McDonald’s serves millions of people every single day, but most customers have no idea about the secret ordering methods that could save them money and get them better food. While everyone knows the basics like Big Macs and Happy Meals, there’s a whole world of menu hacks and ordering tricks that employees know but rarely share. Some of these methods can get you fresher food, while others let you create items that don’t officially exist on the menu. Ready to learn how to make your next McDonald’s run way better?
Ordering fries without salt guarantees freshness
Most people don’t realize that McDonald’s fries sit under heat lamps after they’re cooked, sometimes for longer than you’d want. The standard process involves cooking batches of fries, draining the oil, dumping them in a bin, salting them, and letting them wait for customers. This means your fries could have been sitting there for several minutes before you order them. When fries sit too long, they lose that perfect crispy texture and start tasting stale.
Here’s where the trick comes in: when you order fries without salt, they have to make a completely fresh batch just for you. The cooks can’t use the pre-salted ones sitting in the bin because you specifically requested no salt. They’ll drop a new basket in the fryer and hand you piping hot fries within minutes. You might wait slightly longer, and they may need to clean the area to avoid salt contamination, but the payoff is totally worth it. Just grab some salt packets at the counter if you want to add your own seasoning.
The app offers way better deals than ordering in person
Walking up to the counter or using the drive-through without the McDonald’s app means missing out on serious savings. The app runs exclusive promotions that you simply can’t access any other way. Right now, many locations offer things like 99-cent coffee, dollar soft drinks of any size, and percentage discounts on larger orders. These deals change regularly but consistently offer better prices than standard menu rates. Plus, the app lets you customize a $5 meal deal that includes nuggets, fries, a drink, and your choice of a McChicken or McDouble.
The rewards program through the app gives you 100 points for every dollar spent, and those points add up faster than you’d think. You can redeem 1,500 points for items like hash browns or a cheeseburger, while 6,000 points gets you a Big Mac or Happy Meal. Free Fries Friday is another app-exclusive perk where you get medium fries free with any purchase over a dollar. Ordering ahead through the app also means your food is ready when you arrive, cutting down wait times significantly. The convenience alone makes it worthwhile, but the money you save over time really adds up.
Requesting a steamed bun changes everything
McDonald’s toasts most of their burger buns to give them that golden-brown appearance and slightly crispy texture. It’s become part of their signature style, but there’s actually another option that most people don’t know exists. The Filet-O-Fish comes on a steamed bun instead of a toasted one, and the difference is massive. Steamed buns are soft, pillowy, and almost double the height of regular toasted buns. They have a glossy appearance without any sesame seeds, and they create a completely different eating experience.
The best part is that you can request this steamed bun with any burger on the menu. Just tell the employee you want the same bun they use for the Filet-O-Fish, or specifically ask for a steamed bun instead of toasted. The buns only need 11 seconds in the steam drawer, so it won’t add much time to your order. Some people prefer the soft, melt-in-your-mouth quality of steamed buns, while others stick with the traditional toasted version. You won’t know which camp you fall into until you try it yourself, but having the option means you can customize your meal exactly how you want it.
Making a cheaper Big Mac is surprisingly easy
Big Macs cost around six dollars or more depending on where you live, which feels pretty steep for fast food these days. Everything has gotten more expensive lately, and those prices add up quickly if you eat at McDonald’s regularly. The good news is there’s a simple workaround that gives you basically the same thing for about two dollars less. Instead of ordering a Big Mac, order a McDouble and ask them to prepare it like a Big Mac. This means they’ll hold the ketchup and mustard that normally come on a McDouble.
Then ask them to add Big Mac sauce and shredded lettuce, which are the key ingredients that give the Big Mac its distinctive taste. You’ll end up paying closer to four dollars instead of six, though prices vary by location. The main difference is that a McDouble has two beef patties instead of the Big Mac’s configuration, and it doesn’t have that middle bun layer. But honestly? Most people can’t tell much difference once all the sauce and toppings are on there. Some locations might charge you extra for the Big Mac sauce, but even with that added cost, you’re still saving money compared to ordering the actual Big Mac.
Extra crispy nuggets require one simple request
Chicken McNuggets come out differently depending on how long they’ve been sitting and how recently they were cooked. Sometimes you get nuggets that are perfectly crispy on the outside, while other times they seem a bit softer and less crunchy. If you’re someone who really loves that extra-crispy breading, you don’t have to leave it up to chance anymore. You can actually request that your nuggets be cooked extra crispy, and many locations will honor this request if you ask nicely.
