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 Nutrition 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.
Calories
There are 390 calories in McDonald’s Big Mac without the bread.
Here is a summary of calories by macronutrient, per serving:
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.
McDonald’s Big Mac (No Bun)
% calories from fat, carbs and proteinCalories by nutrient are rounded estimates based on the nutrition facts information provided by McDonald’s fast food restaurant. 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.
Nutrition Facts
Review the table below for nutrition facts in a Big Mac without the burger bun.
Amount (%DV) per Big Mac (no bun)
Red indicates a high %DV.
|
Calories |
390 |
%DV |
|
Total Fat |
32g |
41% |
|
Saturated Fat |
11g |
54% |
|
Trans Fat |
1g | |
|
Cholesterol |
85mg |
28% |
|
Sodium |
750mg |
32% |
|
Carbohydrates |
8g |
3% |
|
Dietary Fiber |
1g |
4% |
|
Total Sugars |
3g | |
|
Added Sugars |
2g |
4% |
|
Protein |
18g |
%DV based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calorie needs vary and your %DV may be higher or lower. Provided for informational purposes only. Consult with your physician for dietary or healthcare advice.
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.
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.
SUMMARY OF FAT PER SERVING
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).
Check the nutrition facts in a Burger King Whopper.
Check nutrition facts in McDonald’s menu
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 |
Big Mac Ingredients and Allergens
Ingredients
In addition to lettuce and diced onions, the Big Mac recipe includes an all beef patty and American cheese. It’s topped with pickles and a special sauce. Here are the ingredients.
Ingredients
|
Beef Patty |
|
100% Pure USDA inspected Beef prepared with Salt and Black Pepper |
|
Big Mac Sauce |
|
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, Soy Lecithin |
|
Pasteurized Process American Cheese |
|
Milk, Cream, Water, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Citric Acid, Enzymes, Soy Lecithin, Color Added |
|
Pickles |
|
Cucumbers, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Alum, Potassium Sorbate, Natural Flavors, Polysorbate 80, and Extractives of Turmeric (color). |
|
Other Ingredients |
|
Lettuce, Diced Onions |
Excluded Ingredients: Big Mac Bun
The following list of ingredients are used in the bun.
Although this review is centered around a McDonald’s Big Mac without the bun, we include the sandwich bun ingredients for reference to help you determine whether the burger served with or without the bread is the best option for your diet.
Ingredients in Hamburger Bun |
|---|
|
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, Dough Conditioners |
Check the ingredients in McDonald’s Classic Cheeseburger
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.
Because kitchen operations make use of shared space, even foods that are made without common allergens may contain or come in contact with allergens.
Fast Food Burgers
Nutrition Comparison: McDonald’s Burgers
Use the the following table to check prices and summary nutrients in McDonald’s Burgers.
| Updated December 2025 | Calories | Fat | Carbs | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburger | 250 | 9g | 30g | 12g | 510mg |
| Cheeseburger | 300 | 13g | 31g | 15g | 720mg |
| Double Cheeseburger | 440 | 24g | 34g | 25g | 1120mg |
| McDouble | 390 | 20g | 32g | 22g | 920mg |
| Big Mac | 590 | 34g | 46g | 25g | 1050mg |
| Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 520 | 26g | 42g | 30g | 1140mg |
| Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe | 630 | 37g | 44g | 30g | 1210mg |
| Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 740 | 42g | 43g | 48g | 1360mg |
| Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 630 | 35g | 43g | 36g | 1470mg |
| Double Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 850 | 51g | 44g | 54g | 1680mg |
| Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe | 850 | 53g | 45g | 49g | 1420mg |
| BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 630 | 35g | 44g | 36g | 1460mg |
| Double BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 850 | 51g | 45g | 54g | 1670mg |
| Double Hamburger | 340 | 16g | 30g | 20g | 710mg |
| Triple Cheeseburger | 530 | 31g | 33g | 32g | 1280mg |
| Bacon McDouble | 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!
Nutrition facts, prices, and ingredients are based on available information as of the date of publication. Restaurants and food manufacturers may change recipes or formulations without notice. Check package labels and ask the product manufacturer or restaurant for the most up-to-date information. Unless otherwise stated, %DV is based on a 2,000 calorie diet. All reports and reviews published on this site are for informational purposes only. NutritionandIngredients.com does not provide healthcare advice or dietary recommendations. Always consult your licensed physician for any healthcare or dietary advice.
Nutrition facts and ingredients source: McDonald’s. Food product images courtesy of McDonald’s. Original designs by Nutrition & Ingredients for purposes of research and commentary related to fast food nutrition.