McDonald’s is taking inspiration from its most creative fans by adding customer-made menu hacks to its fast food offerings, including an enormous triple sandwich made up of three of its most beloved regular-sized sandwiches.
Beginning next week, McDonald’s customers who can’t choose between a Big Mac, a McChicken, and a Filet-o-Fish can order all three combined into one sky-high sandwich, aptly-named the Land, Air & Sea — among some other unique fast food dishes.
Fans of the chain have long customized their orders, and with the rise of social media, some of these menu ‘hacks’ have grown so popular that they’re considered to be ‘secret menu’ items.
Starting January 31, McDonald’s is highlighting some of the most beloved secret menu favorites, adding sandwiches like the Hash Brown McMuffin, the Surf + Turf, and the Land, Air & Sea to its menus for a limited time.
Beginning next week, McDonald’s customers who can’t choose between a Big Mac, a McChicken, and a Filet-o-Fish can order all three combined into one enormous sandwich
Starting January 31, McDonald’s is offering some beloved secret menu favorites, like the Hash Brown McMuffin, which is made with a Sausage and Egg McMuffin stuffed with a hash brown
Before now, customers could enjoy these dishes but had to order the different ingredients and assemble them themselves.
Now the chain will offer them by name at participating restaurants across the US and via the app.
For breakfast lovers, there’s the the Hash Brown McMuffin, which is made with a Sausage McMuffin with Egg stuffed with a hash brown. That clocks in at 620 calories and 39 grams of fat.
There’s also the Crunchy Double, made with a double cheeseburger stuffed with chicken nuggets and finished off with barbecue sauce, which carries about 760 calories and 42 grams of fat.
Two of the menu hacks center on the Filet-o-Fish.
The Surf + Turf, which combines a Filet-O-Fish and a Double Cheeseburger, will be available exclusively on the McDonald’s app and via McDelivery. It has 830 calories and 42 grams of fat.
There’s also the Crunchy Double, made with a double cheeseburger stuffed with chicken nuggets and finished off with barbecue sauce
The Surf + Turf, which combines a Filet-O-Fish and a Double Cheeseburger, will be available exclusively on the McDonald’s app and via McDelivery
Before now, customers could enjoy these dishes but had to order the different ingredients and assemble them themselves
Finally, the The Land, Air & Sea features a McChicken sandwich, a Big Mac, and a Filet-o-Fish, all stacked on top of one another with three of the bun halves removed.
With three sandwiches combined, it carries a whopping 1,330 calories and 69 grams of total fat (when all pieces of the bun are included).
‘From Hip-Hop icons to Christmas queens, everyone has a unique go-to McDonald’s order, including our everyday customers,’ Jennifer Healan, Vice President, U.S. Marketing, Brand Content and Engagement for McDonald’s USA, said in a press release.
‘This campaign shows that it has never been “our menu” — the menu belongs to our fans. We’re excited to celebrate them in a bigger way than ever before by putting their delicious hacks — as seen on social media — on our menus.’
McDonald’s has promoted menu hacks several times in the past few years.
In November 2021, in celebration of the Egg McMuffin’s 50th anniversary, the chain shared some fan-favorite ways of upgrading the breakfast sandwich with add-ons like has browns, a McChicken patty, and sauces like syrup and jelly — though none were explicitly added to the menu.
In November 2021, in celebration of the Egg McMuffin’s 50th anniversary, the chain shared ‘hacks’ for upgrading the sandwich, like adding hash browns, bacon, tomato, and sauces
Customers can do away with the English muffins and add two hash browns (left), while adding a McChicken patty and hot sauce makes a ‘Sweet Chicken Sammie’ (right)
In January 2020, Kim Kardashian stunned fans users by revealing that she orders honey for dipping her chicken nuggets
The ‘hack’ recipes included adding bacon and tomato to create the ‘B.E.T,’ or bacon, egg, and tomato McMuffin.
Adding hash browns and grape jelly makes an ‘HB&J,’ while adding a McChicken patty and hot sauce makes a ‘Sweet Chicken Sammie.’
Or customers can do away with the English muffins altogether and sandwich the egg, Canadian bacon, and cheese between two hash browns.
In January 2020, McDonald’s also unveiled an ad campaign spotlighting the go-to orders of celebrities like Kanye West, Keith Urban, and Whoopi Goldberg.
While the orders were nearly all classic ones, Kim Kardashian stunned social media users by revealing that she orders honey for dipping her chicken nuggets.
Several other ‘secret menu’ items have become beloved by fans over the years, earning their own nicknames.
The McGangBang is one of the most infamous of the McDonald’ secret menu items. The burger mixes a McDouble with a McChicken sandwich.
There’s also the Monster Mac, which is a Big Mac with six extra beef patties.
Once quite elusive, the Mc10:35 combines both breakfast and main menu items, and is named for the time it had to be ordered — between the breakfast and lunch window.
It’s made with a Double Cheeseburger, a Sausage McMuffin with egg, and a Bacon McMuffin with egg — but now that some breakfast items are available all day at US locations, it’s a bit easier to get.
Meanwhile, the Big McChicken requires ordering a Big Mac and ditching the three pieces of bread. Those are replaced with three McChicken patties, and the whole thing is topped with Big Mac sauce.
On the sweet side, a McCrepe is made with a hotcake folded into a taco shape and filled with yogurt parfait, granola, and syrup.