McDonald’s classic burgers upgrade its flavor to meet new burger goals
While there will be no replacing the classic jingle about two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce and cheese, a few food items are and will always be a classic on the McDonald’s menu. Although food trends can bring excitement to trying a new flavor, ensuring that the choices that made a brand iconic cannot and should not be overlooked. In a recent company announcement, there are some new burger goals and the McDonald’s classic burgers are getting a flavor upgrade.
When a favorite food brand says that a classic food item is changing its formulation, there can be a moment of pause. Although not everyone can remember the “new” versus “classic” cola formulations, some people do not like change.
At the same time, chefs understand that recipes can be improved. From better cooking techniques to boosting ingredient combinations, flavor can be improved with a few tweaks.
McDonald’s burgers are iconic. From the ingredient combinations to even the bun, that particular quick service restaurant offering is different from others. One place might focus on flame grilled and another might be the square deal, the reality is that some people prefer one option over another. Straying too far away from what people expect may not be well received.
Speaking to the flavor upgrade to McDonald’s classic burgers, Chef Chad Schafer, Senior Director of Culinary Innovation, McDonald’s USA said, “I’ll always remember my first burger from McDonald’s. And now my culinary team and I have the best job in the world: thinking about ways to bring even more of that iconic McDonald’s taste to fans. We found that small changes, like tweaking our process to get hotter, meltier cheese and adjusting our grill settings for a better sear, added up to a big difference in making our burgers more flavorful than ever.”
According to McDonald’s, the changes to the classic burgers include adding white onions to the burger patty as it is being cooked, using a pillowy bun that is golden brown toasted, a meltier cheese, and more Big Mac sauce in every bite. While some of these changes are specific to the Big Mac, McDouble burger, classic Cheeseburger, Double Cheeseburger and Hamburger will also get the flavor upgrades.
These changes have been implemented outside of the U.S. and received positive responses. The changes will start on the West Coast and will be implemented nationwide by 2024.
What do you think of changes to the McDonald’s classic burgers? Do you think that these burgers needed a flavor upgrade?