- McDonald's is rolling out a new hamburger bun recipe in the US, UK and Australia.
- They're also changing the way they prepare burger patties and store some of their fresh ingredients.
- The new bread is delicious, but the new Big Mac was too sweet.
McDonald's hamburgers are new. The menu revamp comes as the fast food chain prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, and is the biggest change the chain has made to its food in a decade.
I visited McDonald's UK headquarters in East Finchley, London, to learn more about the changes and compare the old and new burgers side by side.
McDonald's UK headquarters is located in an unassuming building in north London.
It was my first time to visit McDonald's UK headquarters. I was expecting a little more glitz from a company with a market capitalization of $204 billion, but the flag was a nice touch.
Inside is a test kitchen where chefs prepare new dishes.
The test kitchen is modeled after an actual McDonald's restaurant, with a layout similar to that found in the average store and the same equipment.
The biggest change is the new bread recipe
McDonald's has completely overhauled its buns. The new recipe is described as a “buttery brioche-like” bread with a “soft, pillowy” texture. McDonald's has also reduced the number of sesame seeds in each bun.
The light glaze adds shine and makes it look beautiful. Although it's “brioche-style,” it's worth noting that it doesn't contain eggs, milk, or butter like traditional brioche.
The burger patty is also prepared using a different method.
McDonald's beef patties are now “tightly seared” on the grill. The idea is that by exposing it to more heat, more moisture is trapped within the patty, resulting in a juicier bite and stronger grilled flavor.
Onions are now added during the grilling process instead of after.
Onions in hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and Big Macs are now added during the grilling process rather than after the patty. This will make the meat even more tender and add that grilled and charred flavor to the meat.
Every ingredient has been rethought, including the lettuce.
The lettuce used in McDonald's restaurants hasn't changed, but the way it's handled has changed. They can only be taken out of the refrigerator for a maximum of 30 minutes, and once removed from the refrigerator, they are kept at a lower temperature to maintain a crispier texture.
The cheese may appear more gooey than before.
The recipe for McDonald's iconic American cheese slices remains unchanged, but McDonald's claims the patty is baked hotter, resulting in meltier cheese than before.
So, what does these preparation methods and ingredient tweaks actually taste like?
Now that you have all the information you need about new recipes and cooking methods, it's time to try some new and old style burgers and see how the changes stack up.
McDonald's double cheeseburger
The visual difference was quite impressive. The new bread looks more attractive thanks to its glossy finish and dark toast color. It was obvious that the cheese was more melted on the new burger and the edges of the slices were droopy, whereas the original burger's slices remained firm.
This change definitely felt like an upgrade.
The double cheeseburger is one of my favorite McDonald's menu items, so I was nervous to try the new version, but it's clearly an improvement. The bun was chewier, giving it a satisfying bready bite and a stronger toasty taste.
The beef was also excellent, with an almost caramelized flavor thanks to the hot searing. The only striking change was the onion, which was more mildly sautéed than “charred.”
Next up is the Quarter Pounder with Cheese
The buns were again surprisingly different. McDonald's says the new version has less sesame seeds, but we can't say it's a dramatic change.
Grilled onions won't work on Quarter Pounders either. Compared to the Big Mac or Cheeseburger options, it still contains large onions, but they aren't added during the cooking process. The only change is that, like lettuce, it takes less time out of the fridge to maintain its crunchiness.
Actually, I didn't think the Quarter Pounder tasted much different than the older version
Somewhat disappointingly, there was little change in the taste of the quarter pounder with cheese. The new bun added texture again, but the meat didn't seem to benefit much from the new grilling method.
Although the sear marks were more noticeable on the thinner patty, the charred flavor on the outside of the Quarter Pounder quickly disappeared into the thicker meat on the inside once I started biting. If you're a fan of the original burger, there's no need to worry about the new version.
And now it's time for an improved Big Mac
new big mac Appearance wonderful. The glossy bread is eye-catching again, and the reduced amount of sesame seeds emphasizes it even more.
It also seemed to stand up straighter than the old version, perhaps because the cold lettuce and new bun gave it more structural integrity.
Unfortunately, the new Big Mac didn't pass the taste test.
Biting into a new Big Mac ultimately led to disappointment. There were some obvious improvements. The sandwich felt warmer and fresher, the beef was juicier, and I still enjoyed a chewier bun.
The biggest issue for me was the brioche flavor added to the new bun. When combined with other Big Mac ingredients, especially Big Mac sauce, it created a weird, overly sweet taste in my mouth that I couldn't seem to get over.
I was blown away by the changes to the Big Mac.
The original Big Mac is the perfect burger in many ways. The sauce is a bit sweet, but has enough acidity to balance it out, which is lost in the newer version. The bun was a bit too spongy, but in hindsight I can see why that was so.
The new bun didn't seem to hold up to the toppings and kept sliding off the back of the burger with every bite, but the old sandwich held up well. The new bread-like, buttery, brioche-style version lacked the necessary squeezability to tightly squeeze and wrap the filling.
McDonald's has taken some positive steps, but if I were in charge I would continue to make tweaks.
Overall, I think the menu changes represent a step in the right direction for McDonald's. The new way of cooking the beef patty was probably my favorite change. Every new patty I tried was hotter, juicier, and had more grilled flavor than many McDonald's burgers I've had.
McDonald's also seems to be focusing on producing fresher food, with small changes like storing lettuce and grilling onions actually making a noticeable difference in the final product.
