McDonald's Employees Share Their Favorite Break Meals

Female staff at McDonald's deliver food to customers through the door of the car at the pick up point in Bangkok, Thailand

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Female staff at McDonald's deliver food to customers through the door of the car at the pick up point in Bangkok, Thailand
Bubbers13/istockphoto

They're Lovin' It

Leave it to fast food employees to know all the tricks and hacks for getting the best meals. Recently on subreddit r/McDonaldsEmployees, one poster asked their fellow McDonald's workers what they make for themselves to eat on their break. Needless to say, there's a few gems in the replies that sound delicious, and some that are easy enough you could try special ordering. Here are some of the most interesting or popular employee answers to the question, "for your 30 minute break, what is your favorite thing to order?"


RelatedFast-Food Employees Dish on the Weirdest Customer Orders

McGriddles
McDonald's

Breakfast Mashups

For those working the morning shift, creative or simple breakfasts are popular. Think an Egg McMuffin with a slice of tomato added, or swapping out the sausage patty on a sausage McMuffin for a McChicken patty. One that sounds amazing is putting a McChicken patty on those sweet McGriddle buns, then adding sausage gravy over the top if you're in an area that offers it.


Related: The Best McDonald’s Breakfast Items to Order

Golden brown fried caramelized onions.
dlerick/istockphoto

Onion Addition

"Pretty much any sandwich with grilled onions" is a common employee meal. And considering those brown, sweet, caramelized onions are a staple at many burger places, why not slap some on the griddle for your double cheeseburger? 

Mc Donalds French Fries
junce/istockphoto

Would You Like Fries With That?

Slapping a handful (or more!) fries on a double cheeseburger is also something some employees do when making their own meals. Who needs them on the side when you can just get everything in one bite, anyway?

McDonald's Double Cheeseburger
McDonald's

Sandwich Art

One employee likes to make one big sandwich by putting a McChicken patty between the two burger patties in a McDouble, then adding more cheese and Big Mac Sauce. "After 5 years it was one of my favorite creations to make for myself," they said. 

McDonald's Buffalo Sauce
Wilder Shaw/Cheapism

Hot Chicken

One employees loves spicy chicken sandwiches and does them up two ways. Start with the Spicy Deluxe Crispy Chicken sandwich, then add cheese, pickles, and mayo. Or, if they're really hungry that day, they explain that they get two Spicy McChickens with cheese, pickles, and buffalo sauce on top. 

McDonald's
David Paul Morris/Stringer/Getty Images

Sauce or No Sauce?

Just like everyone else, McD's employees seem to love or hate the McRib. When it's available, some like to order it without the barbecue sauce, which it always seems to be drowning in. On the flipside, some like the barbecue sauce so much they put it on a Quarter Pounder or a McChicken. 


Related: McRib Is Coming Back – For the Last Time?

McDonald's McChicken
McDonald's USA

Minding the Budget

Unfortunately, not every McDonald's employee gets a free meal during their shift. So even the workers have to pinch pennies on their break, leading to a lot of people choose a McChicken "cause it's the cheapest sandwich."