27 mouth-watering McDonald's meal hacks that will change the way you eat

Game-changing McDonald's hacks

McD’s, Maccas, Mickey D’s... Whatever you call it, McDonald's is always there when you need a quick and satisfying bite to eat. But what if we told you that there are a handful of secret methods you can use to make your McDonald's experience even better? If you want to get more from your meals, these tips and tricks will ensure you leave the Golden Arches with a smile on your face.

Read on to discover 27 must-try McDonald's hacks, counting down to the most essential tip of all.

27. Snag cheaper McNuggets

Reliably crispy and endlessly snackable, McNuggets are always a winner. However, depending on how hungry you are, it can be tricky to know what serving size to order. If your aim is to get more for your money, it’s better to order a larger box. The price difference between six and nine nuggets, for example, is pretty small. Just don't forget to add dipping sauces!

26. Opt for a steamed bun

If you've tried most things on the menu, you'll know that McDonald's has different bun styles for different burgers. Traditionally, the Filet-O-Fish comes with a light, fluffy steamed bun with a glossy top and no sesame seeds. It's famously soft and squishy – and it's almost double the height of a regular toasted bun. Not a fan of fish burgers? You can ask to have a steamed bun with any McDonald's burger you like.

25. Ask for an All American burger

Consisting of a beef patty, ketchup and pickles inside a hamburger bun, the All American is a secret menu item that'll take you back to simpler times. There's no cheese whatsoever to be found in this burger, making it a great choice if you want a lower-fat option – or just prefer your burgers plain.

24. Upgrade your eggs

If you're not having scrambled eggs with your McDonald's breakfast, you'll get either folded or round eggs. Folded eggs are made from a pasteurised egg mixture (which also contains water, xanthan gum and other additives), and they're shipped to stores already cooked. Round eggs – which are used in McMuffins – are cooked in store; fresh eggs are simply steamed in a ring mould. If you don’t like the sound of the former, ask to swap it for a round egg to get the real deal.

23. Ask for a receipt

After placing your McDonald's order, you'll often receive a receipt automatically with your order number on it (especially if you're ordering in store). However, if you don’t receive one, make sure you ask. Insisting on a receipt, even for a meal that doesn’t cost much, could convince employees that you’re a secret shopper, there to assess the restaurant. This means they’ll serve you the freshest food – and quickly, too. They might even be friendlier and more polite to make the best impression.

22. Get fresh fries

Want fresh fries every time? Try ordering them without salt; the cooks will have to fry a new batch. The downside is that they might not give you as many, and you could be waiting a little longer (they'll need to wipe down the area to ensure it’s not contaminated with salt before cooking) – but who could argue with fresh, hot fries?

21. Try a grilled cheese

If you’re after a lighter (or vegetarian-friendly) burger option, why not order a grilled cheese next time you're at McDonald's? It's just like it sounds – your server will pop a cheese slice in a hamburger bun, then grill it. It might not be the most exciting secret menu option, but it certainly hits the spot when you have a craving (and it should keep fussy eaters happy, too).

20. Get cheaper hash browns

Hot and crispy hash browns are the best part of any McDonald’s breakfast – but you could be paying too much for them. If you know what to ask for, you can get a better deal. Staff members have the option to press an 'Uplift Hash Brown' button on their till – thereby charging customers less to add a hash brown to their order when they’ve bought a meal. However, staff members are told to charge the full price of a hash brown unless the customer asks otherwise.

19. Make a coffee shake

Love all things coffee flavoured? McDonald’s doesn’t do a coffee shake, but it’s easy to make one. Buy a vanilla shake, add a couple of shots of espresso, and you’ll have yourself a delicious coffee-flavoured shake that’s perfect for any time of the day. The coffee will thin out the shake a little, but trust us – it'll still taste great.

18. Enjoy fresher burgers

To guarantee you get a fresh burger every time, ask for it without something – for example, ask for a Quarter Pounder with no pickles. A staff member will relay your request to the cooks, and they’ll make it then and there. This way, you’ll get a fresh burger that hasn’t been sitting on the warmer for who knows how long.

17. Get Big Mac sauce on the side

If you’re a fan of McDonald’s legendary Big Mac sauce, we have some good news: you don’t have to order the burger to enjoy it. Most restaurants will serve the sauce on the side, if you ask nicely. US branches of McDonald’s even offered it in larger sauce cups for a limited time in 2023, recognising just how popular it is.

16. Make your own floats

This one's for the sweet treat fans. Next time you're at McDonald's, ask for a soft drink, some vanilla soft serve ice cream and an extra cup. Pour half the drink into the empty cup, top each one with ice cream, and there you have it: two floats! You can give different flavoured sodas a go to find the best combinations (in the US, the root beer float is particularly popular).

15. Get a Neapolitan shake

Most McDonald's locations have milkshake machines with several basic flavours on offer (as well as the occasional limited-edition variety). But did you know that you can ask your server to mix the vanilla, chocolate and strawberry shakes together in one cup to create a Neapolitan super-shake? Alternatively, you could buy a shake in each flavour, then mix them yourself.

