The McDonald's Chef-Approved Addition That'll Take Your Quarter Pounder Up A Notch
A regular Quarter Pounder from McDonald's is an exercise in simplicity. It's just ¼-pound of freshly-grilled, never-frozen beef, two slices of American cheese, ketchup, mustard, onions, and pickles, all on a sesame seed bun. That's a pretty solid base, which makes it ripe for a few upgrades if you're in the mood. We wanted to know how the experts like to order a Quarter Pounder, which is why we spoke to Wayne Kuhl, the director of culinary for McDonald's, for some suggestions on how to customize the burger.
Kuhl said, "I do like a Deluxe from time to time because I like that fresh produce on there with the shredded lettuce and the Roma tomatoes. But I would add bacon to everything. I'm a protein guy. Bacon makes everything better." For those of you who aren't familiar with the Quarter Pounder Deluxe, it's a Quarter Pounder with lettuce, tomato, and mayo added; it's McDonald's version of a burger with "the works." In fact, the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe was our hands-down favorite in a previous taste test. Not only does it have all the bells and whistles, it's got extra beef too.
Here's how another McDonald's corporate chef suggests ordering a Quarter Pounder
Aside from adding bacon to your Quarter Pounder, a former McDonald's chef, Mike Haracz, also once disclosed one of his favorite McDonald's burger hacks on social media. In this case, the tweak isn't in the ingredients but rather in the preparation of the burger. Haracz suggested requesting a steamed bun when ordering your next sandwich.
In case you didn't know this little tidbit, McDonald's steams its buns for the Filet-O-Fish (just one of many interesting facts about the sandwich), which gives them a fluffier texture. In fact, the Filet-O-Fish is the only one that gets that treatment. And this is one of those situations where you can easily combine both chef suggestions in one go. If you combine the steamed bun and the bacon, not only will you get a pillowy bite of bun, you'll also get the salty, fatty bite of the bacon. Even better, do it Deluxe-style and you'll have all the details you need to make your usual Quarter Pounder order taste like something new.