McD’s, Maccas, Mickey D’s... Whatever you call it, McDonald's is always there when you need a quick and satisfying bite. But what if we told you that there are a handful of secret methods you can use to make your McDonald's experience even better? If you want to get more from your meals, these tips and tricks will ensure you leave the Golden Arches with a smile on your face.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover our must-try McDonald's hacks, counting down to the most essential tip of all.

Earlier this year, chef Eran Tibi told British newspaper Metro that he visits McDonald's when he's feeling 'naughty' and orders an off-menu meal that's big and bold. His go-to is three Quarter Pounders with Cheese, which he assembles into a mighty triple pounder – three Quarter Pounder patties, all in the same bun. Tibi says this meat feast is particularly pleasing because the patties are bigger than the bun, and the ketchup and mustard set everything off right.

You could argue that McNuggets are perfect just the way they are, and that they require no further improvement. But in early 2025, diners decided that the superior way to enjoy McNuggets was by combining sweet and sour sauce and mayonnaise to make the ultimate dipping sauce. It sounds unusual, and maybe it is, but people seem to love the sweet, tangy flavour.

If you live in Alaska, the Denali Big Mac isn’t a secret menu item – it’s just a regular order. But for the rest of us, it takes a little more effort. This burger is essentially a Big Mac with Quarter Pounder patties instead of the standard ones, giving it a much meatier bite. Simply ask your server if they can make it for you and hope for the best. Worst case? You’ll need to order a Big Mac and two Quarter Pounders, then put it together yourself. 

The Mc10.35 is the ultimate brunch burger – and it was much easier to make back when McDonald's had an all-day breakfast menu. While it's trickier to get hold of now, timing it right is worth the effort. This creation combines an Egg McMuffin (pictured) with a McDouble – just order one before, and the other right after the breakfast-to-lunch switch (usually 10:30 AM). It takes some planning, but trust us, it's worth a try. 

There was a glorious time when the Chicken McGriddle was a staple on McDonald's menus. With a crispy McChicken patty nestled between two warm McGriddle cakes, it was basically a fast food take on chicken and waffles. If it's not on the menu, don’t hesitate to ask your server – they might still be able to make it (but only if you're in the US). Otherwise, just order a McChicken patty with two McGriddle cakes (again, only if you're in the US) and build it yourself. 

If you love an egg on your burger, McDonald's regular menu won’t cater to you. However, if you politely ask your server to add an egg, you might just get lucky. This trick was much easier when all-day breakfasts were available, so your best chance is to order it around the breakfast-to-lunch changeover. Timing is key!

Reliably crispy and endlessly snackable, McNuggets are always a winner. However, depending on how hungry you are, it can be tricky to know what serving size to order. If your aim is to get more for your money, it’s better to order a larger box. The price difference between six and nine nuggets, for example, is pretty small. Just don't forget to add dipping sauces!

If you've tried most things on the menu, you'll know that McDonald's has different bun styles for different burgers. Traditionally, the Filet-O-Fish comes with a light, fluffy steamed bun with a glossy top and no sesame seeds. It's famously soft and squishy – and it's almost double the height of a regular toasted bun. Not a fan of fish burgers? You can ask to have a steamed bun with any McDonald's burger you like.

Consisting of a beef patty, ketchup and pickles inside a hamburger bun, the All American is a secret menu item that'll take you back to simpler times. There's no cheese whatsoever to be found in this burger, making it a great choice if you want a lower-fat option – or if you just prefer your burgers plain. You could also order a Hamburger without the mustard or onions.

If you're not having scrambled eggs with your McDonald's breakfast, you'll get either folded or round eggs. Folded eggs are made from a pasteurised egg mixture (which also contains water, xanthan gum and other additives), and they're shipped to stores already cooked. Round eggs – which are used in McMuffins – are cooked in store; fresh eggs are simply steamed in a ring mould. If you don’t like the sound of the former, ask to swap it for a round egg to get the real deal.

After placing your McDonald's order, you'll often receive a receipt automatically with your order number on it (especially if you're ordering in store). However, if you don’t receive one, make sure you ask. Insisting on a receipt, even for a meal that doesn’t cost much, could convince employees that you’re a secret shopper, there to assess the restaurant. Some people are sure this means they'll serve you the freshest food – and quickly, too.

Want fresh fries every time? Try ordering them without salt; the cooks will have to fry a new batch. The downside is that they might not give you as many, and you could be waiting a little longer (they'll need to wipe down the area to ensure it’s not contaminated with salt before cooking) – but who could argue with fresh, hot fries?

If you’re after a lighter (or vegetarian-friendly) burger option, why not order a grilled cheese next time you're at McDonald's? It's just like it sounds – your server will pop a cheese slice in a hamburger bun, then grill it. It might not be the most exciting 'secret menu' option, but it certainly hits the spot when you have a craving (and it should keep fussy eaters happy, too).

Hot and crispy hash browns are the best part of any McDonald’s breakfast – but you could be paying too much for them. According to a McDonald's staff member writing on Quora in 2017, there's an option to press an 'Uplift Hash Brown' button on the till – thereby charging customers less to add a hash brown to their order when they’ve bought a meal. If you add a hash brown any other way, you'll reportedly be charged full price.

Love all things coffee flavoured? McDonald’s doesn’t do a coffee shake, but it’s easy to make one. Buy a vanilla shake, add a couple of shots of espresso, and you’ll have yourself a delicious coffee-flavoured shake that’s perfect for any time of the day. The coffee will thin out the shake a little, but trust us – it'll still taste great.

To guarantee you get a fresh burger every time, ask for a Quarter Pounder. The Quarter Pounder is the only burger on the menu that (since 2018) has to be cooked to order with a fresh-not-frozen patty. You could also try asking for any burger without something – for example, ask for a Big Mac with no pickles. That way, a cook may need to make you a fresh burger then and there.