14. Sample the sauces

Depending on where you are in the world, McDonald's sauces can vary – but there's always more of a selection than you might think. Most locations offer ketchup and barbecue sauce, but the likes of sweet and sour, honey mustard, chipotle barbecue, sweet chilli, hot mustard and creamy ranch could be lurking behind the counter, too. And that's not counting limited-edition sauces!

13.. Enjoy a McDonald's brunch

Technically, there’s no such thing as a brunch menu at McDonald’s – but there is a way to enjoy the chain's breakfast and lunch items at the same time. If you go during the transition period between breakfast and lunch, generally between 10.30am and 11am, you can order hash browns alongside your Big Mac. If you get lucky, you might even be able to order the special McBrunch burger: a double cheeseburger with eggs, hash browns and bacon.

12. Get a budget Big Mac

Big Macs are undeniably delicious, but they're a little expensive. Trying to be thrifty? This clever hack will allow you to build a Big Mac from a cheaper burger. It’s a little-known fact that any burger on the menu can be ordered 'like a Mac' (there’s even a button on the register in some locations that selects this option). This means you can order a lower-priced McDouble, hold the ketchup and mustard, and add lettuce and Big Mac sauce.

11. Tuck into a two-cheeseburger meal

If one cheeseburger in your meal isn't enough, go ahead and order a Cheeseburger Combo Meal – you'll get a medium drink, fries and a double helping of cheeseburger goodness. Many fast food chains have been ramping up their value offerings lately, but this filling meal has to be one of the best deals around.

10. Create a chicken cordon bleu McMuffin

As part of the secret brunch menu at McDonald’s, you can bring together the McChicken and the McMuffin to create a chicken cordon bleu McMuffin, inspired by traditional Swiss dish cordon bleu (ham and cheese stuffed inside a breaded chicken breast). Ask for a McChicken patty in a McMuffin, and you’ll soon be chowing down on a combo of fried chicken, bacon, egg and cheese.

9. Hack a hash brown McMuffin

The two most famous items on McDonald’s breakfast menu are amazing on their own – but they're even better when put together. Just slide a hash brown into your egg McMuffin and enjoy. The hash brown McMuffin is so popular that, in 2022, McDonald’s openly advertised it as a menu hack (but you still had to put it together yourself).

8. Build a Big McChicken

Did you know that you can take a regular McChicken (pictured) to new heights by ordering a Big McChicken? Instead of toasted bun halves, this secret menu item sees the McChicken's usual filling sandwiched between two McChicken patties – creating a towering treat consisting of a breaded chicken patty, lettuce and mayo, plus an additional two chicken patties around the outside. 'Big' might just be an understatement!

7. Discover the Land, Air & Sea Burger

Another menu hack recognised by McDonald’s in 2022, the Land, Air & Sea combines three burgers to make one gigantic burger. To put it together, you’ll need a Big Mac, a Filet-O-Fish and a McChicken so you can stack all the ingredients into a single tower. If you’re lucky, staff might put this secret menu item together for you, but you’ll probably have to do it yourself.

6. Make a caramel apple sundae

Making this small change to a regular McDonald’s sundae can make a big difference – especially because it’s so cheap and easy to do. Ordering a hot caramel sundae and adding crispy apple slices will take the dessert up a notch. Yes, apple slices are supposed to be one of McDonald's healthier dessert options, but we won’t tell if you won’t.

5. Go wild with a Monster Mac

The stuff of legend, the Monster Mac is a Big Mac with eight – yes, eight – patties. It’s part of McDonald's secret menu, and it's a challenge to get your hands (not to mention your mouth) around. It should be stacked as follows: bun, four patties, bun, four patties, bun. We’re going to assume it doesn’t leave much space for dessert.

4. Enjoy an ice cream sandwich

Sometimes, when you want the perfect dessert, you have to put it together yourself. If you’re partial to an ice cream sandwich, McDonald’s has all the elements you need to make one. At the beginner level, you have the option of placing soft serve in between two cookies – something TikTok user @tommywinkler shared in 2023. If you want to go really wild, though, another TikToker, Kelly Arvan, advocates for putting your McFlurry between a pair of hash browns.

3. Snag a discount meal

Being in the right job could help you save at McDonald’s. If you’re a police officer, or if you work in a hospital or for the fire service, you could get money off your meal. However, this isn't guaranteed at all locations, as offering these discounts is at the discretion of each individual franchisee.

2. Try an Apple pie McFlurry

The apple pie McFlurry has quickly become a popular item on McDonald's secret menu. All you need is a standard McFlurry (with your choice of toppings) as well as an apple pie. Simply add the pie to the McFlurry, and you’ve got a creamy dessert that’s sure to satisfy. The hack has gone so viral that McDonald’s officially released an Apple Pie McFlurry as a limited item in some countries, including Canada and Australia.

1. Build your own Chicken Big Mac

We're all familiar with the classic Big Mac, but did you know there’s a chicken version? It was briefly tested in Miami, Florida, and has also been sold for limited periods in the UK and Canada. But if you can’t get your hands on one, you could always make your own. Buy a Big Mac and two McChicken burgers, then replace the beef patties with chicken. It’s a bit of an investment in terms of both time and money, but those who've tried it say it's worth it.

Now discover the most delicious McDonald's menu items from around the world