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Ex-McDonald's Chef Claims You Can Buy the Popular Pickles at the Store

Perfect for recreating your favorite McDonald's burgers at home!
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Have you ever wished that you could recreate your favorite McDonald's burgers at home? If so, today is your lucky day. An insider for the fast-food chain just revealed how you can find a nearly identical grocery store version of a key McDonald's burger ingredient.

Mike Haracz, a former McDonald's corporate chef, has been using his TikTok page (@chefmikeharacz) to share all sorts of insider McDonald's knowledge and ordering tips. And, very recently, he set out to pinpoint the closest match for the pickles on McDonald's burgers.

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@chefmikeharacz Former #McDonalds corporate chef tells you where to buy their pickles. #mcdonaldshacks #mcdonaldshack #mcdonaldssecrets #mcdonaldssecret #mcdonaldslife #McDonaldsMenu #mcdonaldstiktok #fastfood #fastfoodsecrets #fastfoodmenu #fastfoodtiktok #Pickles #picklesarelife #picklesnack #mcdonaldspickles #bigmac #quarterpounder #doublecheeseburger #mcdouble #FYP ♬ original sound – Chef Mike Haracz

In a video that has racked up more than 309,000 views, Haracz explained that he started by looking at the ingredient list for McDonald's pickles and compared it to the ingredients in various grocery store versions. He ended up finding a pickle brand that not only boasts a very similar set of ingredients, but also tastes remarkably similar to McDonald's version: Best Maid Hamburger Slices.

Best Maid Hamburger Slices
Best Maid Pickles

The Best Maid pickles are crinkle-cut, unlike the regular sliced pickles McDonald's uses on its burgers. But Haracz stressed that they taste "absolutely identical" to the fast-food version. Best Maid also sells whole dill pickles, so customers can buy those instead and slice them at home to make them look exactly like McDonald's pickles.

Best Maid products are available for purchase on the brand's website, Walmart, and Amazon, though availability and supply could vary.

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This new TikTok is one of the latest in a series of videos in which Haracz helps customers find grocery store dupes for their favorite McDonald's menu items. Late last month, for example, he determined that Open Pit's Hickory Barbecue Sauce is the closest match for McDonald's Tangy Barbeque Sauce dip cups. The Open Pit sauce is currently available for purchase at Amazon, Walmart, and Meijer. People looking to buy the sauce can also use the Open Pit website to check where it's in stock near them.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Haracz also set out to find the best retail dupe for McDonald's famous Chicken McNuggets. He suggested that fans opt for Pilgrim's Chicken Breast Nuggets, which use the same tempura-style breading as the McDonald's version. KrogerWalmart, and H-E-B all list the nugget brand on their websites, so availability permitting, customers should be able to score a package at those retailers.

Zoe Strozewski
Zoe Strozewski is a News Writer for Eat This, Not That! A Chicago native who now lives in New Jersey, she graduated from Kean University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Read more about Zoe