It's astounding how imaginative people can be when it comes to fast-food. But a rumbling belly obviously gets the creative juices flowing. To get you in the mood for food, Bored Panda has collected some of the most imaginative McDonald's hacks that people have shared online.
Check out the creative ‘McHacks' that people have come up with, upvote your favorites, and share the ones that you personally know in the comments, dear Pandas. From delicious (and surprising) food combos to tips on how to eat without creating a mess and how to save a bit of money, hopefully, these hacks will make your next trip to a Golden Arches restaurant more (ful)filling.
Bored Panda spoke about McDonald’s hacks and how to save on food costs when you're craving takeaways with Jake Butler from 'Save the Student,' a British organization that advises students on how to make their money go further. Scroll down for our interview with him.
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If You're Craving Something Sweet With Your Coffee, Try Adding Espresso In A Vanilla Milkshake
ie the McDonalds version of an affogato... it's been done for generations throughout europe. (yum!!)
This Isn't Very Nice To Do, But Cold Fries Are Icky
What is evil about this? They made batches of fries all day long, so a special order batch at most could delay you getting fries, but it won’t make their job any harder.
As someone who worked in a Maccas about a million years ago, it's really irritating, especially when you're really busy. You have to use up all the current batch, and then wipe everything to get the salt off. It's like telling your server you can't eat gluten, (which means the kitchen has to make sure everything is carefully cleaned to ensure there's no cross contamination) and then having cake for dessert. It's a bit of a s****y thing to do to someone who doesn't get paid very much.
Load More Replies...I'm so sorry that it a pain for worker. But if I pay for fries and I ask for fresh hot fries, it my money. If I get cold fries they should be free. If worker is underpaid, it a McDonald issue not customer issue. So sorry for worker. :(
In Germany everything is made when ordered (mostly on one of the screen where you then get a number and pay already) there is nothing waiting for customers to pick it up - also less waste. So weird to see that this doesn't seem to be the case everywhere. O-o
I always order my fries "fresh". Sometimes I have to wait 5 or 7 minutes. But they are always fresh and delicious. From the responses below and my personal experience, McD doesn't seem to care - except overseas where you sometimes have to call the manager and make a fuss. (From the moment they come out of the fryer to when they are borderline disgusting is probably less than ten minutes).
So why not simply ask for a fresh batch? I ask for no salt because I don't want salt. It'd be nice if they cooked them all with no salt and then give you packs of salt if you want them.
It's not evil at all! Actually, what is evil? Is them serving cold fries!!!
my moms been doing this for a long time and she told me and my brother about this
I’ve often had cold chips there, rotating what they cook is not a strong point
or like maybe just say cook to order or fresh fries? it’s way easier than getting something else to dump in to avoid salt when you really want salt
A better bet, as a mcdonald's employee speaking, is to just order fresh fries. We're quite used to customers ordering em fresh, and I'll even ask folks if they order with no salt if it's just because they want em fresh. Making "no salt" fries is a pain.
Or you could just ask them to make a fresh order of fries. I do it all the time.
Imagine going to McDonald's and expecting fresh food. I've never had a bad french fry from there, and definitely not willing to be a pain to the staff over it.
As a customer who has had bad French fries, on a constant basis! It's not Evil to me at all. If we could just ask for Fresh fries, then we wouldn't have to say no salt!!
Load More Replies...An Order Of Soft Baked Cookies + An Oreo Mcflurry = Perfect Ice Cream Sandwiches
Jake from Save the Student told us that, in his opinion, the best McDonald’s hack would be to create your own Big Mac for £1.49.
“All you need to do is go to the self-service kiosk and find the £1.49 Double Cheeseburger. Then customize it by adding shredded lettuce, onions, pickles, mustard, and mayonnaise. It isn't too far off the taste of a big mac. As an extra tip, make sure you save the receipt and follow the instructions to fill out a survey. This will give you a voucher for a big mac and fries for £1.99 the next time you eat at McDonald’s.”
However, Bored Panda wanted to find out about homecooked alternatives to fast-food in order to save money. While it might sound obvious, the best way to save on fast-food and takeaways is simply not to buy them, said Jake. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to resolve to live a life of just healthy and nutritious food from now on.
