The One Ingredient That Makes McDonald's McOz Burger Different From Any In The US

Down in Australia, a McDonald's favorite called the McOz returned in 2025, and if you're an American, you might not know what to think about its ingredients. As far as international McDonald's menu items go, the Australian version isn't normally that far off from the American. There are some things on it that the U.S. doesn't get, like chicken wings and a breakfast burger topped with a hash brown and BBQ sauce, but even then, most of Australia's unique items are just rearranged recipes using things that are also available in the States. But there is a limited-time burger called the McOz (Oz is shorthand slang for "Australia"), which features one topping you'd never expect to find in America: Beetroot.

Other than the beetroot, the McOz sounds like any other American burger, with the other toppings being lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar, ketchup and mustard. So where did the beetroot come from? Well, McDonald's didn't pull it out of nowhere. Beetroot is part of the unique combination of toppings that makes up an "Aussie burger," which is a local favorite down under.

The McOz has come and gone from the McDonald's Australia menu a few times, sticking around from 1999 to 2008 as main menu item, then returning as a limited-time offer a few times since then, including the Southern-hemisphere summer of 2025. And while beetroot might be an unusual choice in the United States, the McOz actually lacks the more controversial Aussie burger topping: canned pineapple rings.

So what's going on with Australia and beetroot? First off, beetroot is what Americans just call beets, and the stuff on burgers is usually canned. Beetroot saw a surge in popularity in Australia in the '30s along with other canned food, and the nation's affection for the vegetable deepened when it was one of the only staples available during World War 2. Beetroot is an essential component of another Australian classic, the salad sandwich, and when American troops brought a taste for hamburgers over to the Aussies, adding beetroot was a way to give it a local twist. Ironically, McDonald's coming to Australia in 1971 is credited with helping to drive a decline in popularity of beetroot as a burger topping, but the Aussie burger is still common in the country, with the McOz showing McDonald's commitment to getting in good with the locals by emphasizing regional flavors.

And beetroot isn't the only controversial local flavor McDonald's makes use of. Alongside the re-release of the McOz came fries dusted with another Australian classic: the yeast-extract spread Vegemite. They probably go great with McDonald's Australia's Ham, Cheese, and Tomato Toastie and banana bread. Even when most of the menu would be familiar to Americans, McDonald's does find ways to keep each countries' menu special. And while beetroot might not be what Americans want, that Australian "Brekkie" wrap with Canadian bacon, eggs, and a hash brown would probably sell great.