The Unique Process That Makes McDonald's Minced Onions Taste So Good

Whether you're a Big Mac fan or a classic cheeseburger lover, many of McDonald's most iconic burgers come with a generous layer of minced onions that are a big part of their allure. As opposed to the crunchy bite of raw onions that are diced or slivered, McDonald's minced onions are sweet and mild with a tender crunch that all but melts into the sauces slathered over a burger. As one McDonald's customer on Reddit proclaims, "I absolutely love the handful of impossibly small, diced onions," while others call them "the best" and "far superior to any other onion offering". So, if you're wondering what kind of magic they put into the onions at McDonald's, there's a unique process involved that you can recreate at home. 

According to a former corporate chef at McDonald's, the diced onions aren't raw onions at all, but instead are dehydrated onions that have been rehydrated for a few hours in water. Dehydrating dries the onion out without releasing the enzymes that create the spicy, harsh bite that occurs when you slice raw onions. So, with dehydrated onions, you get a sweet and mild onion flavor and a softer crunch that complements the umami richness of the meat patty beautifully, and makes an onion lover out of just about anyone. Former employees on Reddit also recall soaking the dehydrated onions in water for a couple of hours and draining them as part of daily prep work.

Dehydrated onions are widely available at grocery stores, both in the bulk section or the dried spice section. Simply buy a bottle of chopped dehydrated onions and soak them in water following a ratio of 2 to 3 parts water to 1 part onion for a couple of hours. Dehydrated onions also have a much longer shelf life than raw onions, making them a flavorful staple to have on hand. 

If you only have raw onions, you can recreate McDonald's minced onion topping by finely dicing white onions and soaking them in cold water for 30 seconds to a minute. This quick soak rids the raw onions of their spicy bite, softening their flavor and texture. Drain the onions well to avoid adding too much moisture to the condiments and bun. You can also use the onion-infused soaking water as the base for a marinade.

Sweet, rehydrated, minced onions are the garnish that any drool-worthy burger recipe needs, and you can use them in conjunction with raw onions, too. If you want to recreate the Big Mac at home, the same corporate chef who divulged the minced onion method also has some insight for achieving a copycat Big Mac sauce recipe. Despite its sweetness and pinkish hue, you won't find any tomato products in the condiment. Instead, Big Mac sauce is mayo-based, getting its sweetness from sweet pickle relish and its pink hue from a generous helping of paprika.