The Arch Deluxe Glow-Up McDonald's Never Gave You
McDonald's burger variations may come and go, but if one thing is for certain, the fast food chain will always be cranking out new and improved burgers to cater to just about any flavor profile out there. One of the latest and greatest inventions to drop from the McDonald's kitchen is none other than the Big Arch burger, a whopping double-decker that features two quarter-pounder patties, crispy onions, white cheddar cheese, and a unique Big Arch sauce that puts plain old ketchup and mustard to shame.
Recipe developer Patterson Watkins has created an elevated version of the McDonald's Big Arch burger in this copycat recipe, and it's one that she describes as a "monster burger" (and, just looking at how tall the double-decker burger is, it's easy to see why). Of course, there's a method to her Watkins' madness: "I made it that way on purpose, McD's Big Arch burger is already a doozie, I wanted to supersize-it," she says. "Supersized in scale (unhinge your jaw, friends) and supersized in gourmet ingredients and flavor." With a few tweaks in the burger-making process, we go from a classic over-the-top burger to a truly special, finely balanced, fully loaded creation.
Gather the ingredients for this improved McDonald's Big Arch burger
Something that set apart McDonald's Big Arch burger from other burgers on the menu was the Big Arch sauce, and to replicate it for this recipe, you'll need mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, tomato paste, sweet relish, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Crispy onions also added a unique flair to the OG creation, and for this homemade version, you'll need thinly sliced yellow onion, buttermilk, cornstarch, all-purpose flour, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and either olive or vegetable oil for frying.
Then, of course, you'll also need the ingredients for the burger itself. These ingredients include high-quality beef patties, salt, sesame seed burger buns, aged white cheddar slices, shredded bib lettuce, raw yellow onion slices, and dill pickle slices.
Step 1: Add the Big Arch sauce ingredients to a bowl
To make the sauce, place the mayonnaise, mustard, tomato paste, relish, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Stir the sauce
Stir to combine the sauce, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 3: Place the sliced onions in a bowl
To make the crispy onions, place the sliced onions in a medium bowl.
Step 4: Toss the onions in buttermilk
Add the buttermilk to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and marinate, refrigerated, for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Add the flour and cornstarch to a bowl
Once the onions have marinated, place the flour and cornstarch in another medium bowl.
Step 6: Season the flour mixture
Season the flour and cornstarch with salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
Step 7: Heat the oil in a skillet
Pour the oil into a large, high-sided skillet and heat over medium-high to 350 F.
Step 8: Drain the onions
Remove the onions from the buttermilk and drain.
Step 9: Coat the onions in the flour mixture
Transfer the onions to the dry mixture and toss to coat.
Step 10: Fry the onions
Once the oil is hot, fry the onions in batches until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes.
Step 11: Set the onions aside to drain
Using a slotted spoon, remove the crispy onions from the oil, and set them aside on a wire-rack-lined baking sheet to drain.
Step 12: Season the burgers
Season the burger patties with salt.
Step 13: Heat up a pan
Lightly spritz a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over high.
Step 14: Add the patties to the skillet
Once hot, add the seasoned patties to the skillet.
Step 15: Cook the burgers on both sides
Sear the burgers on both sides until brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
Step 16: Spread Big Arch sauce onto buns
To assemble the burgers, spread sauce over the top and bottom buns.
Step 17: Layer on cheese and crispy onions
Place a slice of cheddar cheese and a handful of crispy onions on the bottom bun.
Step 18: Add the burger patty and more cheese
Top with a burger patty and another slice of cheddar cheese.
Step 19: Add the other patty and final slice of cheese
Place another burger patty and a third slice of cheddar on top.
Step 20: Add the toppings
Top the burger stack with shredded lettuce, sliced raw onions, and pickle slices.
Step 21: Cap and serve the Big Arch burgers
Cap the burgers with the sauced top bun and serve.
What can I serve with an Arch Deluxe burger?
