5 McDonald's McCrispy Upgrades Worth Ordering

The McCrispy sandwich may not enjoy the widespread fame and popularity of the Big Mac or the Filet-O-Fish, but it still counts among the best chicken sandwiches from non-chicken chain restaurants. When McDonald's unveiled the sandwich in 2021, the McCrispy was instantly positioned as a competitor to Chick-fil-A's and Popeye's fried chicken creations. In its basic iteration, the sandwich consists of two buttered potato rolls, a crispy chicken fillet, and pickles — it almost begs for some upgrades.

The menu at McDonald's already offers three enhanced versions of this chicken sandwich. The Spicy McCrispy adds the Spicy Pepper Sauce to the original, the Deluxe McCrispy features mayo and swaps the pickles for lettuce and tomatoes, and the Spicy Deluxe McCrispy is quite similar to the Deluxe but swaps mayo for the spicy sauce. Even so, the options for further customization are endless.

While each of the current McCrispy variants on the menu serve as a baseline, there's more we can add to build a creative, flavorful order. Today, we're highlighting five easy upgrades that can completely transform your McCrispy experience with just a few ordering tweaks. Consider these alterations the next time you order at the drive-thru.

The classic McCrispy lacks one very obvious ingredient that's typically a big part of McDonald's sandwiches: sauce. While the salted butter and the pickles do provide a little bit of moisture, some customers still complain that the McCrispy is simply too dry. Fortunately, this can be mended by adding one of McDonald's many dipping sauces.

The Creamy Chili McCrispy Strip Dip is a must-try, as it was specifically developed for the McCrispy Strips. This, it naturally pairs with the crunchy chicken fillet. Sweet 'N Sour Sauce is another tried-and-tested pick that never misses when paired with poultry. Some customers order their sandwich with honey mustard, which is also known as the German-style McCrispy order.

For a more burger-inspired flavor, try the McCrispy with the Big Mac sauce, or go a step further and make a chicken version of the famous burger. Simply order the classic McCrispy with a double patty, the Big Mac sauce, lettuce, onions, and American cheese. Boom!

Depending on whether you're ordering in person or remotely, not all the sauces can be added directly into the sandwich. Condiments can always be added as extras, while other burger sauces can be added only if you're placing the order in person. Dipping sauces always come separately, so you'll have to do the rest yourself.

The McCrispy's biggest selling point is the fillet. Inspired by Southern fried chicken, it is meant to be a craveable comfort food that strikes the perfect balance between crispy exterior and juicy interior. Some customers feel that the McCrispy fillet doesn't exactly reach those standards, especially when it comes to the texture. Folks have even referred to it as rubbery and chewy — but there may be a way around this.

If imperfect texture is your only beef with this chicken, adding some bacon could mend the issue. The bacon at McDonald's is known to be more on the soft side as well, but it still provides much-needed textural variety. It also imparts a deeply smoky flavor that can only be a benefit for those who find the McCrispy fillet a tad bland.

McDonald's has even experimented with adding bacon to the McCrispy with some limited-time variations of the sandwich. In early 2026, the customers had a chance to order a Bacon Hot Honey McCrispy, which you could re-envision today by ordering the Spicy McCrispy with bacon and honey on the side. In 2025, the chain served a Bacon Buffalo Ranch McCrispy. This, too, can be recreated by ordering the sandwich with ranch and bacon with Buffalo sauce on the side.

"Been a minute since I had a McCrispy," wrote one user on Reddit. "When did the patty get so small?" Even the McCrispy isn't immune to the shrinkflation allegations that continue to follow McDonald's, despite the chain's repeated denials. In any case, a single patty sometimes simply isn't enough to satiate ravenous hunger. So, why not order two?

This is one of the easiest upgrades that bulks up the sandwich, boosts the already surprising 26 grams of protein in the McCrispy. It also builds up the crunch. That said, the addition of another patty can slightly throw off the moisture balance in what is already a dry sandwich, so we'd definitely recommend adding extra pickles and some sauce as well.

If you prefer to keep the classic McCrispy sauce-free, as McDonald's intended, adding a slice of cheese would go a long way, too. You could also opt for a veggie-forward sauce-free McCrispy by ordering the Deluxe version with an extra patty, extra tomatoes, and no mayo. Together with the lettuce, the moisture from the tomatoes is a great balancing factor for the two chicken patties.

The McCrispy is on the menu in many different countries, but it doesn't look the same everywhere you go. In some international locations (such as U.K., Canada, and New Zealand), the classic McCrispy actually looks a lot like the McChicken sandwich does stateside. Instead of just offering pickles, these standard sandwiches also include mayo and lettuce.

The main difference between McCrispy and McChicken sandwiches lies in the meat. The McChicken comes with a boneless chicken patty, while the McCrispy uses a chicken breast fillet with rib meat. Opinions on which is the better sandwich come down to personal preference, but each has something special going for it. The McCrispy's patty is generally larger and crunchier, yet the McChicken has the textural benefit of the creamy mayo and lettuce.

Fortunately, you can get the best of both worlds with a simple order modification — get the Deluxe McCrispy with extra mayo and no tomatoes. You could even try a bun swap and ask for the McCrispy to come with the sesame bun. Of course, this only works if you're ordering in person, and if the restaurant is willing to accommodate you.

Again, the McCrispy has many international variations, even beyond resembling its McChicken cousin. Looking at the menus from other countries can inspire particularly creative McCrispy orders, bringing together the kind of combinations that expand your fast food horizons. Depending on the specific variety, however, some modifications may require a few extra steps on your part.

In Ireland, for instance, McDonald's serves a McCrispy BBQ Smokehouse, spotlighting a smoky barbecue sauce, cheese, red onions, and lettuce. To copy this idea, order the classic McCrispy, add cheese, and swap out the pickles for lettuce. Then, get the Tangy Barbecue Sauce on the side. In Portugal, you can find McCrispy Cheddar & Bacon, which completely skips the pickles in favor of just cheese and bacon — another easy swap at American McDonald's.

Interestingly, Switzerland's menu features a Japanese-inspired McCrispy Teriyaki that's similar to the McChicken iteration, except it sports teriyaki sauce instead of mayo. While you won't be able to completely recreate this one stateside, if you order a McCrispy with lettuce instead of pickles, you can add the best store-bought teriyaki sauce into the sandwich at home.