With over 36,000 locations worldwide serving 68 million customers daily, it’s no secret that McDonald’s goes through a massive amount of food on the regular But have you ever wondered just how much beef the fast food giant uses per day? The quantities involved are simply staggering
In this deep dive, we’ll uncover the incredible stats on McDonald’s daily beef usage – from frozen patties to pounds of meat. You’ll also get an inside look at where their beef comes from, how it’s processed and what non-meat options are available. Grab a Big Mac and read on to satisfy your McDonald’s curiosity!
Billions and Billions Served
First let’s look at some key stats that illustrate the sheer size and scale of McDonald’s operations
- Over 36,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries
- Serving 68 million customers every day
- Selling 75 burgers globally per second
- Equating to over 6.5 million pounds of beef daily just for burgers
With numbers like these, it’s clear that McDonald’s requires beef amounts that are simply massive But just how many pounds are we talking?
Pounds of Beef Per Day
According to McDonald’s own reports, they use over 2 billion pounds of beef annually worldwide.
Doing the math, that equals over 9 million pounds of beef per day used across all McDonald’s locations.
To satisfy their incredible demand, McDonald’s sources beef from major suppliers like Cargill, JBS, and Tyson Foods. The meat is processed at facilities that meet McDonald’s stringent standards.
Billions of Burgers
The McDonald’s menu is expansive, but burgers remain the crown jewel. So how much beef goes into making all those Big Macs and Quarter Pounders?
With 75 burgers served per second, that’s:
- 4,500 burgers per minute
- 270,000 burgers per hour
- Approximately 6.5 million pounds of beef daily for burgers alone
That’s the weight equivalent of around 3,250 mid-sized cars per day! And it’s only for the burgers, excluding McDonald’s other beef menu items.
Beef Usage Per McDonald’s
If we break it down to the individual restaurant level, a single McDonald’s location goes through:
- Up to 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of beef daily
- Equaling over 8,000 pounds of beef annually
So a typical McDonald’s serves about 22 pounds of beef on a daily basis. Multiply that by tens of thousands of restaurants globally, and you end up with millions of pounds per day.
McDonald’s Burger Meat Production
Ever wondered what the process of making McDonald’s burger meat entails? Here’s a quick look:
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Big blocks of beef trim are fed into large grinding machines
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The meat is pulverized into smaller pieces and seasoned with just salt and pepper
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A second grind achieves the perfect consistency for shaping
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High-tech presses form the meat into patties – up to 360 per minute!
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Patties are flash frozen and shipped out to McDonald’s locations 2-3 times weekly
It’s an efficient, high-volume patty production operation to satisfy their enormous burger requirements.
Non-Beef Options on the Menu
While McDonald’s has staked its reputation on burgers, they recognize that not all customers want beef. That’s why they now offer substitutes like the McPlant burger featuring a soy-based patty.
Other non-beef options include:
- Filet-O-Fish
- Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken
- Fruit & Maple Oatmeal
- Veggie Wrap
- Apple Slices
McDonald’s continues to evolve their menu to meet changing dietary preferences while still serving up the classic cheeseburgers that made them famous.
McDonald’s Beef Consumption is Mind-Blowing
After learning how many pounds of beef McDonald’s uses per day, the “billions and billions served” starts to make sense!
To meet the demand of 68 million daily customers, they serve up over 9 million pounds of beef every day. That translates to billions of burgers annually.
The scale of their beef supply chain is simply staggering. Yet they’ve managed to build an efficient system of suppliers, processors and logistics to satisfy their meat needs.
So next time you bite into a McDonald’s burger, take a moment to appreciate the huge beef infrastructure that made it possible!
Are McDonald’s burgers fresh or frozen?
Our 100% beef is ground, formed into patties, and then flash frozen. Flash freezing is when beef is quickly frozen to seal in fresh flavor. About two to three weeks pass from the day the burger was made until it is served.
Quarter Pounder® with Cheese features a ¼ lb. * of 100% fresh beef that’s hot, deliciously juicy and cooked when you order.
*Available at most restaurants in contiguous US. Not available in Alaska, Hawaii, and US Territories.
Yes, every patty is 100% real beef with no fillers, additives or preservatives.
Curious about our burgers? We have answers to all of your questions about McDonalds burgers and beef. Here is where you can find the answer to your question about whether McDonald’s uses real beef or has a veggie burger.
How McDonald’s HAMBURGER MEAT is MADE | McDonald’s Burger Factory
FAQ
How much beef does McDonald’s use in a day?
How many pounds of beef does McDonald’s use in a year?
How much beef does McDonald’s use annually?
How much actual beef is in a McDonald’s hamburger?
How much beef does McDonalds eat a year?
In the United States alone, people eat over 1 billion pounds of beef at McDonald’s in a year, which is 5½ million head of cattle. McDonalds Corporation sells over 1 billion cups of coffee each year around the world. It sells 500 million cups a day in the U.S. alone. McDonald’s opens a new restaurant every four hours.
How many pounds of fries does McDonald’s serve a day?
McDonald’s serves about 9 million pounds of fries globally—per day. McDonald’s Corporation is the largest owner of retail property in the world. The company earns most of its profits not from selling food, but by collecting rent.
How many countries does McDonald’s eat?
McDonald’s is available in more than 120 countries. McDonald’s is the world’s largest beef purchaser. The restaurant uses 2,000 pounds of beef every minute. McDonald’s is spread over about 40,031 locations around the globe.
How many people eat McDonald’s a week?
53% of men and 42% of the female are McDonald’s consumers at least a week. In men from the age group of 18 years to 49 years, around 57% will eat fast food meals every week. Households whose income is more than $75,000 are more like to eat at restaurants once every week than households with $50,000.