Dill Pickles Are The Secret Ingredient In Shake Shack's Sauce
Beginning as a humble hot dog cart in 2001, Shake Shack has grown into a burger sensation. Valued at $2.56 billion, the chain has 317 restaurants in the United States. Shake Shack is known for sourcing quality ingredients. Yes, the smashed burger is typically the star of the show, but there are some key supporting players, as well. The potato bun provides a perfectly fluffy vessel for your meat and condiments, and the burger seasoning is another MVP.
However, Shake Shack's famous sauce plays an integral role in your meal because it delivers creaminess and tang that cuts through the rich sandwich. The chain's recipe developers knew what they were doing when they concocted this sauce because they incorporated one ingredient that can be divisive as a sandwich topping — the pickle. Not everyone wants pickles on their sandwich, but the Shake Shack sauce hit the nail on the head in terms of how to package in its signature sharp flavor.
Dill pickle juice delivers tangy flavor in Shake Shack sauce
There's no wrong way to eat a burger, but Shake Shack has identified the right way. The Shackburger, a classic Shake Shack order, promises a juicy burger with lettuce and tomato and, of course, the sauce.
This burger spread gets its punchy flavor from dill pickle juice, and it's one reason why Shake Shack's Shackburger is so delicious, according to Tasting Table. For the sauce recipe, dill pickle juice is combined with mayo, mustard, ketchup, and cayenne for a creamy spread that perfectly complements the burger. It also makes a superb French fry dipping sauce. The marriage of these ingredients creates a beautiful model of how flavors can come together.
The sauce has seen several revisions through the years. At one point, it contained diced-up dill pickles, but they kept getting stuck in the opening of the squeeze bottles. Therefore, the chain opted for pickle juice instead.A copycat Shake Shack Shackburger Recipe prescribes dill pickle juice as a way to thin out and flavor the sauce.
Static Media owns and operates Mashed and Tasting Table.