Do you wish your Big Mac was actually big? With this simple hack,
you can really add some heft to your favorite McDonald's burger.
The McDonald's Big Mac is undoubtedly a hearty meal,
but what do you do if you have a super-sized hunger that a regular version of the burger
can't satisfy? Well, you grab a "Bigger Mac" instead, using one creative trick.
Frequent McDonald's visitors know that employees are typically open to modifying many of the
best-known menu items with readily available ingredients from other meals. For instance,
there's one sandwich that consists of a whole McChicken sandwich inside a
McDouble. There's even a gargantuan "Land, Sea, and Air," which adds a Filet-o-Fish
patty to the mix alongside the McChicken and burger. They're all the result of the
creativity of McDonald's diners themselves, not corporate food science or focus groups.
If you're looking for a more substantial Big Mac, you can ask the staff to swap out the
traditional patties for the heftier ones used for the chain's Quarter Pounder. Since typical
patties weigh in around 1.6 ounces and Quarter Pounders just over 4 ounces before cooking,
this is an easy way to more than double the amount of meat on your sandwich.
You may be asked to pay more for this mega-burger, but the premium is likely
worth it for especially hungry diners. Keep in mind that since it's not an official menu item,
you may find restaurants unwilling to make it for you. Still, dedicated parties can always
buy the parts and assemble them on their own if they're simply looking for the experience.
"I call it, the Big Mac idea." "What? No."
"Big Mac idea. That sounds encouraging."
Those who want to downsize their Big Mac can also slightly modify a cheaper menu item — the
McDouble. Simply ask to replace the sandwich's ketchup and mustard with Big Mac sauce. This
creates a similar flavor profile to the Big Mac, minus the shredded lettuce and middle bun.
Such customizability is one of the many reasons the Golden Arches have earned so many fans over
the decades — not to mention an ever-evolving selection of "secret" delights for die-hards.
Of course, the idea of altering the Big Mac's size has also occurred to McDonald's itself. Back
in 2017, the chain honored the sandwich's 50th anniversary by serving the limited-edition Grand
Mac, which was made with even more substantial patties. Each patty weighed a third of a pound,
which is nearly as much as a Quarter Pounder and regular Big Mac patty combined. The burger
was also served on larger buns and came with an additional slice of cheese. At the same time,
Mickey D's also debuted the Mac Jr., which came with a single Big Mac patty dressed with the
typical sauce and toppings. This is similar to the modified McDouble; both styles were marketed
toward millennial diners, who the chain saw as an untapped market in the Big Mac realm.
The desire for a sized-up sandwich might be linked to perceptions that the traditional Big
Mac patty has gotten smaller. In a 2023 Reddit thread, numerous users claimed McDonald's has
shrunk its patties over the years, with some arguing they've received burgers with patties
as small as 0.8 ounces. It's unclear whether any evidence supports these accusations or,
as others suggest, the patties have always been on the smaller side.
If you're looking for a super-sized Big Mac experience, you don't actually have to travel
to the Golden Arches to get it. You can find plenty of copycat Big Mac recipes out there,
and it's easy to switch these out for quarter-pound or even third-pound
alternatives. You'll have to modify your cooking process a bit, however, by adding significantly
more time than the approximate 90 seconds to two minutes McDonald's takes to cook its
burgers. With larger patties, you can also worry less about finding an appropriately sized bun;
patties sized for a normal Big Mac can sometimes look tiny on typical burger buns.
Whether it's a promotion on the actual menu, a modified secret menu order,
or a homemade replica, there are many ways to turn your Big Mac into a Bigger Mac.