Eating A Big Mac (Or Any Burger, Really) Inside Of A Fries Container Ensures That Any Slippage Will Be Successfully Caught
Instead Of Ordering A Sausage Egg Mcmuffin, Order A Normal Sausage Mcmuffin And Add An Egg To Save Some Dollars.
If You're On The Go, You Can Use This Little Trick To Eat One-Handed
“The good news is that you can easily recreate your favorites at home for a fraction of the price. It's much healthier this way too. Google is definitely your friend here as you can find fakeaway recipes from a number of sites. During the lockdown, McDonald’s even released instructions on how to make their famous breakfast egg McMuffin at home,” he said.
“The good news is that the ingredients for most of these recipes aren't too pricey and you can still hunt for bargains to make the dish cheaper. Buying in bulk is always a winner too when it comes to saving money so it's a great idea to get together with friends and maybe take it in turns to make your favorite fakeaways.”
Jake pointed out that seasoning is essential when creating a fake takeaway. “Salt and pepper won't break the bank, but they can make or break a meal. Don't forget that sugar can take a dish to the next level too.”
Make Your Apple Pie A Little Bit Fancier By Adding Some Soft Serve On The Side
Double Vanilla Iced Coffee
Create Your Own Mcbrunch By Ordering Hotcakes And A Kid's Meal Fruit Bag To Make Your Own "Crepes!"
It's always cheaper and healthier to cook at home when you're on a tight budget. However, you sometimes get a craving for fast-food that you just can't ignore. So you head on over to your local Mickey D's (or Macca's, or McDo).
We're sure that fast-food restaurant employees do their best to make sure that the food's high quality and fresh. But let's be realists—fast-food is fast-food and you shouldn't expect Michelin-star level nosh when you order a cheeseburger at 5 in the morning on a Sunday. However, there are some things that you can do to ensure that the food is as fresh and tasty as possible.
Little Tip From An Ex-Mcworker: Order A Double Espresso With A Mocha Frappé For An Extra Kick. Have Them Pour It In Just Before Mixing
The german word for ALMOST is FAST. And instantly Fast Food reveals it's real meaning. I'll never understand who people can treat themselves and their kids with this junk on a regularly basis. We bought them a burger and a soft drink on special occasions. But that's it.
Instead Of Ordering A Regular Chicken Biscuit, Get It With Mcgriddle Bread Instead
You Can Get A Burger That Tastes Just Like A Big Mac (And Save $$$) When You Order A Mcdouble With Fewer Condiments, But Add Big Mac Sauce
One hack that a lot of you Hungry Pandas out there know is to ask for french fries (or chips if you're on the British side of the Atlantic pond) without any salt. That way, you should get a fresh and hot serving of fries, especially for you.
You can achieve the same result when you ask for a burger without an ingredient. Say, without pickles. You'll get a fresh burger made by the chef and not one that's been sitting there for a few minutes, waiting to be eaten by the next ravenous customer.
If you're feeling especially courageous, you can always be upfront and simply ask for a fresh batch of fries or a new burger without any mind games. Sometimes, the best hack is straight-up honesty.
Side Caesar With 2 Grilled Chicken Breasts. I Order On The Touch Screen Menu And Customize The Side Caesar. Comes Out To $8
And Since Breakfast Is Served All Day, You Can Absolutely Add An Egg To That Burger
Add A Soft Serve Cone On Top Of A Frozen Coke Or Root Beer To Make A Float
McDonald's Hacks
Animal-Style Fries? Psh. Try Ordering Fries With Big Mac Special Sauce On Top!
Hash Browns Instead Of English Muffin
And Adding Chicken Nuggets To Your Own Bed Of Lettuce Makes For A Great Chicken Salad
Tough choice between this and not going to McDonald’s at all and spending 10 minutes by frying a nice piece of REAL chicken meat.
A Double Cheeseburger, Mcchicken With Mack Sauce, Remove Bottom Buns, And Smush Together. Extra Cheese Optional
Need A Sauce Holder While Driving? A Mcflurry Lid Will Come In Handy Here
Here Is A Great Quick Keto Breakfast On The Go At Mc Donald’s. Order 2 Sausage Patties, 2 Slices Of Cheese And 2 Round Eggs On A Plate
McDonald's Hacks
Nasi Lemak Burger Is Back And One Hack I Learnt From A Colleague Is To Ask Them For Special Order Of Extra Sambal!