The employees will simply leave your nuggets in the fryer for a little bit longer than usual, which gives the breading that extra crunch you’re looking for. Not every employee or location will be willing to do this, so your mileage may vary depending on where you order. The key is being polite when you ask and understanding if they say it’s not possible. Also, make sure you eat these nuggets right away while they’re still hot. If you let them sit for too long, they’ll get soggy and lose that crispy texture you specifically asked for, which defeats the whole purpose of the request.
Creating a coffee milkshake costs less than you think
McDonald’s doesn’t sell coffee milkshakes on their regular menu, which seems like a missed opportunity considering how popular coffee-based treats are these days. But you can easily make your own by ordering two simple items and combining them yourself. All you need is any flavor milkshake and an espresso shot from the McCafé menu. When you get both items, pour the espresso into the milkshake, give it a quick stir, and you’ve got yourself a homemade coffee shake for way less than you’d pay at a specialty coffee shop.
A premium roast coffee at McDonald’s costs around two dollars, so adding an espresso shot to a shake is pretty affordable. The vanilla shake works great as a base, but you can experiment with chocolate or strawberry if you want to mix things up. Some people even try mixing a caramel macchiato into their vanilla shake or adding a cappuccino to chocolate. Keep in mind that adding hot coffee to cold ice cream will thin out the consistency a bit, so your shake will be more drinkable and less thick. But that’s actually perfect if you’re someone who finds regular shakes too thick to drink comfortably.
Round eggs taste way better than folded ones
Not all eggs at McDonald’s are created equal, and once you know the difference, you’ll never look at breakfast sandwiches the same way. The chain uses two types of eggs in their breakfast items: folded eggs and round eggs. Folded eggs come from a pasteurized mixture that includes eggs, water, and additives like xanthan gum. These arrive at restaurants already cooked and just get reheated when you order them. They have a rubbery texture that some people find off-putting, and they definitely don’t taste like fresh eggs.
Round eggs, on the other hand, are actual fresh eggs that get cracked and cooked in the restaurant using ring molds. They’re steamed right there when you order, which means they taste significantly better and have a much more natural texture. These round eggs normally only come on Egg McMuffins, but here’s the secret: you can request them on any breakfast sandwich. If you usually order a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit or a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich, ask them to swap the folded egg for a round one. This simple change makes a huge difference in how your breakfast tastes.
Building a land, air, and sea burger creates a monster sandwich
The land, air, and sea burger sounds like something someone made up as a joke, but it’s actually a real menu hack that McDonald’s briefly sold under that exact name. The concept combines three different types of meat from animals that live on land, in the air, and in the sea. To make this massive creation, you need to order three separate sandwiches: a Big Mac for the beef, a McChicken for the chicken, and a Filet-O-Fish for the fish. It’s not cheap since you’re buying three full sandwiches, but the result is pretty impressive if you’re really hungry.
Once you have all three sandwiches, you’ll need to take them apart and reassemble them into one towering burger. Start by opening up the Big Mac and stacking the McChicken patty on top of the first beef patty. Then take the middle bun from the Big Mac, place it on the Filet-O-Fish, and add the second beef patty on top. Finally, stack the entire Filet-O-Fish portion on top of everything else and put the Big Mac’s top bun back on. What you end up with is an absolutely enormous sandwich that’s definitely meant for sharing or for someone with a serious appetite.
Getting maximum value from reward points takes strategy
Earning points through the McDonald’s app is easy enough, but most people don’t think about how to actually maximize the value they get when redeeming those points. Every dollar you spend earns 100 points, and there are four redemption tiers: 1,500 points, 3,000 points, 4,500 points, and 6,000 points. Each tier offers different free items you can choose from. The trick is figuring out which items give you the most bang for your buck based on their regular menu prices compared to how many points they cost.
At the 1,500-point level, a McChicken offers the best value at roughly three dollars per 1,000 points redeemed. Hash browns and cheeseburgers are also decent options at this tier. When you save up 3,000 points, six-piece Chicken McNuggets give you about $1.60 per 1,000 points, which is solid. At 4,500 points, the Filet-O-Fish comes out to around $1.55 per 1,000 points. But you’ll want to avoid redeeming points for items like large iced coffee or large fries, which only work out to about 98 cents per 1,000 points. Those are terrible deals compared to the other options available.
McDonald’s has been around since 1948, growing from a single converted hot dog stand to 36,000 locations worldwide. They sell nine million pounds of fries every single day, which is pretty wild when you think about it. With all those customers coming through their doors, it makes sense that people have discovered countless ways to hack the menu over the years. These tricks aren’t about gaming the system or being difficult; they’re just about knowing what’s possible and asking for it. Next time you’re craving McDonald’s, try out a few of these methods and see which ones work best for you.
