The McDonald's Menu Item That Takes The Crown For The Most Protein

The Golden Arches of McDonald's are a fast food icon, conjuring up images of crispy french fries, Happy Meals, and Big Macs. You can almost taste the sesame seed bun and special sauce as you wait in the drive thru for a quick meal and perhaps an ice cream treat. There's even a secret menu at McDonald's created by fans of the fast food chain, which features things like a caramel apple sundae or a Big McChicken (made by swapping the three hamburger buns on the Big Mac for McChicken patties). No doubt the brainchild of a hungry and creative customer, the Big McChicken can deliver around 67 grams of protein when you add up the protein in two Big Mac patties and three McChicken patties. But you have to mix and match the Big McChicken yourself, and you're sacrificing a hamburger bun in the process.

There are high-protein options front and center on the official McDonald's menu, though, so you don't have to go searching through a secret menu or make special requests to order them. You'll get 27 grams of protein when you order the Spicy Deluxe McCrispy and 23 grams of protein if you get a 10-piece order of chicken nuggets. Then, there's the burger that has almost double the amount of protein of everything else on the menu: the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese. This deluxe cheeseburger contains 48 grams of protein — and the only ordering hack you'll need is how to order the freshest McDonald's french fries to go alongside your burger.

The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese has a pretty straightforward name — it's a hamburger made with two 100% beef burger patties, each weighing in at a ¼ pound of meat. That adds up to half a pound of meat in one burger, making up the bulk of the 48 grams of protein in the Double Quarter Pounder. The burgers are cooked on a flat iron grill and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then, those two protein powerhouse patties are stacked on a sesame seed bun, sandwiched with melted American cheese, slivered onions, sliced pickles, ketchup, and mustard.

While the Double Quarter Pounder certainly brings plenty of protein to the table, some customers avoid ordering it because it's just too big. In a review breaking down the best and worst items to order at McDonald's, Chowhound writer Katie Melynn ranked the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese last in a list of nine burgers, pointing out intense flavors and a stacked burger that's just too much meat in every bite. Even with a big appetite the Double Quarter Pounder can be overwhelming. But if you're looking for a protein heavy meal, this burger is where it's at. 

If you want to put a twist on your next Double Quarter Pounder, ask the McDonald's employees to substitute the sesame seed bun with an artisan potato roll. Another ordering hack for the protein-packed burger is to ask for no ketchup or mustard and instead request Big Mac Sauce.

The Double Quarter Pounder has at least 10 grams more protein than anything else on the regular McDonald's menu. But there are a few other high-protein items you can order if you don't want to eat a half pound of hamburger in one sitting. The other burgers that belong to the Quarter Pounder family are protein-packed options as well. The Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 36 grams of protein, while the Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe has 30 grams of protein. McDonald's chicken sandwiches have less protein than the burgers, with the highest-protein chicken option being the Deluxe McCrispy with 27 grams of protein. The Filet-O-Fish, for comparison, comes in at just 16 grams of protein.

Most of McDonald's breakfast items have under 20 grams of protein, with the only standouts being the Big Breakfasts. The classic Big Breakfast has 26 grams of protein and comes with scrambled eggs, hash browns, a biscuit, and a sausage patty. However, the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes adds pancakes to the mix for a total of 36 grams of protein. While that might be enough protein to get the day started for some people, you'll want to wait until McDonald's switches from the breakfast to lunch menu, typically around 10:30 a.m., to order a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese and get the most protein out of your visit to the Golden Arches.