Why McDonald's Vegan Burger Failed In America

If you're a vegan stopping by McDonald's for a burger, you're mostly out of luck: The chain tested a vegan patty back in 2022, but it no longer exists, at least in the United States. The chain worked with Beyond Meat to develop the McPlant patty, which was made with potatoes, rice, and peas. It came with onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, mustard, cheese, and mayo. You'd have to ask to hold the cheese and mayo for a true vegan option — and even then, a lot of vegans would have avoided it. That's because McDonald's didn't even commit to cooking it on a separate grill, meaning it was cooked alongside meat patties — a dealbreaker for many following a plant-based diet.

On top of all that, McDonald's only offered the burger in two states: Texas and California. It was only available in around 600 restaurants, mostly around the Bay Area and Dallas as a trial (as fast food chains often do with new menu items). By mid-2022, McDonald's declared it a failure, and the McPlant vanished from the few restaurants that sold it. A few explanations for its collapse floated around: Demand for meat-free options was high around 2019 to 2021, but started dropping around when the McPlant arrived (some restaurants sold single-digit burger numbers daily). Plus, healthier eaters who might have wanted it weren't that likely to visit McDonald's. On top of that, it would've been cumbersome to make it properly vegan, as that would require separate grills.

The McPlant may have tanked in America, but McDonald's offers it elsewhere, particularly in Europe. It's not vegan everywhere, though: In Germany, the McPlant is available, but it follows the same path as the U.S. — it features cheese and mayo and isn't cooked on a separate grill. In the United Kingdom, however, it's vegan-certified and comes with vegan cheese and mayo. Versions of the McPlant are also sold in countries like the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Ireland — the reason mostly being that there's more demand for it. Some markets like the U.K. also offer additional vegan options like veggie dippers (similar to nuggets) and burgers that feature them instead of a patty.

Back across the pond, your options are far more limited (honestly, you'd be better off visiting Taco Bell). Excluding drinks (which mostly don't contain animal products), the only menu item that's automatically vegan without making modifications appears to be the apple pie for dessert. You could theoretically ask for a burger to be made without a patty, cheese, or mayo, although it might be a little sad. Notably, McDonald's fries are not vegan in the United States — while the chain stopped cooking them in beef tallow years ago, they still contain a dairy-based flavoring ingredient (though not in Europe). Vegetarians are better served at American McDonald's: While there's no veggie patty on the menu, fries and most desserts are an option, as are breakfast items like hotcakes or an Egg McMuffin without bacon.

Still curious about how the chain's offerings differ across locations? Check out the many unique kinds of McDonald's fries around the world.