10 McDonald's Breakfast Ordering Hacks You Need To Try

Grabbing a McDonald's breakfast always feels like a real treat, and the chain's morning menu offers plenty of heartiness. Whether your go-to is a meaty McMuffin, a cheesy burrito, or a stack of syrupy hotcakes, a Mickey D's meal is a deliciously comforting way to start the day. And while the breakfast lineup isn't quite as extensive as the daytime menu, it's still full of opportunities for clever customizations that can take your order to the next level.

Hacking the McDonald's breakfast menu can be as simple as combining two items to create an ultra-satisfying mashup, or adding extra condiments to instantly boost the flavor. In other cases, you can get some serious bang for your buck by ordering specific sides, or making the most of freebie add-ons. With these nifty upgrades, you'll turn a basic breakfast meal into something a little more special. So, if you tend to stick to the same tried-and-tested order, this is your sign to get creative and order something new next time you visit the Golden Arches.

The famous McDonald's hash browns are typically enjoyed as an accompaniment to other menu items, perhaps along with a good dollop of ketchup or barbecue sauce. However, these golden delights are also the perfect tool for upgrading one of the chain's best-loved breakfast offerings: the McMuffin. 

Adding a hash brown to your McMuffin is a prime McDonald's breakfast hack that'll introduce a whole new layer of texture and flavor. The fried potato pairs beautifully with the deeply savory meat, egg, and cheese fillings, as well as the fluffy bread, making everything gloriously crispy, salty, and all the more satisfying.

It's a simple case of ordering a hash brown on the side, opening up your McMuffin, and placing the golden potato patty inside, between the top half of the bun and the fillings. Feel free to add a swipe of your favorite sauce, too. Now, you'll have an ultra-hearty sandwich with plenty of bite and savory richness. For the ultimate crunch, another option is to skip the bread entirely, and sandwich the fillings between two hash browns instead.

The McDonald's Big Breakfast with Hotcakes is a popular pick for those looking for a substantial morning meal. This comforting medley of classic brunchtime ingredients combines sweet and savory flavors in a totally moreish way. You get three hotcakes, a sausage patty, scrambled eggs, a biscuit, plus crispy hash browns on the side. And, this hearty spread becomes even more tempting when transformed into a batch of fully-loaded breakfast tacos.

There's no need to add anything extra here. The Big Breakfast already comes with everything you'll need to build a salty-sweet taco feast. Just break or slice the egg, sausage, and hash browns up into small chunks or strips, then pile the pieces onto the hotcakes. Drizzle the included syrup on top, before folding everything up to create that familiar taco shape. The result is a fun, handheld twist on the usual meal, that offers a delightful contrast of flavors and textures in every bite.

You can of course experiment with adding extra sauces to your tacos if desired (think spicy buffalo or tangy barbecue). Or, amp up the indulgence by asking for extra bacon or cheese to stuff inside the pancakes. It's also worth noting that once you've assembled your tacos, you'll have the biscuit leftover, but this is ideal for mopping up syrup or piling with leftover fillings.

Head to McDonald's between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., and you can get your hands on a rather epic secret menu item: the Mc10:35. This generous sandwich is aptly named after its crucial ordering window, when the breakfast service is starting to wind down, and the lunch menu is just getting going. Essentially, Mc10:35 is a fusion of the Egg McMuffin and the McDouble, but there are a few different ways you can have it assembled. 

The McDouble comes with two beef patties, and these are stacked up with the tender egg round and melty cheese slice from the McMuffin. When it comes to the bread, you can either opt for the English muffin, or the hamburger bun from the McDouble, depending in your desired texture. The former is a little studier, while the latter provides that softer, fluffier, burger-style finish. It's also up to you whether you include the pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard that are typically found in the McDouble.

As with most secret menu items, in-person ordering is essential. While many sources deem the process straightforward, others say that you'll actually need to order the two sandwiches separately and assemble the new stack yourself, which will likely be a pricier approach. This may vary from store to store, so it's always best to speak to your server to find out the best way to order. Either way, the deeply savory combo of beef, egg, and cheese is sure to be a winner.

It's already a pretty substantial meal in itself, but the McDonald's Big Breakfast is also super easy to transform into a hearty feast for two for just a few dollars more. Order the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes, and the fluffy pancakes will come with sausage, scrambled eggs, hash browns, a warm biscuit, butter, and maple syrup. With more than enough egg and sausage to go around, you can divide the savory fillings between the pancake and biscuit, and ordering a couple of sides will turn the biscuit into what's essentially a whole extra meal.

The idea is to order separate portions of bacon and cheese on the side, then stuff these into the biscuit. This way, you'll have created your very own Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit (usually priced at around $7.99), while only paying two to three dollars more. The resulting meal is perfect for sharing between two people, and a great way to sample a wide selection of goodies from the McDonald's breakfast menu.

Sometimes, a quick drizzle of sauce is all that's needed to elevate your breakfast. While ketchup and barbecue sauce are great for adding a hint of sweetness and tang to your meal, they don't offer much in the way of spice. If you prefer your breakfast with a fierier flavor profile, the McDonald's Picante Sauce is the perfect condiment for turning up the heat. 

There are two versions of this sauce to suit different spice preferences. The Mild Picante Sauce, made with jalapeño peppers, vinegar and spices, adds a subtle kick of warmth that's ideal for giving your breakfast a gentle flavor boost. Or, if you really want to spice things up, opt for the hot version. You can get Picante Sauce free with any breakfast sandwich or burrito, though you if want more than one packet, you may be charged extra, depending on the location. 