If you’re a fan of McDonald’s legendary Big Mac sauce, we have some good news: you don’t have to order the burger to enjoy it. Most restaurants will serve the sauce on the side, if you ask nicely. US branches of McDonald’s even offered it in larger sauce cups for a limited time in 2023 after recognising how popular it is.

This one's for the sweet treat fans. Next time you're at McDonald's, ask for a soft drink, some vanilla soft serve ice cream and an extra cup. Pour half the drink into the empty cup, top each one with ice cream, and there you have it: two floats! You can give different flavoured sodas a go to find the best combinations. The Coke float is particularly popular.

Most McDonald's locations have milkshake machines with several basic flavours on offer (as well as the occasional limited-edition variety). But did you know you can ask your server to mix the vanilla, chocolate and strawberry shakes together in one cup to create a Neapolitan super-shake? Alternatively, you could buy a shake in each flavour, then mix them yourself.

Depending on where you are in the world, McDonald's sauces can vary – but there's always more of a selection than you might think. Most locations offer ketchup and barbecue sauce, but sweet and sour, honey mustard, chipotle barbecue, sweet chilli, hot mustard and creamy ranch could be lurking behind the counter. And that's not counting limited-edition sauces!

Technically, there’s no such thing as a brunch menu at McDonald’s – but there is a way to enjoy the chain's breakfast and lunch items at the same time. If you go during the transition period between breakfast and lunch, generally between 10.30am and 11am, you might be able to order hash browns alongside your Big Mac. If you get lucky, you might even be able to create a 'McBrunch' burger: a double cheeseburger with eggs, hash browns and bacon.

Big Macs are undeniably delicious, but they're a little expensive. Trying to be thrifty? This clever hack may allow you to build a Big Mac from a cheaper burger. Just order a lower-priced McDouble 'like a Mac'; hopefully, the server will be happy to hold the ketchup and mustard, and add lettuce and Big Mac sauce instead. It's worth a shot!

If one cheeseburger in your meal isn't enough, go ahead and order a Cheeseburger Combo Meal – you'll get a medium drink, fries and a double helping of cheeseburger goodness. Many fast food chains have been ramping up their value offerings lately, but this filling meal has to be one of the best deals around.

As part of the secret 'brunch menu' at McDonald’s, you can bring together the McChicken and the McMuffin to create a chicken cordon bleu McMuffin, inspired by the traditional Swiss dish cordon bleu (ham and cheese stuffed inside a breaded chicken breast). Ask for a McChicken patty in a McMuffin, and you might soon be chowing down on a combo of fried chicken, bacon, egg and cheese.

The two most famous items on McDonald’s breakfast menu are amazing on their own – but they're even better when put together. Just slide a hash brown into your egg McMuffin and enjoy. The hash brown McMuffin is so popular that, in 2022, McDonald’s openly advertised it as a menu hack (but you still had to put it together yourself).

Did you know you can take a regular McChicken (pictured) to new heights by ordering a Big McChicken? Instead of toasted bun halves, this secret menu item sees the McChicken's usual filling sandwiched between two McChicken patties – creating a towering treat consisting of a breaded chicken patty, lettuce and mayo, plus an additional two chicken patties around the outside. 'Big' might just be an understatement! To create this monster, order a Big Mac and three McChickens.

A menu hack recognised by McDonald’s in 2022, the Land, Air & Sea combines three burgers to make one gigantic burger. To put it together, you’ll need a Big Mac, a Filet-O-Fish and a McChicken so you can stack all the ingredients into a single tower. If you’re lucky, staff might put this secret menu item together for you, but you’ll probably have to do it yourself.

Making this small change to a regular McDonald’s sundae can make a big difference – especially because it’s so cheap and easy to do. Ordering a hot caramel sundae and adding crispy apple slices will take the dessert up a notch. Yes, apple slices are supposed to be one of McDonald's healthier dessert options, but we won’t tell if you won’t.

The stuff of legend, the Monster Mac is a Big Mac with eight – yes, eight – patties. It’s a McDonald's secret menu hack, and it's a challenge to get your hands (not to mention your mouth) around. It should be stacked as follows: bun, four patties, bun, four patties, bun. We’re going to assume it doesn’t leave much space for dessert.

Sometimes, when you want the perfect dessert, you have to put it together yourself. If you’re partial to an ice cream sandwich, McDonald’s has all the elements you need to make one. At the beginner level, you have the option of placing soft serve in between two cookies – a hack TikTok user @tommywinkler shared in 2023. If you want to go really wild, though, another TikToker, Kelly Arvan, advocates for putting your McFlurry between a pair of hash browns.

Being in the right job could help you save at McDonald’s. If you’re a police officer, or if you work in a hospital or for the fire service, you could get money off your meal. However, this isn't guaranteed at all locations, as offering these discounts is at the discretion of each franchisee.

The apple pie McFlurry has quickly become a popular item on McDonald's secret menu. All you need is a standard McFlurry (with your choice of toppings) as well as an apple pie. Simply add the pie to the McFlurry, and you’ve got a creamy dessert that’s sure to satisfy. The hack has gone so viral that McDonald’s officially released an Apple Pie McFlurry as a limited item in some countries, including Canada and Australia.

The Chicken Big Mac has been sold for limited periods in the UK, the US, Australia and Canada. But if you can’t get your hands on one, you could always make your own. Buy a Big Mac and two McChicken burgers, then replace the beef patties with chicken. It’s a bit of an investment in terms of time and money, but those who've tried it say it's worth it.

Now discover the most delicious McDonald's menu items from around the world

Last updated by Luke Paton.