Each 15 April is McDonald's Day – the anniversary of when Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955, having bought the chain (and name) from its founders, the McDonald's brothers. But, however frequently you do (or don't) visit, did you know you can get a Mango McFlurry with your Big Mac in Malaysia? Or that the McDonald's breakfast menu in Hawaii features rice, eggs and Spam? From Corn Pie and Matcha Red Bean Layer Cake to McSpaghetti, we've rounded up the most delicious foods you can get your hands on at McDonald’s restaurants around the world.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover McDonald's most amazing menu items from across the globe – counting down to the tastiest of them all.
This warming side is available in Portugal, with a host of tasty varieties to choose from. Bursting with flavour and colour, there’s a creamy carrot option, a sweet pea pot, a green bean style and a Peasant Soup, packed with vegetables, kidney beans, ham and pasta. Who wouldn't want to wrap their hands around one of these?
Head to McDonald’s in Hawaii and you’ll find a surprising regional breakfast dish on the menu. The Local Deluxe Breakfast is piled high with rice, scrambled eggs, Spam and Portuguese sausage. It’s hearty, filling and packed with protein and fibre, making it an ideal breakfast option when you’re on the go.
This breakfast item is available in the UK – and is perfect for when you want something quick and tasty. It's a simple dish of crispy bacon served in a soft white roll, and comes with your choice of ketchup or that British staple, brown sauce. You’ll want to pair it with a crispy hash brown or two for the full McDonald's breakfast experience.
It’s not just savoury McDonald’s menu items that vary around the world. McCafés serve up all sorts of sweet treats too – such as this Matcha Red Bean Layer Cake, which is available in Hong Kong outposts. The mille crêpe cake (which roughly translates as a thousand pancake cake) is made with layers of matcha pancakes, matcha cream and red beans. It's not always on the menu, but it regularly features as a limited-edition item.
A staple of South Indian cuisine, masala dosa is a thin fermented rice and lentil pancake that typically comes with a spicy potato filling. Ingeniously, McDonald’s India has used the classic dish as inspiration for a burger, putting a turmeric-spiced mashed potato and pea patty inside a bun with plenty of chutney. It's soft and tasty, and it pairs perfectly with the pillowy roll.
Fans of oozy cheese sauce will love this extra cheesy, extra tasty burger, which can be found in McDonald’s restaurants in Brazil. It features a beef patty topped with melted Cheddar-flavoured sauce and a layer of grilled onions in soy sauce, and it's served in a brown sesame seed bun. It may be simple, but it’s undeniably delicious.
McDonald’s restaurants in Finland and Sweden were well ahead of the plant-based curve when they launched the McVegan in 2017. This delicious burger features a soy protein patty, vegan mayo, tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, ketchup and mustard. The McPlant, another vegan burger, launched in 2021 in several countries, featuring plant-based cheese and a Beyond Meat patty.
Malaysia's unofficial national dish, nasi lemak, can be found all over the country – including at McDonald’s. The taste bud–tingling menu item consists of rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves, served with fried anchovies, fresh cucumber, and a fried or boiled egg. It comes with spicy sambal sauce (made with chillies, shallots and garlic) and a side of fried chicken.
The perfect post-burger dessert, the fruity Mango McFlurry is a limited-edition menu item that can be found at McDonald’s restaurants in Malaysia from time to time. It combines two incredibly tasty ingredients – sweet, juicy mango and chocolatey Oreo bits – and swirls them into vanilla ice cream. Fans go wild when it makes a menu comeback.
Thought smashed avocado was too fancy for McDonald’s? That’s not the case if you’re at one of the chain's restaurants in Chile. Levelling up the classic McChicken, the McPollo Italiano is a sandwich packed with flavour, featuring the usual crispy chicken breast and classic McDonald’s sesame bun – but with a twist. It comes loaded with smashed avocado, tomato and mayonnaise.
This classic breakfast is enjoyed across the US – and the McDonald’s version is a brilliant grab-and-go option for road trips. It can be found on McDonald’s menus throughout the USA, and features a warm buttermilk biscuit that's sliced and stuffed with Applewood smoked bacon, a folded egg and a slice of melty American cheese. Breakfasts don't get more comforting than this.
In a departure from the standard McChicken Sandwich, McDonald's restaurants in Saudi Arabia serve up the Chicken McArabia. This tasty, healthy sandwich consists of two halal grilled chicken patties, lettuce, tomato, onion slices and garlic sauce, all served in a flatbread. Simple and delicious, it's a satisfying lunch option – and we think it'd taste even better with a few fries stuffed inside.
You’ll find these light bites gracing McDonald’s menus throughout Italy. Served piping hot, Panzerotti are pastry-like snacks that come filled with a mixture of Italian tomatoes and gooey mozzarella – serious cheese pull guaranteed. They're either served in individual portions or as part of the Tasty Basket, which also features Chicken McNuggets and Spicy Chicken McNuggets. They'd make the perfect pre-burger appetiser.
