If you’ve ever taken a bite out of a Big Mac and thought, “Boy, this could really use more meat,” McDonald’s has decided to beef it up — literally.
The chain announced it will be taking its Big Mac and multiplying the meat by two for a returning menu item. That’s right: the Double Big Mac, with its four (count ’em, four) burger patties, is back after a four-year hiatus. And it only costs about $1.50 more than the regular Big Mac (though price varies by location).
The Double Big Mac features four 100% all-beef patties and is topped with pickles, shredded lettuce, finely chopped onions, a slice of American cheese and Big Mac sauce, all sandwiched between a sesame seed bun. Get ready to make your best Scooby Doo or Shaggy impression taking a bite of this thing.
The hefty hamburger will be available at participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide starting today, Jan. 24, for a limited time. A McDonald’s USA spokesperson says the price of the Double Big Mac is determined by each individual restaurant and may vary by location.
Surveys show that nearly half of consumers are fed up with shrinkflation — smaller food packages for the same price. Experts say it’s one reason why customers are craving more value — and fast-food companies like McDonald’s are responding.
McDonald’s says its bigger burger came from consumer demand for more beef.
“We’ve identified an unmet customer need with a significant opportunity to drive future growth in beef and that is the large beef burger customer — a desire for larger, high quality burgers that fill you up and are delivered in a convenient and affordable way,” Jo Sempels, president for international developmental licensed markets, said during investor day.
McDonald’s first introduced its Double Big Mac back in March 2020, when it also debuted the Little Mac, which featured a single burger patty topped with Big Mac Sauce and unfortunately did not return this go-round.
This time, though, the Double Big Mac will be a little different since it tweaked its burger recipe in 2023 to make softer buns, meltier cheese, a better sear on the patty and more sauce on Big Macs.
McDonald’s has a history of playing with the proportions and ingredients of its staple sandwich.
Back in 2017, the chain introduced the precursor to the Double Big Mac — the Grand Mac, which had heftier patties and an additional slice of cheese, as well as the Mac Jr., which featured a single burger patty with Big Mac Sauce, bearing a striking resemblance to the Little Mac.
In August 2022, the chain tested a Chicken Big Mac, which swapped the beef out for two fried chicken patties. Then, in April 2023, McDonald’s announced its Big Mac sauce would finally be available in dip cups for a limited time.
The future of the Big Mac and its many iterations is in the Hamburglar’s hands, so to speak, but here’s hoping for a fully customizable Big Mac menu someday.
