A McDonald’s expert claims the Australian version of the Big Mac is coming to the United States. If that’s the case, prepare yourself for a whole lot of burger.
The intel in question comes from Chef Mike Haracz, a former McDonald’s corporate chef who specializes in McDonald’s content on his TikTok account. He called attention to news reports that the fast-food giant is introducing a Double Big Mac, inspired by an Australian variant of the Big Mac which was—according to The Messenger—introduced in 2020.
The Canadian McDonald’s site reveals that the Great White North variety sports “four 100% Canadian beef patties, special sauce, crisp lettuce, processed cheddar cheese, pickles and onions on a toasted sesame seed bun.” The version that Haracz talked about looks identical based on a screengrab he shared, with a single slice of cheese underneath the bottom two patties.
The Messenger observed, “Some people are very excited to finally get to try a Double Big Mac but others feel the 740 calorie burger is too much, even for McDonald’s. Skeptics have been calling it ‘obscene,’ ‘disgusting,’ and one person suggested they rename it ‘the heart attack Mac.’”
Multiple sources, including a Today article declaring it a “hefty hamburger,” have it arriving at McDonald’s on Jan. 24 for a limited time.
Haracz’s concerns about the Double Big Mac—which he says will give customers about 2/5 of a pound of beef—were initially around logistics.
“McDonald’s recently announced the Better Burger program where they’re going to have less lettuce and less cheese on the line,” Haracz said. “They’re cooking less patties more often.”
Seeking Alpha, writing about the initiative, noted, “The new burger platform will include a uniform made-to-order 40-second grilling process aimed at delivering a more consistent hamburger searing.” Clarifying what Haracz alluded to, it added, “Less patties will be cooked on the same grill at a time, which will enable better heating distribution and reduce the average time between customers ordering and receiving their burgers.”
But Haracz concocted a nightmare scenario.
“So if somebody orders four Big Macs, these double Big Macs, and then the car behind you orders four double Big Macs, there is no way the kitchen is going to be able to handle it. So get ready for longer drive-thru times due to the fact that there are four patties on one burger, and McDonald’s is only allowed to cook two burgers’ worth at a time.”
He added, cheerfully, “Let’s see those drive-thru times!”
@chefmikeharacz Former #McDonalds corporate chef talks about breaking McDonald’s news. #mcdonaldssecrets #mcdonaldssecret #mcdonaldslife #mcdonaldstiktok #mcdonaldsmenu #FastFood #fastFoodSecrets #fastfoodtiktok #fastFoodLife #fastfoodmenu #fyp #BigMac #bigmacsauce #mcdonaldsbigmac #mcdonaldsbigmacsauce #bigmactiktok #doublebigmac ♬ original sound – Chef Mike Haracz
In a follow-up video, Haracz teed off on the burger with an on-screen caption reading, “The Double Big Mac is wrong!” He criticized the burger for not matching the Big Mac recipe across the board with proportional lettuce, sauce, and cheese.
“This monstrosity here is going to be too beef-forward,” he declared. “All the proportions are wrong.”
@chefmikeharacz Former #McDonalds corporate chef talks about the #doublebigmac is wrong. #mcdonaldssecrets #mcdonaldssecret #mcdonaldslife #mcdonaldstiktok #mcdonaldsmenu #FastFood #fastFoodSecrets #fastfoodtiktok #fastfoodlife #fastfoodmenu #fyp #McDonaldsBigMac #bigmacsauce #bigmactiktok #mcdonaldsbigmacsauce #BigMac ♬ original sound – Chef Mike Haracz
Commenters had thoughts about the Double Big Mac and Haracz’s informed concerns.
“I have never accused McDs of being too beef forward,” one said.
Another wondered, “Can you someone tell me when people got so cheap on cheese? [Whether] it’s pizza or burgers, they always go light on the cheese.”
Someone else said, “‘The ratio’ is exactly why I’ll eat a single over a double in most large franchises.”
But a McD’s fan countered, “Double Big Mac is actually more balanced than the single. There’s way too much bread to meat in a regular Big Mac.”
But how much will it cost? Haracz, responding to the Daily Dot’s inquiry, noted, “I have no insight into price point as that is somewhat decided by the owner operators and varies within different regions.”
And he also said, despite Haracz’s helpful online critiques about needing more cheese, “I don’t think McDonald’s will change it as they are most likely trying to keep the price point as low as possible.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to McDonald’s via email.