"So you need to order this over the counter instead of the kiosk. And the $9.40 set includes the banana pie. Without it is just $8. And you can change the fries for cup of corn instead FOC. I love sambal and the extra sauce makes this juicier... don’t worry, their sambal isn’t spicy at all but this can get messy so make sure you have a box of wet wipes handy"
Chicken Parm Sandwhich = Plain Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwhich Add 3 Mozzarella Cheese Sicks And A Container Of Mariana Sauce On Top... Enjoy
Getting To Mcdonald’s For Bang On 10:30 For A Double Cheeseburger With Hash Brown
Just Created Of The Double Chocolate Pie Mcflurry
I Tell You One Thing I Really Do Miss Is A Dirty Sausage And Egg Mcmuffin After An Even Dirtier Set Of Night Shifts
"However, I found my new alternative by getting the Muffin with only Cheese and banging a Hashbrown in the middle God it is the most divine thing your lips have tasted after finishing a night shift and you’re hungry and you’re tired and...
Tip: They tried charging me full whack for the Muffin and Cheese until I questionned it and the manager advised to put it through as dips. Make sure you’re double checking the price when you’re getting Maccies baps without the Meat"
#mcdonaldshack
McDonald's Hack No.135: Just Add Bacon
Note: this post originally had 35 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
If you're creative enough to do these "McHacks', you are creative enough to make MUCH better food at home for MUCH less ... and won't be as gross as what's above.
I was thinking the same. Man I'm glad I'm a chef lol.
Load More Replies...Yep, a whole lotta condescension on here from folks who can’t take the time to consider there’s all kinds of reasons people eat fast food.
Load More Replies...Wow, this is a lot of snobbery. Not everyone can afford good food, or the time it takes to shop for it, make it, and clean up after it, all the time. Couldn't you have just taken this for what it was and not tried to shame people? Or occasionally, people just like junk food. There is zero reason for all of this ridicule.
uhhhh the last time I ate at McDonalds was january.... and I ate fries. lol
My family love the Mcdonald's muffin as a breakfast treat now and then. But we've found it's much nicer to make your own. The muffin is better, the cheese slices are stronger, and the eggs come fresh from our own hens. It's a faff, but we prefer homemade muffin breakfasts to MaccyD's.
My favorite is to buy fries, get a hot fudge sundae, extra fudge. Dip them fries in that chocolate!! Any hack saying "McFlurry" won't work. McFlurry makers never work, or the workers refuse to work them and just say it's broken...
I'm not a real big fan of Mickey Ds but I can imagine them rolling their eyes and laughing about " another one of these guys. "
As a mexican we have in the "secret" menú the ice cram coffe and it is what it sound. An ice cream with cold coffe.
If you're creative enough to do these "McHacks', you are creative enough to make MUCH better food at home for MUCH less ... and won't be as gross as what's above.
I was thinking the same. Man I'm glad I'm a chef lol.
Load More Replies...Yep, a whole lotta condescension on here from folks who can’t take the time to consider there’s all kinds of reasons people eat fast food.
Load More Replies...Wow, this is a lot of snobbery. Not everyone can afford good food, or the time it takes to shop for it, make it, and clean up after it, all the time. Couldn't you have just taken this for what it was and not tried to shame people? Or occasionally, people just like junk food. There is zero reason for all of this ridicule.
uhhhh the last time I ate at McDonalds was january.... and I ate fries. lol
My family love the Mcdonald's muffin as a breakfast treat now and then. But we've found it's much nicer to make your own. The muffin is better, the cheese slices are stronger, and the eggs come fresh from our own hens. It's a faff, but we prefer homemade muffin breakfasts to MaccyD's.
My favorite is to buy fries, get a hot fudge sundae, extra fudge. Dip them fries in that chocolate!! Any hack saying "McFlurry" won't work. McFlurry makers never work, or the workers refuse to work them and just say it's broken...
I'm not a real big fan of Mickey Ds but I can imagine them rolling their eyes and laughing about " another one of these guys. "
As a mexican we have in the "secret" menú the ice cram coffe and it is what it sound. An ice cream with cold coffe.