This copycat version of Shake Shack’s ‘Shack Sauce’ is a great representation of the popular burger chain’s tangy house sauce. It’s rich and creamy but has just enough savory/salty elements to make it enjoyable. I find it’s perfect for a range of burgers, sandwiches, or for dipping fried chicken or taquitos! Thanks should go to author, food critic, and Serious Eats culinary consultant J. Kenji López-Alt, who got to the bottom of what goes into making Shack Sauce!

Shack sauce is delicious, versatile and easy to replicate – it’s flavorsome yet creamy, but without any scary elements (heat!) that can turn off those that like sauce, but don’t need to have it on everything. There’s no intensive heat or spice to destroy your palate – just a cheeky pinch of cayenne pepper – and there’s nothing that you need to make it that you can’t find in your pantry or fridge.

According to my friends here in Australia, the small amount of finely chopped dill pickle is the most divisive element when trying this copycat version. Understandably, dill pickle is not for everyone. To combat this, you could use some dill pickle brine to keep the flavor, but smooth out the texture, or you can throw the whole mix in the food processor to get a similar effect.

Copycat Shack Sauce is a real stand out condiment, and now gets made almost weekly in my household. The recipe below makes almost a cup’s worth, which you can keep in the fridge for up to a week if you’re not using it every moment of the day!