The McDonald’s McDouble burger is one of the most popular items on the McDonald’s menu. With its affordable price and satisfying taste, customers keep coming back for more. But just how much beef is packed into the McDouble’s two burger patties? Let’s take a closer look at what makes up this McDonald’s classic.
A Closer Look at the McDouble
The McDouble consists of two 100% pure beef patties seasoned with just a pinch of salt and pepper. It’s topped with tangy pickles chopped onions ketchup, mustard and a melty slice of American cheese.
At first glance, the McDouble appears very similar to another popular McDonald’s burger, the Double Cheeseburger. The main difference is that the McDouble contains only one slice of cheese while the Double Cheeseburger contains two.
Breaking Down the Beef
So how much beef is actually in a McDouble? To determine this, we need to look at the weight of the McDonald’s burger patties.
According to McDonald’s nutritional information, each hamburger patty used for the McDouble weighs 1.6 ounces. With two patties per sandwich, that means a McDouble contains a total of 3.2 ounces of beef.
To put that into perspective, a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese contains one patty that weighs 4 ounces So the McDouble has slightly less beef than the Quarter Pounder
The difference in beef explains the price discrepancy between the affordable McDouble and pricier Quarter Pounder. More beef means higher costs for McDonald’s to make the sandwich.
Other Factors Affecting Cost
Of course, beef isn’t the only factor affecting the cost of a McDonald’s burger. The number of toppings and type of bun used also contribute to pricing.
For example, while the McDouble and Double Cheeseburger contain the same amount of beef, the Double Cheeseburger costs more due to containing an extra slice of cheese.
Burgers served on larger, artisan-style buns like the Quarter Pounder also cost more than sandwiches using regular burger buns like the McDouble.
McDonald’s Beef Over the Years
The amount of beef in a McDouble patty today is actually slightly less than in previous years. In 2018, McDonald’s trimmed its beef patties from 2 ounces down to 1.6 ounces.
This reduction allowed McDonald’s to streamline operations and reduce costs while still delivering the great taste customers expect. The thinner 1.6 ounce patties cook faster and more consistently than the 2 ounce versions.
Despite the reduction, customers are still happy with the satisfying beefy flavor of menu classics like the McDouble. McDonald’s continues tweaking recipes to improve quality and efficiency without compromising taste.
McDonald’s Commitment to Quality
McDonald’s takes great care to serve quality ingredients customers can feel good about, including its 100% pure beef.
All McDonald’s burgers are made with beef that’s free of fillers, extenders and artificial preservatives. McDonald’s only uses whole muscle cuts of beef from the shoulder, chuck, brisket, ribeye and sirloin.
Additionally, McDonald’s beef suppliers adhere to the company’s strict animal health and welfare policies. This ensures the beef is raised humanely in safe, comfortable environments.
Affordable and Delicious
With two beef patties packed between a soft bun and topped with delicious condiments, the McDouble offers a satisfying meal at an unbeatable value.
Next time you’re craving a quality burger at a budget-friendly price, stop by McDonald’s and order a McDouble. In just one bite, you’ll see why it’s a long-time customer favorite!
The Poor Man’s Big Mac
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Two beef patties, a slice of American cheese, re-hydrated dried onions, ketchup, mustard, and pickles are on a toasted regular bun in a standard McDouble. The beef patties and cheese are completely identical to those found in the Big Mac. This is what you get if you ask for it without the ketchup and mustard and with lettuce and Mac sauce:
- Top bun, soft and sweet, lightly toasted, no sesame seeds
- Two pickle chips
- Shredded iceberg lettuce, semi-fresh
- Re-hydrated dehydrated onions
- Big Mac sauce is a sweet, pickle-flavored mixture of mustard and mayonnaise. It’s NOT Thousand Island as is often said—there’s no ketchup in this!
- A 1.6 ounce beef patty, well-seasoned, none-too-beefy
- Vaguely melted American cheese
- Another 1.6 ounce beef patty
- A bottom bun, lightly toasted
As you can immediately see, theres a pretty significant difference in the order of construction. This all comes down to the way the McDonalds assembly line is set up. The top and bottom halves of a Big Mac are built upside down so that they can fit in the same container as they move down the line. That’s why the toppings go under the patties when the lid is shut and the top is turned over that way.
When you order a McDouble, on the other hand, the beef is on the bottom and all the toppings are on top.
You can taste the difference in the burger even though the structure hasn’t changed much. When the beef is very juicy, it’s almost always best to put the toppings under the burger (should they be called “underlings”) so the beef juice doesn’t soak the bun. McDonald’s doesn’t have a problem with juiciness, but I still like the toppings under the beef so that they hit your tongue first and get it ready for the beef. It also makes for a sandwich with a bit more structure.
But in one key way, the construction is superior: You end up with nicely melted cheese.
Bang for the Buck
I also used a number of different measurements to check that we were getting a good deal on the two sandwiches. First off, size.
A regular McDouble bun is about 9 centimeters across, while a Big Mac bun is more like 9 1/2 centimeters across. The question is whether this difference is big enough to be due to intention, or if my sample of Big Mac buns was just a little more squashed than my sample of McDoubles. I didn’t do the test again to find out because I can only handle so many McDonald’s products in one day. But it doesn’t make a big difference because the beef patties and cheese inside are the same.
What about weight?
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A Mac-ified McDouble weighs in at 162 grams.
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A Big Mac, on the other hand, tips the scales at a whopping 189 grams. We know that a Big Mac has an extra bun in the middle, but is that the only thing that makes it 27 grams heavier? Do you also get more toppings? Perhaps the rest of the bun is heftier as well?.
I removed the center bun and carefully scraped off all toppings to find out.
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27 grams, on the dot. Aside from the extra bun layer in the middle, this means that both of these burgers have the same amount of food. There’s a chance that the Big Mac has a lighter bun and more toppings, or the other way around. But to my untrained eye, the amounts of toppings looked pretty much the same.
McDonalds POV: Double Cheeseburger VS. McDouble
FAQ
Is a McDouble 100% beef?
How much beef is in a McDonald’s double cheeseburger?
How much beef is actually in a mcdonalds burger?
What meat is in a McDouble patty?
What kind of beef does McDouble have?
The McDouble offers small amounts of vitamins A and C, as well as several B vitamins, including B12 and niacin (B3). If you’re wondering what kind of beef McDonald’s uses for their burgers, it is 100% pure beef with no additives or preservatives. They are cooked with salt and pepper. The type of cuts includes the chuck, round, and sirloin.
What is in a McDonald’s McDouble?
The McDonald’s McDouble consists of two 100% pure beef patties, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard and a single slice of American cheese between two regular buns. Curious how many calories are in a McDouble when ordered by itself?
How many calories are in a McDonald’s McDouble?
A McDonald’s McDouble contains 390 calories, 18 grams of fat and 33 grams of carbohydrates. Keep reading to see the full nutrition facts and Weight Watchers points for a McDouble from McDonald’s. *All percent daily value figures are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. There are 390 calories in a McDouble from McDonald’s.
How many calories are in a McDouble vs Double Cheeseburger?
McDouble nutrition facts include about 400 calories, 20 grams of fat, 30 grams of carbs and over 900 mg of sodium. When comparing the McDouble vs Double Cheeseburger, the only difference is a single slice of cheese. There are several choices available for those in search of a healthier menu item.