McDonald's Hacks You'll Wish You Knew Sooner

Aside from the few countries where McDonald's is basically illegal, you can hardly travel anywhere throughout the country — or the world — without spotting those iconic Golden Arches. Whether you visit McDonald's a couple of times a week or only occasionally, you want to make the most of each visit. Learning how to get the best deal for what you want to eat and discovering new and exciting menu creations you didn't know were possible will help you accomplish that goal.

As with many other fast food restaurants, several McDonald's hacks will make your dine-in or carry-out experience more enjoyable. Do you know what a land, air & sea is? Would you like to learn a trick that will ensure you're always served fresh fries with every order? Have you mastered the art of always maximizing your reward points through the app? Well, if you're ready to learn more about these hacks, plus many more, you've come to the right place. Be sure to read all of our tips carefully before your next McDonald's visit.

Do you like McDonald's hash browns? What about the chain's popular McMuffin? If you enjoy these breakfast classics, then the hash brown McMuffin hack may be right up your alley. This hack combines both of these items into one big breakfast sandwich. McDonald's offered this hacked sandwich through their menu, starting in 2022. You could order it by name, and you'd receive a sausage McMuffin and a hash brown so you could build the sandwich yourself. It doesn't seem like the breakfast sandwich is officially available anymore, but you could order the two components separately, and then you can build it for yourself.

You might also want to try a newer hash brown McMuffin hack. This hack presents a bit of a twist. Instead of adding one hash brown over the sausage and egg inside the McMuffin, you replace the English muffin with two hash browns. Some even add a splash of the pancake syrup to the sandwich for added sweetness.

The land, air, & sea was another menu hack that McDonald's embraced for a brief time, though it also doesn't seem to be available to order by name anymore. However, that doesn't mean you missed your chance to try this behemoth of a sandwich. As you may be able to guess by the name, the land, air, & sea combines meat from animals that walk, fly, and swim. To make it, you have to order a Big Mac (land), a McChicken (air), and a Filet-O-Fish (sea).

After receiving the three sandwiches, you'll need to take them apart to build the hacked monster sandwich. Start by taking the Big Mac apart, then stack the McChicken on the first beef patty. Then, take the middle bun from the Big Mac, place it on the Fish-O-Filet, and place the second beef patty on top of that. To top off this gargantuan beast, lay the Filet-O-Fish over the hamburger patty before putting the top bun from the Big Mac back on top. 

If you still wait to place your order until you drive up to the window or walk up to the cashier inside a McDonald's, you've been missing out. If you haven't already done so, now is the time to download the McDonald's app and start using it if you haven't already. There are several benefits to ordering through the app. First, you'll enjoy savings on some of your favorite menu items.  McDonald's offers special deals that are only available through the app.  These may vary based on location and availability, but at the time of this article, app customers can customize a $5 meal deal with a 4-piece McNuggets, small fries, soft drink, and their choice of a McChicken or McDouble. Another app-only special is: free fries Friday. You can add a free medium fries to any order of $1 or more.

When you order through the app, you'll also earn points with every purchase, which you can redeem at later visits for free items, such as a vanilla cone, 6-piece chicken McNuggets, or sausage McMuffin with egg.  Yet another benefit of ordering through the app is getting to your order more quickly.  Place your order before you arrive at the restaurant, and it will be ready for you to pick up (or at least cut back on your wait time) when you get there.

We all feel it. Everything seems to have gotten more expensive, including fast food. If you like ordering a Big Mac from McDonald's but don't love how expensive it is, we may have the solution you've been searching for. While prices can vary based on the state, city, and even franchise owners, a Big Mac can cost $6 or more – just for the sandwich.

Next time you're craving a Big Mac but want to keep your costs to a minimum, try ordering a McDouble but ask for it to be prepared like a Big Mac. This way, they'll add the Big Mac sauce to your burger and shredded lettuce, so the taste will be just like the real thing. However, instead of paying over $6 for your sandwich, you'll probably pay closer to $4, though this can vary depending on where you live.

