 251 mg
- Zinc
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 46 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 13 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.32 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.43 mg
- Niacin
- 4.5 mg
- Folate
- 77 mcg
- Water
- 78 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the plain greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, white vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small mixing bowl. Stir until smooth and well combined. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Divide the lean ground beef into 4 equal portions of 50 grams each. Form each into a very thin patty, slightly wider than the diameter of your burger buns. Season both sides of each patty evenly with the salt and black pepper.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Toast all the bun halves flat side down in the dry pan until golden brown and crisp. You should have 2 top crowns, and 4 bottom heels. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Increase the heat of the frying pan to medium-high. Add the beef patties and sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply browned and a safe internal temperature of 74°C or 165°F is reached. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan. Always wash hands and surfaces after handling raw meat.
Prepare the bun bases. For each burger, lay out one bottom bun heel and one extra bottom bun which will act as the middle club layer. Spread a generous spoonful of the prepared special sauce on all four bun halves. Sprinkle the finely diced white onion and shredded iceberg lettuce evenly over the sauce on all four halves.
Build the bottom layer of each burger by placing one slice of reduced-fat american cheese on the true bottom bun heel, then immediately topping it with a hot beef patty so the cheese begins to melt.
Build the middle layer by laying the sliced dill pickles onto the extra bottom bun acting as the club layer, followed by the second hot beef patty. Carefully lift this entire club section and stack it directly on top of the bottom patty. Cap the burger with the toasted sesame seed top bun crown and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Using Greek yogurt as the base for the special sauce cuts calories and fat significantly while maintaining the creamy, tangy profile of the original fast food sauce.
- Lean beef cooks faster and dries out quicker than traditional higher-fat burger blends. Keep the heat high and the cooking time brief to ensure a juicy patty with a good crust.
- For the authentic triple-decker structure without having to buy extra specialized middle buns, simply use the bottom half of an extra standard burger bun.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store cooked patties and sauce in separate airtight containers from the fresh vegetables and buns.
Reheating: Reheat the patties gently in a microwave or warm pan. Toast buns fresh and assemble with cold toppings and sauce.
Troubleshooting
Patties shrink during cooking and become too thick for a double decker burger
Cause: Beef patties contract as protein fibers heat up and fat renders out
Fix: Firmly press the patties flat with a heavy spatula during the first 15 seconds in the hot pan
Prevention: Press the raw patties significantly wider than the bun circumference and indent the center slightly with your thumb before cooking
Cultural Context
The Big Mac was created in 1967 by Jim Delligatti, an early McDonald's franchisee in Pennsylvania. This lighter version captures its iconic architecture featuring two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun, while optimizing the nutritional profile for home cooking.
