McDonald’s made a much hyped announcement this week: It will be changing the way it makes its burgers. While the Quarter Pounder got a significant upgrade in 2018 with the brand’s switch to fresh beef patties, the other burgers on the menu with standard beef patties weren’t touched. Now, though, McDonald’s is confident that its new process tweaks to the burger lineup will elevate the entire experience of eating McDonald’s food. Let’s walk through the changes and see if they amount to a better burger.
“McDonald’s has been #burgergoals since we flipped our first patty back in 1955,” the company’s announcement begins. “And while it may seem hard to beat the perfectly seasoned 100% pure beef, tangy pickles, and just-right ratio of ketchup and mustard that made us famous... we’re about to make our classic burgers even better.”
Advertisem*nt
Here’s a brief overview of the “small but tasty improvements” coming to McDonald’s burgers:
Those tiny minced onions will see some grill time: Currently, the onions on McDonald’s burgers are served uncooked (often dehydrated and rehydrated before serving), but going forward they’ll be added to the patties while they’re on the grill, which should lend them some additional flavor and color. Those onions are so tiny that it’s hard to predict whether the difference will be noticeable, but when it comes to cooking, extra layers of flavor are never a bad thing.
The cheese will be melty:I’m sure you’ve all experienced a McDonald’s cheeseburger with a square of unmelted cheese on it, which isn’t much fun to eat. In the current process, the cheese slices are added to the burger cold, as seen in this video, and if the carryover heat from the patty isn’t hot enough, the cheese doesn’t melt. On the new burgers, the slices will be applied to the patty in a different way, resulting in “perfectly melted cheese”; I’m guessing this means straight off the grill or in the holding tray.
The Big Mac will get saucier: If you’ve ever had a Big Mac with a paltry amount of Mac sauce on it, you’ll be happy to know that the default amount on each burger is increasing, bringing “more tangy sweetness” to the experience. Being the signature component of a Big Mac, the special sauce is often the best part, so a saucier burger is good news—but maybe a little messier?
The buns will be upgraded:The press release says the burgers will now feature “softer, pillowy buns that are freshly toasted to a golden brown.” I’m so used to burger buns being relegated to an afterthought, but McDonald’s is confident this improvement will help make each burger a touch better.
Advertisem*nt
In the side-by-side photo above, it’s clear that McDonald’s wants to highlight its newly cooked onions, and the cheese on the 2023 burger looks slightly more melted. The upgraded bun looks roughly the same, but maybe a little more glossy. As McDonald’s own press release notes, the changes are quite subtle.
Advertisem*nt
Why is McDonald’s changing its burgers?
While this seems like small potatoes, it’s important to note that for the fast food industry as a whole, the devil’s in the details, and putting certain elements of the food prep process on autopilot can tank the public’s perception of a given brand. Lots of chains are currently evaluating how they do things and pinpointing areas for improvement.
Advertisem*nt
Subway, for example, has moved over to freshly sliced meat in its stores rather than stocking pre-sliced cold cuts, which will not only save the chain money but make the sandwiches taste fresher. This is all part of Subway’s Eat Fresh Refresh campaign, which is focused on improving overall customer experience.
Then there’s Burger King, which has beenimproving upon its flagship, product, the Whopper, to revitalize the brand as a whole. By removing the Whopper from the value menu and speeding up its assembly, BK is committing to the burger as the “centerpiece of our game plan,” in the words of the CEO. The tweaked Whopper (and its killer ad campaign) has proven successful and even spurred growth for the brand.
Advertisem*nt
With competition so stiff these days, large corporations seem to understand that store-level execution of the fundamentals will make or break the business. Frankly, I think it’s about time—too often we resign ourselves to fast food’s lower quality as a trade-off for its convenience. But there are a lot of improvements that can be made without investing tons of money or overextending workers, and they’re well worth the effort.
Where to get McDonald’s new and improved burgers in 2023
McDonald’s “new” burgers aren’t rolling out to every location just yet, but customers can expect to see them nationwide by the end of 2024. International markets like Australia, Canada, and Belgium have all seen the changeover already.