Canadians like their breakfasts with a little added spice, if the Egg & Jalapeno Cheddar McMuffin is anything to go by. This tasty menu item sees a standard McDonald's muffin loaded up with an egg, a slice of jalapeño-studded Cheddar and plenty of creamy jalapeño sauce. It's a limited-edition item that regularly pops up in Canada and at select locations in the US, and it certainly packs a punch.
While we all love classic McDonald’s fries, it’s nice to mix things up every now and again. Over in Norway, you can switch them for a portion of these crispy sweet potato fries. It’s the only country in the world where you’ll find McDonald’s serving these fries – and, as you’d expect, they're super tasty, with a hint of sweetness.
If you happen to pay a visit to the Golden Arches in Thailand, be sure to check out the Kaprao Crispy Chicken dish: fried chicken in a sweet and spicy sauce, served with rice (hungry customers can add a fried egg for a little extra, too). We reckon it'd make a nice change from the usual handheld burgers and sandwiches.
If you're a fan of cheese-filled omelettes, you’ll love the Cheesy Eggdesal breakfast sandwich served at McDonald’s branches in the Philippines. It features a fluffy folded egg with melted cheese in the middle, served inside a soft, toasted pandesal bun (a signature Filipino style of bread). Packed with protein and comforting flavours, it’s the ultimate breakfast bap.
Available exclusively in Hong Kong, this hot breakfast favourite features twisty pasta, a fried egg and a sausage patty, all served up in a chicken or tonkotsu broth filled with vegetables. It’s super comforting, and practically guaranteed to warm you up on a cold morning. You can also order it with grilled chicken or ham and egg.
You might think golden, crunchy Apple Pie is central to McDonald’s dessert menu – but that's not the case in China. Here, they serve taro and pineapple twists on the classic sweet treat. Taro is a starchy vegetable, and people say the texture inside the Taro Pie is similar to mashed potatoes, except it’s sweet and brightly coloured. Well worth a try, the whole thing comes encased in McDonald’s signature crispy pastry shell.
The Chicken McDo with McSpaghetti – which consists of a portion of spaghetti in a minced beef and tomato sauce, topped with cheese and served with a piece of crispy chicken – is a classic McDonald’s menu choice in the Philippines. It might sound a little unusual, but it has graced the menu since the early 1970s, and it continues to be a bestseller.
You'll find the tempting Samurai Pork Burger (pictured on the right) at McDonald's restaurants throughout Thailand. Served in a classic sesame seed bun, it features a pork patty slathered in teriyaki sauce and topped with crisp lettuce and mayonnaise. Worked up an appetite? There’s also the option to double it up or add an egg. It’s super saucy and seriously succulent.
In February 2023, Germany became the first country to trial McPlant Nuggets, created in partnership with meat substitute company Beyond Meat. The bite-sized snacks are made with a mix of wheat and pea protein, and feature that signature McDonald’s crispy nugget coating. They make the perfect dippable alternative to a McPlant burger and fries.
As if McDonald’s fries weren’t tasty enough on their own, McDonald's Canada has taken them up a notch by serving them in a version of poutine, the country's much-loved national dish. To make this mouth-watering menu item, classic fries are topped with cheese curds and rich gravy, then served in a cardboard box. A spicy buffalo chicken version is also available from locations in Québec.
Lucky Australians can get their hands on one of the best McDonald's breakfasts we've ever seen. The Big Brekkie Burger comes stacked with a beef patty, a crispy hash brown, an egg, a slice of bacon, melted cheese and barbecue sauce, all in a toasted sesame bun. Perfect for those mornings when your usual toast and cereal simply won't cut it!
One of McDonald’s most delectable inventions, this brilliant burger was designed with cheese lovers in mind. The McSpicy Paneer, found at McDonald’s in India, contains a crispy patty made with (you guessed it!) paneer – a cheese popular in Indian cooking. It comes with a creamy tandoori sauce and a crispy lettuce topping, all inside a classic McDonald’s sesame seed bun. It’s gooey, messy and utterly delicious.
Sweet-toothed McDonald’s fans in Thailand rave about the Corn Pie, a treat that comes in the Apple Pie's signature shell, but features a filling of sweet, salty and creamy corn. First sold here, it soon became popular with South Koreans visiting Thailand – and it was subsequently launched in South Korea for a short period of time. It's one of McDonald's most legendary country-specific menu items.
This indulgent pork burger can be found on McDonald’s menus in South Korea. Named after the popular Korean barbecue dish, it consists of a pork patty covered in sweet, sticky bulgogi sauce, served in a bun with lettuce and mayo. You can also order it as a double or ask for an egg on top if you want to make it a real feast.
Now discover the incredible story of how McDonald's conquered the world
Last updated by Lottie Woodrow.