Improved McDonald's Arch Deluxe Burger Recipe
With a few gourmet ingredient swaps and some homemade flair, our copycat McDonald's Big Arch burger is a truly deluxe, fully-loaded burger masterpiece.
Ingredients
- For the Big Arch Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ tablespoons sweet relish
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- For the crispy onions
- 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil
- For the burgers
- 4 high-quality beef burger patties
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sesame-seed burger buns
- 6 slices aged white cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded bib lettuce
- ¼ cup sliced raw yellow onion
- 6 dill pickle slices
Directions
- To make the sauce, place the mayonnaise, mustard, tomato paste, relish, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper in a medium bowl.
- Stir to combine the sauce, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- To make the crispy onions, place the sliced onions in a medium bowl.
- Add the buttermilk to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and marinate, refrigerated, for 30 minutes.
- Once the onions have marinated, place the flour and cornstarch in another medium bowl.
- Season the flour and cornstarch with salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Pour the oil into a large, high-sided skillet and heat over medium-high to 350 F.
- Remove the onions from the buttermilk and drain.
- Transfer the onions to the dry mixture and toss to coat.
- Once the oil is hot, fry the onions in batches until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the crispy onions from the oil, and set them aside on a wire-rack-lined baking sheet to drain.
- Season the burger patties with salt.
- Lightly spritz a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over high.
- Once hot, add the seasoned patties to the skillet.
- Sear the burgers on both sides until brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
- To assemble the burgers, spread sauce over the top and bottom buns.
- Place a slice of cheddar cheese and a handful of crispy onions on the bottom bun.
- Top with a burger patty and another slice of cheddar cheese.
- Place another burger patty and a third slice of cheddar on top.
- Top the burger stack with shredded lettuce, sliced raw onions, and pickle slices.
- Cap the burgers with the sauced top bun and serve.
How do I pick upgraded ingredients for this burger?
As Watkins tells us of her larger-than-life McDonald's recreation, "The essence of the Big Arch is in there." The key ingredients, like the double patties, white cheddar cheese, pickle slices, and Big Arch sauce are truly what set this burger apart not only from other offerings on McDonald's menu, but from other burgers in general. As for making this "upgraded" version, as Watkins explains, "I just swapped the ho-hum ingredients for tastier options with homemade flair."
So, what exactly do we mean by tastier options? To start, the sauce is a big step up from your typical ketchup, and it's one that delicately balances creamy, acidic, and savory ingredients quite nicely. "I like using a less sweet, more vinegary mayo (like Dukes) for sauces like this one — when combined with Dijon you get a twangy finish," Watkins explains. She also opted for grass-fed beef as it has a meatier, beefier flavor profile, and it's leaner, which makes it a great pairing option for heavy lifters like white cheddar cheese and fried onions. Speaking of white cheddar cheese, Watkins even took things a step further by opting for aged white cheddar, which provides much more depth of flavor, making for a homemade burger that's even better than the one you'd get in the McDonald's drive-thru.
Can you make your own beef mixture instead of using pre-portioned patties?
Watkins reaches for pre-portioned, grass-fed beef patties for this recipe. The grass-fed part is more for quality and flavor reasons, while the pre-portioned part is more for convenience. If you'd prefer not to buy pre-portioned patties, Watkins notes that you can indeed make your own burger mix, and it can be as simple as portioning ground beef into 4 to 6-ounce patties (although you may want to add other flavoring agents or binders depending on personal preference). "You can also either freeze your patties or buy the frozen burger patties depending on your preference and budget," Watkins notes.
If you're fine with using pre-portioned patties but are looking to make other swaps elsewhere in the recipe, that's certainly an option. "I gave you plenty of wiggle room with most of the components," Watkins says, with easy swaps being trying a different kind of cheese or using store-bought crispy onions instead of making your own. You can also skip the Big Arch sauce and use traditional ketchup and mustard instead — or perhaps take a cue from another McDonald's favorite and use Big Mac sauce.