Why McDonald's Won't Make A Hash Brown Breakfast Sandwich

McDonald's has dabbled in some interesting flavor combinations and menu items over the years, from a teriyaki chicken sandwich to a "McExtreme" pulled pork. But the fast food chain has never tested out a hash brown breakfast sandwich, despite efforts from a former corporate chef.

Responding to a video from a McDonald's customer who built his own breakfast sandwich featuring sausage, egg, and cheese between two hash browns, chef Mike Haracz explained on his TikTok account that he pitched the very idea back when he was working under the golden arches, but the head honchos wouldn't go for it. A hash brown breakfast sandwich would be too many calories and it's too "operationally complex" to add to menus, he claimed he was told. "Too many people would order it and it would make the kitchen just crash and burn," he said in his TikTok video.

Beyond that, a hash brown breakfast sandwich would likely be a textural nightmare. To maintain its structure, the hash browns would need to stay crispy and intact, which could be a challenge when layered with the other ingredients and put in a wrapping or box.

According to Mike Haracz's video, the heads of McDonald's reportedly felt a hash brown breakfast sandwich would contain too many calories, but just how many calories would it be? Although there's no official answer, a good guesstimate is somewhere in the 480 to 760 calorie range if you figure that a sausage, egg, and cheese on an English muffin comes in at 480 calories and each hash brown is 140 calories. Not so high when you compare it to the McDonald's Big Breakfast with Hotcakes, which comes in at 1,340 calories.

As for the argument that a hash brown breakfast sandwich would be too operationally complex and would clog up breakfast service, it's difficult to say whether that would be the case. Former McDonald's workers weighed in on the comments section of Haracz's video, with one user commenting that each location would likely require a separate fryer for just the hash browns. "It is hard enough to get hash browns cooked during a very busy rush," another person wrote.

Whether these rationales from McDonald's higher ups are legitimate or just corporate red tape, we'll never know. But rest assured that you can always assemble your own hash brown breakfast sandwich using McDonald's menu items or make your own at home (complete with recreated McDonald's breakfast sauce).