Advertisem*nt
Here in the United States, some cities already have the new burgers, too, includingLos Angeles, Portland, Sacramento, Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Boise, and Tucson. If any of you in those locales have noticed the difference, let us know in the comments.
The recipe change—which included new, pillowy toasted buns, melty cheese, caramelized onions, even more Big Mac sauce, and a new grilling method—meant all burgers are now hotter, juicier, and all-around more delicious than before.
The burger patties are also being cooked differently.
The beef patties at McDonald's are now getting a "tighter sear" on the grill. The idea is that by exposing them to more heat, you seal more moisture inside the patties for a juicier bite and a stronger grilled flavor.
McDonald's CFO Ian Borden said the company's team of chefs from around the globe has developed a "larger, satiating burger," which they plan to roll out in certain parts of the world in 2024. And if the bigger burger is a success during the limited rollout, McDonald's may debut it worldwide.
McDonald's said that beef patties will now have "tighter sear" on the grill, resulting in "hotter and juicier" beef patties. The change is said to maximise flavour. New processes are also being implemented to the grilled onions.
The popular burgers are getting a complete makeover with the beef patties getting a tighter sear on the grill, resulting in hotter and juicier beef patties for maximum flavour. Grilled Onions will also be added top of the patties as they cook, for added colour and a better charred flavour.
Introducing The Hat Trick, for when scoring once just isn't enough. This winning new burger includes three 100% beef patties, with two slices of cheese, grilled onions, mustard, and ketchup all in a glazed sesame seed bun.
Fewer burgers are placed on the grill, which somehow results in a hotter, juicier, tastier burger, and the diced white onions are added to the beef patties on the grill as they are cooking, rather than afterwards at the prep table. The cheese has been “tempered” longer to make it meltier as well, Schafer says.
McDonald's is changing their name.But only temporarily. For the time being, McDonald's will take the risky chance of changing their famous “M” to a “W,” and will now be known as WcDonald's all over the United States.
Not only that, but the restaurant chain apparently has a secret menu item that is amazing. There's just one catch: It's only available at a very specific time of day. That said, it just might be worth the trip. It's called the McBrunch Burger.
Critics claimed that a clown mascot targeting children for fast food is unethical. A group of 550 physicians and other health professionals took out newspaper ads in 2011, saying that Ronald McDonald should be retired. Ronald McDonald made fewer appearances since 2016 due to the 2016 clown sightings.
The company began airing the McDonaldland commercials in 1971. But in 2003, the company slowly phased out the characters as it changed its marketing campaigns to appeal to more adult consumers, the Daily Meal noted.
Each Quarter Pounder with Cheese starts with a fresh beef patty that hits our flat iron grill right when you order. It's a beef burger that's hot, deliciously juicy and full of flavor.
The changes include: ♨️ Beef Patties – A tighter sear on the grill, resulting in hotter and juicier beef patties. Lettuce – Fresh lettuce straight from the fridge for that extra snap, crunch, and clean taste.
In June 2022, the Golden Arches decided to pare back its menu and cut most of the healthier options. Menu items like salads, grilled chicken and fruit-and-yogurt parfaits were removed from McDonald's offerings.
In early 2023, McDonald's announced that it would be adding onions to its burger patties while the patties were still on the grill. This is a change from how it was previously added to the burgers. Prior to the change, employees would add onions to the burger after cooking -- when they were assembling the sandwich.
In an email to Fast Company, JJ Healan, vice president of U.S. marketing: brand, content, and culture at McDonald's, explained the driving force behind the campaign: “Success with an idea like WcDonald's is all about continuing to create deep, authentic connections with our fans while putting our brand in culture,” ...
One way they have done this is to place the 'M' upside down, creating a 'W' and therefore, “WcDonald's”. It is thought the official McDonald's campaign is an ode to the times anime had parodied the brand, though, what it has to do with their new sauce remains a bit of a puzzle.
As it turns out, the beef tallow had added more than just cholesterol to the signature french fry. To compensate for the loss of meaty flavor, McDonald's added “natural beef flavor.” Even worse, the fries lost much of the contrasting soft and crunchy texture that Kroc loved, and the new fries weren't exactly healthier.
Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
