Get A Better McDonald's Burger With One Simple Request

There's nothing quite like a classic McDonald's burger. It's the platonic ideal of fast food sandwiches. But what if you could order a better McDonald's burger? In the past, I would have said such a thing was impossible because you don't mess with perfection. But after watching a TikTok by @chefmikeharacz, my worldview has changed. Haracz, a former McDonald's corporate chef, shared a genius hack that will instantly upgrade your cheeseburger or McDouble. He suggests that customers order their McDonald's burger of choice (I'm partial to a Quarter Pounder with cheese, but to each their own) with a steamed bun.

@chefmikeharacz

#stitch with @Cribbs McDonald's Former #McDonalds corporate chef talks about the #Steamedbun hack! #mcdonaldshacks #mcdonaldssecrets #mcdonaldshack #McDonaldsLife #McDonaldsMenu #mcdonaldsmenuhack #mcdonaldsmenuhacks #FastFood #FastFoodHack #FastFoodMenuHack #filetofish #McDouble #DoubleCheeseburger #FYP

♬ original sound – Chef Mike Haracz

What is a steamed bun, you ask? Well, imagine a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish — think about how the warm, super-fluffy bun practically melts into the Alaskan Pollock filet, American cheese, and tartar sauce. That's a steamed bun. When making a Filet-O-Fish, McDonald's sticks the bun into a steamer drawer for a few seconds. This simple process transforms the bun into a warm cloud of deliciousness, perfectly primed for a burger patty, fish filet, or whatever filling your heart desires. 

I'm usually wary of social media fast food hacks, but I have to admit this steamed bun trick sounds amazing and makes total sense. The softer, fluffier steamed bun will meld with the burger, cheese, and sauce to create a beautiful marriage of flavors and textures. Steaming the bun adds moisture, meaning you don't have to worry about dry, stale bread getting stuck in the roof of your mouth. It's just better. Or as one Reddit user put it, "It's basically like the difference between a towel and a steamed towel — but for the tastebuds."

The only problem with this hack is being confident enough to walk into McDonald's and request your burger with a steamed bun. One comment on the TikTok video noted, "I'm too scared to ask for this at my McDonald's," and as a chronic overapologizer, I completely relate. No one wants to inconvenience overworked fast food employees by asking for endless secret menu items they saw on TikTok. But since McDonald's employees already regularly steam buns for the Filet-O-Fish, this hack isn't that annoying. Just make sure to request a steamed bun at the start of your order, not the end. This way, the employees will not start making your burger the regular way and have to redo it (this also prevents food waste). It may take a few extra minutes to come out, but it's well worth the wait.

This steamed bun hack works just as well for homemade burgers (or sloppy joes, chicken sandwiches, or anything involving a bun). Since most of us don't have handy-dandy steamer drawers in our home kitchens, it requires a little more work, but if you have a few extra minutes, steaming buns at home is worth the effort. Just place a steamer rack over a pot of boiling water, cut the buns in half, and arrange them on the rack. Cover them with a lid and let them steam for two to three minutes. Then, flip the buns over and let them steam for another two to three minutes. Finally, add your fillings and toppings of choice and enjoy the warm, squishy deliciousness.

Whether at home or at McDonald's, you might have to put in a little extra effort to get your burger with a steamed bun. If you're anything like me, it may force you to overcome your fear of making special requests at fast food restaurants. But when you take a bite of that perfectly warm and fluffy burger, you'll definitely be lovin' it.