If you’re a McDonald’s fan, it’s likely you have a go-to order that you rarely stray from, but sometimes you might be tempted to try something new.
From the iconic Big Mac to McNuggets, pies, and various McFlurry flavours, there’s plenty of choice for those who do fancy changing it up, plus new items are always joining the menu.
But according to a former McDonald’s corporate chef, there are even more ways to customise your order than you might have realised.
Taking to social media, Mike Haracz revealed his top four Maccies ‘secret’ menu hacks, including one that apparently allows customers to order a classic ‘pub favourite’.
The chef, from the US, says that if you make a few simple tweaks to a Filet-O-Fish, you’ll be getting something closer to a traditional British fish finger sandwich.
A Filet-O-Fish traditionally consists of white Hoki or Pollock fish in crispy breadcrumbs with cheese and tartare sauce in a steamed bun.
Mike’s top tip is to ditch the bun and ask for the fish to be served on an English muffin instead. The chef also recommends substituting the tartare sauce for Big Mac sauce when ordering this… controversial!
‘This is a pretty tasty kind of English pub-style fish sandwich thing,’ he explains.
However, there is a catch, as you won’t be able to order this any time you fancy; when it comes to many secret menu items, timing is everything.
As the muffins are only available while breakfast is being served, you’ll need to try and order the secret menu item just as breakfast is ending (normally 11am) and lunch is beginning.
There’s also no guarantee that staff will actually say yes to the combo, but it’s still worth trying your luck anyway. Mike says you’ll likely only be able to get your hands on it if they’re ‘nice’ in your local restaurant.
And this wasn’t the chef’s only unique hack. Mike also advised swapping the buns on a Quarter Pounder burger with cheese for the steamed buns from the Filet-O-Fish to make it taste ‘beefier’, or asking for burger seasoning on your fries as it makes them ‘more exciting’.
His final recommendation was to remove the patties from a Big Mac and add lots of bacon and tomato for an epic BLT.
Thousands of people liked the video, with dozens taking to the comments to share their thoughts.
‘They DO NOT like to customise in McDonalds. You can’t have it your way,’ proclaimed a TikToker named Janine, while @Idschick77 replied: ‘I tried the fish with an English muffin and they said they can’t do that.’
However, some people had been successful at tweaking their orders.
Sherry Rose posted to say that McDonald’s staff can do an English muffin ‘anytime’ but that it likely won’t be toasted as it is with the morning McMuffins. ‘Just kinda caramelised and warm like the buns,’ she explained.
Bill Hosler also said: ‘We used to make Double Quarters with Mac sauce and the rehydrated onions instead of slivered onions and dress it like a Big Mac.’
And in another handy tip, Nick Dhuyvetter wrote: ‘If you do order a custom item, make sure to scan the order with the app. It’ll then be saved under recent orders for convenience.’
Others admitted they’d previously ordered a Fish Mac and it was the ‘best fish sandwich ever’ while some said they liked to add lettuce or pickles to their Filet-O-Fish for an extra hit of zing.
This article was first published on April 4, 2024.
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