How Many Calories are in a Big Mac Without the Bun?
Have you ever wondered how many calories you cut out by removing certain components of the famed Big Mac®? We did the research and created a detailed report to illustrate how the nutritional value, calories and ingredients change if the bun is removed.
Read this guide for a breakdown of the nutrition and calories in McDonald’s Big Mac without the Bun. You may find that a slight adjustment creates the best fast food burger to fit your dietary goals.
Nutritional information in this report was sourced from McDonald’s.
Big Mac Nutritional Information
Unless otherwise noted, nutritional information in this guide is based on one Big Mac cheeseburger, including the beef patty, lettuce, sauce, cheese, pickles, and onions, without the bun.
Serving Size Big Mac® (without Big Mac bun)
Calories
390% Daily Value
saturated fat
54%High
sodium
32%High
cholesterol
28%High
%DV based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet
Percentage daily value (% DV) measures how much one nutrient per serving contributes to a 2,000 calorie daily diet, but individual needs vary and your daily value may be different.
Calories
There are 390 Calories in McDonald’s Big Mac without the bread.
The following list illustrates total calories derived from fat, carbs, and protein.
Approximately 74% of total calories are derived from total fats. Protein makes up about 18% of the total calories and the remaining 8% is from carbohydrates.
The breakout of calories by nutrient is a rounded estimate based on the nutrition facts label provided by McDonald’s. Calories may vary by location or as a result of how the cheeseburger is prepared.
Lower Calories due to Fewer Carbs
The Big Mac bun alone contains 190 total calories. Carbohydrates in the bun contribute about 79% of that total.
Accordingly, removing the bun from a Big Mac reduces total carbs in the cheeseburger by 82%.
Dietary Fat Delivers Higher Portion of Total Calories
Although the 290 calories from fat is almost the same as in a standard Big Mac (300 calories from fat), the percentage of total calories from fat increases significantly.
Dietary fats only contribute about 8% of the 190 total calories in the bun.
Said differently, dietary fat in the beef patty, cheese, and sauce remains the same, but total calories decline.
The 290 calories from dietary fats is now a much higher proportion of the 390 total calories compared to a standard serving of the Big Mac.
Total Fat
Given the main ingredients are still beef and cheese, it is no surprise that there is a high portion of dietary fat in this popular lunch meal.
SUMMARY OF DIETARY FAT PER SERVING
One Big Mac without the bun contains 32 grams of total fat, including 11 grams of saturated fat. That is high.
Total dietary fats include one gram of trans fatty acid when the cheeseburger is made without (or without) the bun.
Sodium
A single serving of this highly popular cheeseburger without the bun contains 750 milligrams of sodium, approximately 29% less than the amount of sodium in a regular Big Mac.
However, 750mg of sodium is still high with a 32% daily value (based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet).
Nutrition Summary
1 Big Mac (excluding the bun)
CALORIES
390TOTAL FAT
32g(41%DV)
CARBOHYDRATES
8g(3%DV)
PROTEIN
18g| Saturated Fat | 11g (54%DV) |
| Trans Fat | 1g |
| Cholesterol | 85mg (28%DV) |
| Sodium | 750mg (32%DV) |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g (4%DV) |
| Total Sugars | 3g |
| Added Sugars | 2g (4%DV) |
%DV (Percent Daily Values) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calorie needs vary and your daily value may be higher or lower. Provided for informational purposes only. Consult with your physician for dietary or healthcare advice.
To wrap up our detailed overview of the nutritional value, here is a data table comparing the nutritional value in a standard order of this beef and cheese sandwich compared to our customized version without the bread.
Nutrition Facts Comparison
| STANDARD BIG MAC | WITHOUT BREAD | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 580 | 390 |
| Total Fat | 34g | 32g |
| — Saturated Fat | 11g | 11g |
| — Trans Fat | 1g | 1g |
| Cholesterol | 85mg | 85mg |
| Sodium | 1,060mg | 750mg |
| Carbohydrates | 45g | 8g |
| Sugars | 7g | 3g |
| Protein | 25g | 18g |
Ingredients and Allergens in Big Mac
Ingredients
In addition to lettuce and diced onions, the Big Mac is made with an all beef patty and American cheese. It’s topped with pickles and a special sauce. Here are the ingredients.
Beef Patty
Ingredients:100% Pure USDA inspected Beef prepared with Salt and Black Pepper.
Big Mac Sauce
Ingredients:Soybean Oil, Sweet Relish, Water, Egg Yolks, Distilled Vinegar, Spices, Onion Powder, Salt, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Garlic Powder, Vegetable Protein, Sugar, Caramel Color, Turmeric, Extractives of Paprika, and Soy Lecithin.