The sauce's hot, tangy taste does a brilliant job of cutting through the richness of other savory ingredients, and it adds a welcome dose of moisture when spread into McMuffins, bagels, or McGriddles. Or, you can serve it on the side and use it for dunking or drizzling (it'll go great with a fluffy-crisp hash brown). To get your hands on a packet or two, just ask your server. Unfortunately, it won't come up as an option if you're ordering on the app.

Egg is a key component of several McDonald's breakfast sandwiches, but it'll come in a different format depending on what you order. Opt for a McGriddle, bagel, or biscuit sandwich, and you'll get folded eggs. These arrive at the restaurant frozen, having already been cooked and folded offsite, and therefore only requiring a quick reheat. This makes them the least fresh, and arguably the least tasty variety of egg at McDonald's. However, you can easily ask your server to swap out the standard folded egg for something freshly prepared.

The two other types of egg on offer are the round egg, which typically features in the McMuffins, or scrambled egg, that forms part of the Big Breakfast, and also gets stuffed into burritos. These are both cooked fresh on the grill, either by cracking raw egg into a special egg ring for the round egg, or scrambling it with butter. Customers says there's a noticeable difference between the fresh and pre-cooked versions, with the scrambled and round eggs boasting a much more tender mouthfeel and richer flavor than the folded variety. What's more, making this swap is completely free, so you're getting a better quality meal at no extra cost.

In a video on TikTok, former McDonald's corporate chef Mike Haracz shared a simple, yet game-changing, hack for upgrading the fan-favorite Egg McMuffin. This involves enhancing the egg layer with the chain's signature grill seasoning, which is typically added to the beef patties used in the cheeseburgers, McDoubles, and Quarter Pounders. You can, however, absolutely ask to have it sprinkled atop a round egg.

You might assume that this seasoning includes a complex blend of flavor-boosting herbs and spices, but surprisingly, the powder consists of nothing more than salt and pepper. This might seem oversimplified, but the seasonings are combined in a very specific ratio of 86% salt to 14% pepper, which gives the burgers just the right amount of warmth and savory depth. So, it makes sense that this blend also shines alongside mild, tender egg.

The McDonald's round eggs actually come completely unseasoned, so they benefit greatly from a pinch of the salt and pepper mix. This is another upgrade reserved for in-person ordering, and by tapping into this easy hack, you'll ensure every layer of your muffin stack is perfectly seasoned and packed with rich, savory flavor.

Visit McDonald's in Norway, and you'll notice a colorful standout on the breakfast menu. The McMuffin Deluxe is a fresh twist on American versions, elevated with crisp iceberg lettuce and a juicy tomato slice. The usual Canadian bacon or sausage patty is replaced with a beef patty, but you'll still get those classic layers of round egg and melty cheese. The Norwegian creation also features the McFeast sauce — a creamy mayo-based blend with notes of mustard and lemon, that's also found in the beloved McFeast burgers (sadly not available in the U.S.).

While it's not possible to recreate this vibrant stack exactly in America, you can still give a basic McMuffin a Norwegian-inspired makeover. Just ask for extra lettuce and tomato in your sandwich (you'll need to do this in person, rather than on the app), and you're well on your way to a McMuffin Deluxe. It may also be possible to swap in a beef patty, depending on the timing of your order and the policy at that specific location, so it's absolutely worth a try if you're aiming to create something even closer to the Norwegian original.

The Big Mac is a longstanding icon of McDonald's menu, and one of its most important components is the creamy Big Mac Sauce. This top secret blend packs heaps of zesty, savory flavor, and while it fits in seamlessly alongside tender beef patties and a fluffy sesame bun, it also makes an excellent addition to a breakfast sandwich. McDonald's keeps the exact recipe under wraps, but we know that Big Mac sauce contains sweet pickle relish, mustard seed, garlic, and spices, and these tangy, aromatic elements make the sauce a delicious match for many of the savory favorites from the breakfast menu. 

The best approach is to order the sauce on the side, which generally needs to be done in person. However, McDonald's has previously added Big Mac Sauce dip cups to the in-app menu for limited periods. Then, you can dollop as much of the sauce as you fancy into a McMuffin, McGriddle, bagel, or biscuit to amp up the richness and depth (or just use it for dunking). It'll taste especially great with meaty picks like the Sausage McMuffin or Steak, Egg, and Cheese Bagel, where the sauce's tangy profile will contrast the smoky, umami notes of the proteins beautifully.

It's not uncommon to see sweet and savory ingredients combined on a brunch plate, but this next combo is perhaps a little more unconventional than most. According to Redditors, strawberry preserves is a must-try addition to a classic McMuffin. The sweet, fruity spread provides a welcomed contrast to the other salty, savory fillings and toasty bread, brightening things up and bringing a whole new layer of indulgence.

Back in the early 1970s, the McDonald's Egg McMuffin actually came with both honey and jam as standard, but these sweet accompaniments had been ditched by the middle of the decade. The McMuffin has since been an entirely savory affair, but there's no reason why you can't sweeten things up yourself. Ask for a packet of strawberry preserves (usually paired with the hotcakes) when ordering a sausage or egg McMuffin in person, and you can easily disassemble the stack and smear some of the spread inside. Customers say the grape jelly works great with the meat and egg too, or you could even opt for a drizzle of the Hotcake Syrup, if a fruity profile doesn't appeal. This sweet hack can also be applied to biscuits, McGriddles, bagels, or any other breakfast item you deem worthy of a jammy upgrade.