Home ยป Recipes ยป Dinner

Lightened Up Big Mac Sloppy Joes

The famous burger meets classic sloppy Joe with these Big Mac Sloppy Joes. Easy to make and ready in less than 15 minutes, this healthier twist on two classic recipes is sure to be a new family favorite. Picky eater approved!
Jump to Recipe
2 stacked sloppy joes with fries around and a coke in the background.

This fun twist on the classic sandwich has perfectly seasoned sloppy Joe meat, assembled on a hamburger bun, and topped with a copycat Big Mac sauce. The results are restaurant-worthy homemade sloppy joes. Comforting, classic and no drive-thru needed.

Get ready to say goodbye to fast food and hello to your new favorite recipe: a lighter version of the famous Bic Mac burger….sloppy Joe style.

If you’ve had my well-known and beloved Big Mac Casserole, you already know these homemade sloppy joes will deliver with the same great flavors of the McDonald’s Big Mac, in a healthier, Oh Snap Macros way.

If you want more weeknight winners, check out Big Mac Pizza with a high protein crust, Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes and Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • โ€‹Only 400 calories per burger.
  • 29g of protein per burger.
  • The whole family will love this fun take on the Big Mac.

Ingredients and Substitutes:

These are the main ingredients and substitutions for these Big Mac Sloppy Joes. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions:

Seasonings, ground beef, buns, lettuce, pickles, onions, cheese, mayonnaise and ketchup for sloppy joes.

Save this recipe!

Enter your email & Iโ€™ll send it to your inbox!

  • Ground Beef: you can also use ground turkey or chicken. Or skip the sloppy part and top with frozen burgers in the air fryer for Big Macs at home.
  • American Cheese: any preferred cheese works for this recipe.
  • Buns: I like using Brioche buns since they’re typically lower in calories but any buns work.

Variations

  • You can use any ground meat but ground beef gives the best results for the classic Big Mac taste. I suggest adding extra seasoning if you use lean ground turkey.
  • Not feeling sloppy joes? Try my Big Mac wraps!

Dietary Modifications

  • To make gluten-free use arrowroot powder to thicken and gluten-free buns. 
  • To make dairy-free use a dairy-free mayonnaise and cheese or omit the cheese.
  • To lower the fat: omit the cheese or choose a reduced-fat variation. 
  • To lower the carbs: use a low-carb ketchup and/or buns or try my Big Mac Bowls.

How to make Big Mac sloppy Joe’s (a visual step-by-step guide):

Step 1: make the sloppy joe filling

Ground beef and chopped onions added to the hot pan to cook.

Spray a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat with nonstick spray. Add the diced onions and meat (image 1).

Browned and cooked beef and onions in a pan.

Brown the ground beef, breaking until pieces until cooked through, approximately 4-5 minutes (image 2).

Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and mustard added to the beef.

Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and stir to combine (image 3). Add the mustard and stir to combine.

Broth added to ground beef mixture in the pan.

Add the Worcestershire and ยผ cup beef broth. Stir together well to coat and simmer the sloppy joe mixture for 2-3 minutes (image 4).

Add the cornstarch to the remaining ยผ cup broth and add to the sloppy Joe meat. Stir and let simmer for 5 minutes to thicken. 

Step 2: make your burger sauce

Chopped pickles, pickle juice, mayonnaise and ketchup in a small bowl.

Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, and pickle juice in a small bowl (image 5).

Fully combined sauce in a small bowl with a spoon.

Stir to fully combine and set aside (image 6).

Step 3: assemble and broil

To assemble, turn the oven to broil. Place the bottom buns on a baking sheet and top with 1 tbsp. Sauce (image 7). Top the sauce with shredded lettuce (image 8). Top the lettuce with ยฝ cup meat, 103g (image 9). Top with one slice of cheese and broil until the cheese has melted (image 10).

Four images showing how to layer sloppy joes with buns topped with sauce, then lettuce, then meat, then cheese broiled on top.

Expert Tip!

