When scrolling through TikTok, you can discover a lot of tasty fast food hacks,
especially if McDonald's is your eatery of choice. Not all of these hacks are particularly new,
but all of them are worth putting into practice after you look up from your phone.
Do you ever get the feeling that the McDonald's Dollar Menu is undermining the rest of its menu?
That's because it kind of is. If you play your cards right,
it's possible to get more food for less money by ordering multiple Dollar Menu items instead
of the regular full size order. Luckily, TikTok user @imsimonecardoso is here to help us out.
"Y'all McDonald's is scamming us. Ten piece nuggets is $5.09, when
you can get a six piece nugget for two dollars."
If you do the math, that's 12 nuggets for four bucks.
Other TikTokers have also noticed this phenomenon. @tha_broski , for one, pointed out that his local
McDonald's was selling the 10 piece McNuggets for $5.79. So it's important to note that prices vary
depending on where you live. Thus, the prices at your nearest location may not in fact line up with
this particular hack. So, long story short: you might be able to take advantage of this trick,
but be sure to check your local prices first to make sure that'll work for sure
It's hardly controversial to say that McDonald's has some of the best French fries around.
But there are ways to upgrade them to the next level, and one way to do so is by saucing them
up. One TikTok user turned his into Buffalo ranch fries by dumping them into the bag, adding one
cup each of ranch dressing and spicy Buffalo sauce, shaking the bag, and then dumping the
well-coated spuds onto a plate. It's not exactly the cleanest way to eat, but flavor is flavor.
And you don't have to stop at the fries when it comes to Buffalo ranch goodness.
This hack works just as well with Chicken McNuggets. Or as another TikTok user did,
you can coat the fries and nuggets at the same time. Now, you may ask,
could you simply dip your fries in Buffalo sauce and then dip them in ranch for a similar effect?
Of course, but that would lack the even distribution of shaking it all together.
Burgers get most of the love at McDonald's, leaving the chicken sandwiches to feel like
little more than an afterthought. Just consider all the many different burger
options with various layers versus the comparatively minimal chicken choices. But
don't fall into the trap of believing that you must choose between one or the other!
If you're having trouble deciding between the two, the answer is to make a sandwich that brings
cattle and poultry together. After all, sometimes you just need a little variety in your life!
One TikTok user took the buns off of both a burger and a chicken sandwich, and then put the chicken
sandwich on top of the burger patty. Optional ranch dressing and French fries can complete the
sandwich before putting one of the top buns back on. And then it's time to take a bite!
Sometimes you may find yourself wanting some of the flavors of a Big Mac
but without the beef. Enter the Big Chicken Mac, as detailed by TikTok user @urbansmurfin
Start with two plain chicken sandwiches and some Big Mac sauce. Then remove the bottom
bun of one of the sandwiches and add a slice of American cheese. Next, add the other bottom bun,
followed by a chicken patty, another slice of cheese, the Big Mac sauce, and finally a top bun.
This may seem like a lot of extra work for a somewhat simple sandwich. But if your
craving is powerful enough, you'll want to pay attention to it as you realize that you have the
power to make McDonald's chicken sandwiches more interesting with just a little bit of assembly.
Would you like a Big Mac, but for half the price? Of course you would!
And according to one TikTok user, there's a way to do that. You just have to order a McDouble,
ask for no mustard and no ketchup, and add Mac sauce.
"This tastes exactly like a Big Mac and it's half the price."
Granted, as is the case with some other popular McDonald's menu hacks designed
to get cheaper meals, prices vary depending on which location you're ordering from. But
even if it's not exactly half the price where you live, a McDouble is still cheaper than a Big Mac,
which is appreciated when you're craving that flavor but lacking those funds.
A 2012 Reddit post noted another way to make this order happen. It's pretty simple: just
order a McDouble MiniMac, which is basically the same as the Big Mac but without the middle bun.
But if you're worried that your local McDonald's won't understand what a McDouble MiniMac is
as you're cruising through the drive-thru, then it's best to stick with the TikTok version.
Some menu hacks are multi-step affairs with far-out special requests,
but others are so simple that they make you wonder why you've never tried them before.
A McDonald's Neapolitan ice cream shake is one of the latter. As documented on TikTok,
to snag a Neapolitan shake, all you have to do is ask for chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla
ice cream mixed together. It won't look anything like the neatly layered Neapolitan ice cream you
can get from the grocery store, though. In fact, it looks more like ice cream that melted and was
then refrozen and mashed even further together. But all the delicious flavors are still there!
There are also plenty of other custom shakes and smoothies you can order at McDonald's.
The trick is to know which ones actually taste good. One that
still checks the delicious box is a mixture of mango,
pineapple, and strawberry banana. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones.
If you're looking for the caffeine boost of an espresso shot mixed with the sweet flavor of
dessert, then this hack is for you. By combining two basic McDonald's orders,
you can make a vanilla espresso milkshake that doesn't compromise on power or taste.
Simply ask for an espresso shot and a plain vanilla ice cream. Then pour the
espresso on top of the ice cream. According to one TikTok user, you should put the ratio
at one shot of espresso per one small ice cream, but don't feel limited by size alone.
Another TikToker went with a double espresso order in a medium milkshake.
You can also get creative and play with the ratio. A double espresso matched with a small ice cream
is perfect for coffee lovers, though you may need to ask for a bigger cup to make
sure it doesn't spill over. If you're in the mood for an even sweeter pick-me-up,
a medium ice cream and a single espresso shot should do the trick. But do keep in mind that
there's a good chance that you're going to have to assemble the drink yourself. When one Reddit
user asked if they could have a couple of espresso shots on their vanilla milkshake, they received
a to-go drink tray with one vanilla milkshake and two espressos, all in different containers.
Ice cream cookie sandwiches are one of the great joys in life for anyone who's a fan of ice cream,
cookies, or just dessert in general. And while McDonald's has many types of sandwiches, the ice
cream sandwich isn't one of them. But luckily, you can make your own by combining a pack of cookies
with a hot fudge sundae. As one TikTok user demonstrated, you can order the two components
and ask for the fudge on the side. Next, apply the ice cream to one of the cookies. Then put
the fudge on one side of the other cookie, combine the two sides, and there you have it!
But don't stop with the fudge sundae, as you can make ice cream cookie sandwiches with any
of McDonald's ice cream options. McFlurries are especially apt since they're super thick. One
TikToker went with an Oreo McFlurry to double down on the variety of cookies in the sandwich.
Meanwhile, an M&M's McFlurry can add some bits of chocolate crunch.
But for the purists, a simple vanilla ice cream is more than enough of a treat.
Do you want a guarantee that your burger will be fresh and warm every time you go to McDonald's?
Of course you do! Luckily, TikTok user Dre Pao has you covered.
According to him, you should show up between 12:00 and 2:00, or between 5:00 and 7:00,
and ask for a receipt. Those are the times when McDonald's employees know that they
may get random spot checks checking for freshness. It should be noted, though,
that there are a number of factors that go into whether or not the employees fall for this hack.
If you're a frequent customer coming at the same time every day, for example, there's a good
chance that they'll catch on because inspectors definitely don't have that level of consistency.
If you're worried about them catching on, there are luckily some other ways to ensure that you
get a fresh, hot burger every time. A former McDonald's general manager told Business Insider
in 2018 that asking the staff to "drop your food fresh" will have the same results even if it takes
a few extra minutes. Then again, simply asking for the receipt upfront may be enough to get
their attention. By some accounts, asking for a receipt indicates that you may be a secret
shopper or inspector. But if every McDonald's customer gradually starts pulling this move,
the power of doing so might become a tad diluted.
Oreo McFlurries are delicious. Caramel is delicious. Fudge is delicious. By this logic,
all three of these ingredients together makes for a treat that's three times as delicious than any
of them on their own. With this in mind, TikTok user @sarahmargaretsandlin brought us what she
described as "a game changer" that ensures that we'll never order a McFlurry the same way again.
All you have to do is ask for an Oreo McFlurry with fudge on top and caramel on the bottom.
If you have any doubts about this upgrade,
she's got some encouragement for you in her caption, as she declares,
"Best thing from McDonald's go try it!"
Basically, it's like an Oreo McFlurry sandwich in which the caramel and fudge are the buns.
But why stop there? For those who don't already know, all you have to do to customize a McFlurry
is ask. The additional ingredients may cost extra, so this isn't one of those hacks that
ups the flavor while simultaneously lowering the price. But when the call comes for the ultimate
McDonald's dessert, ordering more things and paying a little extra is often worth it.
Sometimes the best way to hack your way through McDonald's is by bringing in some
third party food. With that in mind, TikTok user @liamslunchbox has a wide range of videos
in which he tests out what different vanilla cone toppings taste like. There are no limits
when it comes to making your plain vanilla cone into a customized dessert of epic proportions.
All that's required is a food that's dry and crumbly, so naturally,
cereal is a great go-to option to rely on. Try it with Cookie Crisps,
or Frosted Flakes, for example. Or you can opt for a savory option like Cheetos. If you're
somebody who likes sweet paired with savory, you should definitely feel free to experiment.
"I thought it was pretty decent, tasted a little bit like BOO-hickey."
The biggest potential hiccup with this hack is that the McDonald's ice cream machines
notoriously never seem to be working. And while changes to the machines that were reported in
early 2020 could change that, encountering broken ones is still a big enough problem
that there's an app that lets you know if your nearest McDonald's ice cream machine
is working or not. Maybe you should bring your own ice cream just in case.
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