You may be thinking, "A coffee milkshake? I've never seen that on a McDonald's menu before." But that's the hack. Just because something isn't officially offered, it doesn't mean you can't have it. There are several pointers for upgrading cheap coffee (a McD's premium roast coffee will cost around $2), with some hacks calling for added salt and cinnamon, while others call for extra cream or sugar. But this hack. Well, it takes the cake ... er, the milkshake.

All you need to do is order a milkshake and a McCafé espresso shot. Once you get your order, pour your espresso shot into the shake, give it a quick stir, and voilà, you're ready to sip on your coffee milkshake. Once you try this original hack, a world of possibilities will open up for you. Experiment with different milkshake flavors or coffee drinks to find the perfect combination that makes your taste buds do a happy dance. Why not mix a McCafé Caramel Macchiato into a vanilla shake or a McCafé Cappuccino with your chocolate shake? Just be prepared for the consistency of the shake to be a bit thinner. You are adding a warm liquid to it, after all.

We all feel it. Everything seems to have gotten more expensive, including fast food. If you like ordering a Big Mac from McDonald's but don't love how expensive it is, we may have the solution you've been searching for. While prices can vary based on the state, city, and even franchise owners, a Big Mac can cost $6 or more – just for the sandwich.

Next time you're craving a Big Mac but want to keep your costs to a minimum, try ordering a McDouble but ask for it to be prepared like a Big Mac. This way, they'll add the Big Mac sauce to your burger and shredded lettuce, so the taste will be just like the real thing. However, instead of paying over $6 for your sandwich, you'll probably pay closer to $4, though this can vary depending on where you live.

Chicken McNuggets are another popular item from the fast food chain, even if they weren't actually invented by McDonald's. Sometimes, these come out crispier than others. If you find yourself pleasantly surprised anytime that there is a bit of an extra crunch to your McNuggets, why play roulette every time you order, just hoping they'll come out crispier? Instead, you can request that your nuggets be served extra crispy.

You'll have to hope you speak with a cashier willing to honor your request, but if so, they'll be cooked just a little longer than usual, giving the breading an extra crunch. Just be sure to enjoy these fresh; you don't want them to sit and get soggy, which will cancel out the crispier coating.

This next hack is a simple one that may leave you wondering why you never thought to try it on your own. If you've ever ordered a Filet-O-Fish from McDonald's, you probably know how delicious the steamed bun makes the sandwich. While nothing is wrong with the toasted buns that come with the burgers and other sandwiches on the menu, they don't offer the same melt-in-your-mouth texture as a steamed bun.

Well, prepare your taste buds because you can request that any burger or sandwich on the menu be served on a steamed bun. All you need to do is ask, and possibly wait a few extra minutes while they make your newly hacked sandwich.

Earning rewards points from McDonald's is only half the game. The second half is maximizing your points to get the best deal. For each dollar you spend, McDonald's gives you 100 points, and it offers four redemption levels: 1,500 points, 3,000 points, 4,500 points, and 6,000 points. Each level has four free items you can choose from. For example, with 1,500 points, you can select a free hash brown, McChicken, vanilla cone, or cheeseburger.

While free food is always good, getting the highest value is even better. By looking at menu prices and calculating the dollar value per 1,000 points you're redeeming, you can find the best savings. Prices can vary by location, but by using the average prices we found, a few freebies stood out as the best deals. 

Under the 1,500 redemption tier, the McChicken works out to around $2.99 per 1,000 points, a cheeseburger clocks in at around $2.51 per 1,000 points, and hash browns are around $2.16 per 1,000 points. For 3,000 points, a 6-piece Chicken McNuggets is about $1.60 per 1,000 points. For 4,500 points, a Filet-O-Fish is around $1.55 per 1,000 points. But, you might want to skip using your points to get a large iced coffee for 3,000 points (around $0.98 per 1,000 points) or a large fries for 4,500 points (around $0.98 per 1,000 points).