Make a double batch .. you’re going to want it for putting on Big Mac Burger Bowls!

Recipe FAQs

How to store Big Mac Sloppy Joe’s.

Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave or stove top. To meal prep, keep everything separate and when ready to enjoy, reheat the meat and assemble.

What to serve with sloppy joes.

Nothing goes better with a burger than French fries and extra homemade Big Mac sauce on the side!

Two stacked sloppy joes on a piece of parchment paper with a couple french fries.

If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!

2 stacked sloppy joes with fries around and a coke in the background.

Big Mac Sloppy Joes

Danielle Lima
The famous burger meets classic sloppy Joe with these Big Mac Sloppy Joes. Easy to make and ready in less than 15 minutes, this healthier twist on two classic recipes is sure to be a new family favorite. Picky eater approved!
5 from 27 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings
Calories 403 kcal

๐Ÿ“ฑ MyFitnessPal & MacrosFirst App Users

You can find this recipe and many others on MyFitnessPal and MacrosFirst by searching: Ohsnapmacros – Big Mac Sloppy Joes

Ingredients
  

Big Mac Sloppy Joes

  • 1/2 yellow onion chopped
  • 1 lbs. lean ground beef 96/4
  • 1 tsp. yellow mustard
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup beef broth split
  • 1 tsp. corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup broth
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 slices American Cheese
  • 5 Brioche hamburger buns

Big Mac Sauce

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise 60g
  • 1/4 cup ketchup 60g
  • 1/4 cup dill pickles finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. dill pickle juice

Instructions
 

  • Spray a large skillet over medium heat with nonstick spray. Add the onions and meat and cook breaking until pieces until cooked through, approximately 5 minutes.ย 
  • Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and stir to coat the meat. Add the mustard and stir to combine. Add the Worcestershire and ยผ cup beef broth. Stir together and simmer for 2-3 minutes.ย 
  • Add the cornstarch to the remaining ยผ cup broth and add to the meat. Stir and let simmer for 5 minutes to thicken.
  • While the sauce thickens make the Big Mac sauce. Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles and pickle juice in a small bowl.ย 
  • To assemble, turn the oven to broil. Place the bottom buns on a baking sheet and top the with 1 tbsp. Sauce (16g), shredded iceberg lettuce, ยฝ cup meat mixture (103g), a slice of American cheese. Place in the oven and broil until the cheese has melted. Put an additional 1 tbsp. (16g) sauce on the top bun, pickles (optional) and place the top bun on top of the burger and enjoy!ย 
  • Optional: broil your buns before assembling for a nice crispy bun.

Notes

  • Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.ย 
  • Ground beef gives the most authentic Big Mac flavor. You can use ground chicken or turkey, if needed, adding burger seasoning to add flavor.ย 
  • Serving size includes bun, cheese, 103g of meat and 32g of sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1burgerCalories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 29gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 1205mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 8g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

35 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Literally SO goods allergic to beef so used ground turkey and chicken broth and still turned out amazing. And super duper quick!!

  2. 5 stars
    Made these tonight. My son said, โ€œthis is the best thing youโ€™ve made in a long timeโ€ ๐Ÿคฃ
    Recipe was a hit!

  3. 5 stars
    Just made this tonight and it was a hit with everyone!!! It was quick to come together. Definitely a meal you could prepare ahead of time ( the meat portion)

    Thank you so much

  4. I am making these tonight and have a question. American Cheese. Is that Kraft? Or did you do something more like Boar’s Head American Cheese?

  5. 5 stars
    These were AMAZING! Simple to make and the taste is out of this world. Exactly like I ate a Big Mac. Will be keeping this in my pocket!

  6. 5 stars
    Oh wow! This was sooo good and super easy/quick to make! This will definitely be added to my dinner rotations! ๐Ÿ˜‹

  7. 5 stars
    We just made these tonight and they were delicious! Just like how I remember a Big Mac tasting! These will definitely be on repeat in our house!!

5 from 27 votes (10 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating