12 McDonald's Secret Menu Items And How To Order Them

McDonald's is the biggest fast food chain on the planet, but some its most interesting food items are ones that aren't even advertised. While Mickey D's may not be as known for its secret menu, unlike other fast food luminaries — looking at you, In-N-Out Burger — there is an extensive list of off-menu hacks cultivated by an audience of enthusiastic and hungry diners. Some of these are riffs on limited time offerings that McDonald's has since retired while others are pure jolts of creative madness.

As you might imagine, McDonald's secret menu is best approached from a DIY perspective. This stems a lot from how ordering food at the Golden Arches has changed over the years — so much of this process is automated and completed through virtual kiosks that it's hard to rustle up a custom menu creation.

Each location is different, but if you have a good relationship with your local McDonald's team, then it's probably a bit easier to order some of these things at the register. Just remember to be polite if you roll up and they don't accommodate your order, as most items can be created from selections on the restaurant's value menu anyway. After reviewing several online recommendations — and no shortage of my own trial and error — the secret is out on these McDonald's menu hacks

Apple pie a la mode is timeless, and with a little bit of creativity after the pie cools off — don't forget that those suckers are piping hot when they land in your bag — you can enjoy this dessert at McDonald's. Canadian McDonald's locations recently featured a remix menu that opted to blend an apple pie with a vanilla McFlurry, which I believe to be the best form of this hybridization. (For my test, I went with the vanilla shake — my local McDonald's only serves Oreo McFlurries, and that didn't sound like the vibe I wanted.)

Overall, this is an easy one to make yourself. Start by ordering a vanilla shake and an apple pie. Then, rip the apple pie into little pieces and sprinkle those sticky bits of dessert into your shake. After a quick stir, you've suddenly got a classic combination at your fingertips. This tastes fantastic, as the cinnamon flavor and crispy texture of the apple pie is a great contrast to the velvety shake. It also provides an extra measure to prevent the pie from scalding your mouth.

Of all the menu items on this list, the Big McChicken might be the most over-the-top. It's created by swapping the three buns of a Big Mac with three McChicken patties. It's worth noting, in case the appearance didn't give it away, that this is not like the promotional Chicken Big Mac that recently landed on McDonald's menus — that is essentially a Big Mac with the burger patties swapped out for chicken. Regardless, I've got to say that the Big McChicken is superior, especially if you manage to get plenty of mayo and Big Mac sauce on each component.

The burger patties do a lot of heavy lifting here. They provide a juicier contrast to the McChicken patties, which can taste a bit dry on their own. The two burgers sandwiched between them enhances the whole ordeal and brings a much-needed grease factor. The acidic tang of the Big Mac sauce does a lot of work, too, cutting through the vague saltiness of the beef and chicken.

Personally, I think the Chicken Big Mac has too much bread to be successful anyway, but whipping up a Big McChicken and discarding all the buns makes for an overloaded — and absurd-looking — alternative. Those who like a bit of heat will want to sub in the Hot 'n Spicy McChicken patties and perhaps a bit of hot mustard to really fry those taste buds.

A traditional McDonald's hamburger doesn't have a whole lot of additional toppings as is — just ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onions. The All-American burger pares things down even further. By ordering a Hamburger without mustard and onions, you receive something that might make you think of simpler times. 

The combo of sweet ketchup and pickle slices slapped atop a single burger patty and served on a seedless McDonald's bun is a straightforward but effective way to evoke burger fans' nostalgia. It really does take you back to your Happy Meal days — maybe it's the extra ketchup overloading your taste buds, or the fact that this burger is so small that it could almost be called a slider. Whatever it was, the first few bites activated some of my earliest burger memories.

From a critical standpoint, I feel like the All-American burger is the kind of special order you might request to accommodate a younger kiddo going through a picky food phase. The burger is mostly ketchup, and you can always nix the pickles if those are a pain point for the recipient. All the same, while I was trying this bare-bones burger, I couldn't help but notice that the basic combination of flavors and textures is the foundation for every burger on the menu. In a way, the All-American burger is essentially the McDonald's version of the Big Bang.

Swapping out french fries for apple slices is the kind of thing we do to pretend we're making wise choices. Putting those apple slices into a caramel sundae is what we do to prove that we actually are, in fact, making wise choices. This riff on a classic McDonald's sundae is for those who crave the caramel flavor of the apple pie shake but are looking for a dessert on the lighter side (or don't want to risk scorching their fingertips).

It's a fairly easy item to order: Just get yourself a caramel sundae plus a side of apple slices. You can either add the apples straight to the sundae or use the sundae as a tasty dip — though it pains me to say that the apples are really the weak link here. They're not the crisp, tart Granny Smiths that best complement the sweet caramel flavor, that's for sure. Adding peanuts to this sundae can help counter the underwhelming apples a bit, as they provide some good textural balance and bring a little extra flavor to the party. Even without the bonus crunch, however, the caramel apple sundae is a nice way to enjoy that fruit you said you'd eat.

Previously rolled out as a not-so-secret menu hack back in 2022, the Surf and Turf adds a Filet-O-Fish patty to a McDouble, for better or worse. I thought this was an odd move, because as far as I'm concerned, ketchup and mustard do not belong anywhere near a fish patty. In my opinion, it's obvious that the correct way to do a Surf and Turf at McDonald's should involve a Big Mac — so that's what I did.

The key here is to swap out the middle Big Mac bun with the Filet-O-Fish patty. Instead of ketchup and mustard, you've now got Big Mac sauce, which is only a skip away from tartar sauce. This sandwich concoction has some similar notes as the Big McChicken, but the fish patty just tastes better when you throw it between two burgers. It's also got a lighter, more yielding texture — each bite provides Big Mac richness with just a small hint of crispiness and fried fish flavor.

When enjoying the best fast food fries money can buy, condiments aren't usually a priority. However, when I heard about people ordering fries with a side of Big Mac sauce, the wheels started turning a bit. Mayo-based aiolis are awesome on fries, so the mayo-based Big Mac sauce sounded like it could be a hit. While it's not a bad combo by any stretch, it wasn't as good as I was hoping. 

Ketchup on McDonald's fries works because of the condiment's ramped up sweetness, but Big Mac sauce is heavier on acid than it is on sugar. The sum total is an order of fries that taste a bit like they got some sweet pickle juice spilled on them. If one were so inclined, I think it's possible to make a pretty decent condiment out of this by finding the right ratio of Big Mac sauce to ketchup and mixing them together. Either way, the fries are so good on their own that it doesn't really matter what condiment they're smothered in.

Like the All-American burger, the McDonald's grilled cheese is a custom job that is essentially a cheeseburger without the burger — or anything else, for that matter. It's just a  bun with a slice of American cheese. That's all she wrote. Grilled cheese connoisseurs will want to request that the bun is toasted a bit more than usual to help the cheese get nice and melty, but I found that it came out melty enough without the extra ask.

So where does this particular sandwich rank on the overall grilled cheese spectrum? Probably right about where you'd expect, as there's not much to it. Toasted bread and melty cheese is good in whatever form it takes, so it's not like you can go wrong here. Again, this menu item might come in handy if you've got a child in your life who's going through a picky eating phase and can't even bear to look at anything other than grilled cheese.

This famous — albeit unfortunately named — McDonald's secret menu item is among the most popular DIY options. It's created by ordering a McDouble and a McChicken sandwich, splitting the McDouble in half, placing the McChicken on the bottom burger patty, and then placing the top bun and burger patty on top. When done correctly, you've got a bun-burger-bun-chicken-bun-burger-bun situation that is actually pretty tasty. When fully assembled, it's a cartoonishly huge affair that can be difficult to pick up and eat — you'll definitely want to give it a little squish before lifting it for a bite.

Both the McDouble and the McChicken are great options on their own, but this budget-friendly combo packs a whole lot of punch. The Hot 'n Spicy McChicken is a great option for this menu hack, as the extra kick of heat makes the chicken stand out amid all the chaos taking place here. I've heard that some people prefer to create this sandwich with a Double Cheeseburger instead of a McDouble, which totally works if you want a little more cheese in the mix.

The Big Mac is the undisputed ruler of the McDonald's menu, but what if some brave soul dared to imagine that this colossal burger could get even bigger? That's likely the origin story of the Monster Mac, which is a Big Mac that has double or even triple the number of patties and extra cheese to boot. You can request a Monster Mac at the register by asking for a Big Mac with two to four extra patties, but it's easy enough to whip up on your own by ordering a separate double cheeseburger.

The additional burger patties definitely add heft to the already beefy Big Mac, and I'd recommend keeping the burger-to-cheese ratio the same. If you've got an especially kind server, ask for some extra Big Mac sauce — it goes a long way to get the most out of this beast. Pickles are also a necessity here, as all that rich burger meat needs some acidic contrast. While the price and assembly effort can make the Monster Mac seem daunting, it's one of those things that every McDonald's fan should try at least once.

In contrast to the Monster Mac, the Poor Man's Big Mac is a bid to get a little bit more for a little bit less. The best way to pull off this sandwich is to order a McDouble — or a double cheeseburger if you're craving that extra dairy — and request Big Mac sauce and extra lettuce instead of ketchup and mustard. The result is a burger that captures the flavor of a Big Mac while saving you a bit of money and carbs. 

Personally, I still prefer a traditional Big Mac, but I'd be lying if I said that the Poor Man's Big Mac didn't scratch all the same itches. You've got the iconic meat and American cheese combo paired with the subtly sweet pickled flavor of the Big Mac sauce (which is all you really need from this sandwich, to be honest). The extra lettuce wasn't a must-have for me, though its inclusion does a lot to capture the vibes.

Floats are often associated with the smaller burger joints that kickstarted the McDonald's brand, so why not bring back some of that nostalgia for dessert? Whipping up a creamy soft serve float with your favorite soda is no sweat at the Golden Arches as long as you don't overfill your drink. Since most McDonald's soft drink options are self-serve, the key to making a float is to order a beverage and some vanilla soft serve in a cup or cone. While the ice cream is being prepped, fill your cup about halfway with your soda of choice. Once the dessert is ready, just tip that sucker over and slide the soft serve into your drink.

In my book, a soft serve float beats a regular old ice cream float any day of the week — it's smooth, creamy, and tends to melt into the drink faster. After a few stirs, you inevitably attain that lovely, drinkable convergence of soda and ice cream that makes floats so magical. I will always be partial to a Coke float, but there is plenty to be said about the Orange Fanta float as well. With the options available, there's no wrong way to do a soft serve float at McDonald's.

Neapolitan ice cream — an equal mix of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors — has always been delightful. Anyone who harbors a secret hankering for this particular flavor combo should absolutely try the Neapolitan shake menu hack at McDonald's. The combination works because of how smooth McDonald's shakes are. Plenty of people prefer their milkshakes thick enough to require a spoon, but it's worth sampling this trio of flavors in a more drinkable form.

Create this dessert by ordering a vanilla shake with equal parts chocolate and strawberry shake added the mix. It's also possible to make one of these yourself by ordering all three shakes and doing some ice cream mixology, but I'd argue the best results are produced when the McDonald's employees assemble it for you, as the flavors mingle more naturally. When done well, the Neapolitan shake is as tasty and refreshing as you'd expect. All three flavors blend together perfectly, reminding us why it's such a popular combination in the first place.

Based on the 12 items included on this list, I've narrowed things down to my top three. In third place is the Poor Man's Big Mac. There's a lot to love about this one, starting with its price. For a fraction of what a Big Mac costs, you can get the same basic package. It just feels like a game changer for people who like the Big Mac but are trying to do less overall.

Second place belongs to the Surf and Turf. While certainly I prefer this sandwich to be made with a Big Mac, it's also economical to just pop a Filet-O-Fish patty on a McDouble for that texture and flavor contrast. (The day will soon come when I add some Surf and Turf to the Poor Man's Big Mac, which will surely make me revisit this list.)

Finally, coming in first place is the apple pie shake. Many of the creations I sampled were good simply because they were larger servings of what was already there. You can stack as many additional burger patties as you want, but the end result is still going to taste like a burger in the end. The apple pie shake, on the other hand, was the only menu item that felt truly greater than the sum of its parts. That crispy pie crust, gooey apple filling, and vanilla soft serve are excellent together. I can't recommend it highly enough.