Pasteurized Process American Cheese
Ingredients:Milk, Cream, Water, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Citric Acid, Enzymes, Soy Lecithin, and Color Added
Pickles
Here is the full list of ingredients in the pickles.
Ingredients:Cucumbers, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Alum, Potassium Sorbate, Natural Flavors, Polysorbate 80, and Extractives of Turmeric (color).
Excluded Ingredients: Big Mac Bun
The following list of ingredients are used in the bun. We include it here for informational purposes to help you determine whether the burger served with or without the bread is best for your diet.
Ingredients:Enriched Flour, Water, Sugar, Yeast, Soybean Oil, Salt, Wheat Gluten, Sesame Seeds, Potato Flour, Vinegar, Dextrose, Corn Starch, Modified Food Starch, Vegetable Proteins (pea, potato, rice, and/or faba bean), Sunflower and/or Canola Oil, Maltodextrin, Natural Flavors, and Dough Conditioners.
What is Potassium Sorbate?
Potassium Sorbate (used in McDonald’s pickles) is an inorganic, chemical additive used to preserve foods and drinks. The odorless salt is manufactured from sorbic acid and potassium hydroxide.
The purpose of using potassium sorbate is to inhibit the growth of molds, yeast, and fungi to increase the shelf life of processed foods.
It’s often used in the production of juices, cheese, pickles, ice cream, and wine, among many other food items. Potassium sorbate is also used in pet food products.
Allergens
This beef and cheese sandwich contains egg, milk, soy, and wheat.
If you order the classic version of this burger, the bun contains sesame and pea proteins.
Fast Food Burgers
Nutrition Comparison: McDonald’s Burgers
Use the the following table to check prices and summary nutrients in McDonald’s Burgers.
Use the arrows in the top row to sort by menu item or nutrient. If you’re viewing the data on a smaller screen, select the plus icon to expand rows and display additional information.
McDonald’s Burger Menu with Prices
| Updated Mar 2025 | Price | Calories | Fat | Carbs | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburger | $1.79 | 250 | 9g | 30g | 12g | 510mg |
| Cheeseburger | $2.09 | 300 | 13g | 31g | 15g | 720mg |
| Double Cheeseburger | $3.29 | 440 | 24g | 34g | 25g | 1120mg |
| McDouble | $2.99 | 390 | 20g | 32g | 22g | 920mg |
| Big Mac | $5.59 | 590 | 34g | 46g | 25g | 1050mg |
| Quarter Pounder with Cheese | $5.89 | 520 | 26g | 42g | 30g | 1140mg |
| Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe | $6.49 | 630 | 37g | 44g | 30g | 1210mg |
| Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese | $7.09 | 740 | 42g | 43g | 48g | 1360mg |
| Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese | $6.99 | 630 | 35g | 43g | 36g | 1470mg |
| Double Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese | $7.99 | 850 | 51g | 44g | 54g | 1680mg |
| Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe | $7.39 | 850 | 53g | 45g | 49g | 1420mg |
| BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese | $6.99 | 630 | 35g | 44g | 36g | 1460mg |
| Double BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese | $7.99 | 850 | 51g | 45g | 54g | 1670mg |
| Double Hamburger | $2.49 | 340 | 16g | 30g | 20g | 710mg |
| Triple Cheeseburger | $4.09 | 530 | 31g | 33g | 32g | 1280mg |
| Bacon McDouble | $3.79 | 460 | 26g | 32g | 26g | 1140mg |
We praise McDonald’s for providing a high level of transparency into the nutritional information for its menu items.
Nutrition facts, calories, ingredients, and allergens are sourced directly from the fast food giant.
If you’re interested in learning more, visit McDonald’s website, select a menu item, then scroll down to the ingredients calculator. Try it out and let us know which nutritional adjustments to burgers, sandwiches, or other meals surprised you most!
Ingredients, allergens, and nutrition facts are based on available information as of the date this article was published and/or updated. Restaurants and food manufacturers may change their recipes without notice. Check directly with the food provider for the most accurate and up-to-date information. NutritionandIngredients.com does not provide health or wellness advice or dietary recommendations. Our aim is to research commercially processed food and publish articles for informational purposes only. Unless otherwise stated, % Daily Value is based on 2,000 calories per day, but calorie needs vary by individual. Always consult your physician for any healthcare or dietary advice.
Nutrition facts and ingredients source: McDonald’s