Here's another quick hack that can upgrade your overall dining experience. Ask for your bacon, egg, & cheese or sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit to be made with a round egg,  meaning a real egg. When you request this, they'll make your sandwich with the same egg that is typically used with the egg McMuffin, arguably the best part of the whole sandwich.

Ordering the biscuit sandwich this way will spare you from the folded egg patty, which some feel really puts a damper on the whole dish. While the egg patties are reheated and have an odd texture, the round eggs are much fresher and will enhance the overall taste of your breakfast.

If you're a senior, a teacher, or in the military, bring your ID with you the next time you go to McDonald's. While not all locations offer discounts, some do, so it is worth taking a second to ask and see if you'll get a little reward for your service or vocation.

Teachers and military personnel may find that discounts are only available at select times during the year. Some McDonald's locations provide discounts or freebies during teacher appreciation week. For example, some McDonald's in Texas offered free breakfast for teachers in 2024. Retired or active military members may be able to find deals on or around Veterans Day. If your location recognizes veterans, you may be able to score a free breakfast or free combo, as has been offered in the past.

The next time you need to keep drinks or food cold for a picnic, stop by McDonald's to pick up a bag or two of ice. Yes, you read that correctly. You can order bags of ice at the fast food chain — and you won't even have to go inside to get it if you don't want to (just order through the drive-thru).

Pricing will vary by location, but grabbing a bag of ice through the drive-thru window will be more convenient than running to the grocery store or a gas station on the way to your outdoor event. No more worrying about food safety mistakes ruining a summer BBQ when you can access ice so quickly and easily to keep perishables cold.

Many of us decline a receipt or toss it in the trash when ordering food. However, doing so with a McDonald's receipt could be a mistake. Each receipt from the restaurant includes directions to access a customer satisfaction survey. Once you complete the survey, which will only take a few minutes, you'll receive a BOGO coupon for a breakfast or regular menu sandwich. Just don't wait too long to take the survey; you only have seven days to complete it in order to receive the coupon.

In addition to getting a free sandwich for your time, you'll also be providing valuable feedback to McDonald's. They can use your feedback to make positive changes at the restaurant location you visited, as well as other franchise locations.

Orange creamsicles are a refreshingly delicious treat. Sadly, they are not on the menu at McDonald's. However, that doesn't mean that you can't hack your way towards creating your own creamy and dreamy treat with a few standard menu items.

Some social media posters have shared that by combining some Hi-C or Orange Fanta with a cup of vanilla ice cream they can make a scrumptious orange creamsicle. It's hard to tell exactly when this "hack" was discovered, but it seems to have been popularized around 2022.  Think of this as the latest version of a root beer float or a Boston cooler (a ginger-ale milkshake) – good til the last drop!  One Facebook user was so impressed by the combination of the orange drink and vanilla ice cream that she posted, "My life is complete, wow!"

If you want to make sure the burger or sandwich you order is prepared right before it is served, try this simple hack. Simply make a slight modification to the way it is listed on the menu.

For example, try asking for the onions to be removed from your quarter pounder with cheese or for your McCrispy to be prepared without the pickles. The person preparing your order will then make the sandwich right before it is served to you. This means it will be far fresher than some of those sitting under a heat lamp for goodness knows how long.

While McDonald's started serving all-day breakfast in 2015, the chain sadly stopped the option to eat breakfast whenever you want in 2020. However, a secret hack will let you combine breakfast with lunch for a McDonald's brunch extraordinaire. Go to the restaurant at the right time (about 10:35) to try the Mc10:35.

This secret menu item, sometimes called the McBrunch burger, combines elements of a hamburger with an egg McMuffin. If the location you visit will prepare it by name, the sandwich might include an egg patty, a burger patty, bacon slices, and/or hash browns, depending on what is available. If your location won't prepare it by name, simply order a cheeseburger, a McMuffin, and/or a hash brown to craft your brunch burger.

It is important to go at 10:35 (or even a few minutes earlier) because McDonald's starts serving lunch and stops serving breakfast at 10:30. So, if you go at 10:35, there may still be a few breakfast leftovers available, along with the full lunch menu.