The 10 Best McDonald's Dupes at the Grocery Store
Between the Big Mac, Chicken McNuggets, and the famous McFlurry, McDonald's menu boasts some of the most iconic fast-food items of all time. And now that McDonald's operates more than 40,000 locations across 100 countries, it has truly never been easier to snag one of these popular menu items.
But, as convenient as it is to hit up your local drive-thru, have you ever wished you could purchase your favorite McDonald's items at the grocery store to enjoy at home at your leisure? Well, some grocery store products do taste remarkably similar to the food served at McDonald's—as long as you know where to look.
Mike Haracz, a former McDonald's corporate chef and TikToker (@chefmikeharacz), has released a series of videos where he identifies which retail products are the closest match for what you'd get at a real deal McDonald's by comparing their ingredients, taste, and nutrition information. We've compiled 12 of these grocery store dupes below and where you can buy them, so read on if you'd like to turn your pantry into your own personal McDonald's!
Great Value Fully Cooked Original Pork Sausage Patties
Buckle up now, because Great Value (Walmart's house brand) is a name you'll hear a lot in this roundup.
Back in December 2023, Haracz set out to pinpoint the closest match for McDonald's breakfast sausage. The absolute best dupe for the popular breakfast protein ended up being Walmart's Great Value Fully Cooked Original Pork Sausage Patties.
The Great Value sausage and McDonald's sausage boast a very similar list of ingredients, including pork, water, salt, spices, dextrose, and natural flavors. And when Haracz cooked up one of the Great Value patties and tried it himself, he said the taste was "pretty darn close" to McDonald's.
Great Value Secret Sauce
McDonald's Big Mac sauce is one of the most iconic fast-food dipping sauces of all time. But not even the most diehard McDonald's fans may know that there's an eerily similar version of the tangy, creamy, slightly sweet condiment available at America's largest retailer.
Walmart's Great Value Special Sauce is the absolute best dupe for McDonald's Big Mac sauce at the grocery store—at least according to Haracz. He noted that the ingredients in the Great Value sauce were "almost identical" to the ingredient list for classic Big Mac sauce. He said that the taste of the Great Value version is "slightly sweeter," but still asserted that it's the closest thing to Big Mac sauce that you can get at the supermarket.
Best Maid Hamburger Slices
Not all grocery store pickles are created equal. So if you'd like to score a dupe for McDonald's pickles, there's one specific brand you should opt for: Best Maid Hamburger Slices.
In a December 2023 TikTok, Haracz explained that the Best Maid pickles boast a very similar set of ingredients in comparison to McDonald's pickles. The taste of the Best Maid pickles is also "absolutely identical" to the McDonald's version, he added. Best Maid products are available for purchase on the brand's website, Walmart, and Amazon, though availability and supply could vary.
Pilgrim's Chicken Breast Nuggets
If you thought that McDonald's was the only place where you could snag a box of Chicken McNuggets, think again. In December 2023, Haracz revealed that the absolute best retail version of the classic McDonald's menu item is one that boasts the same tempura-style batter: Pilgrim's Chicken Breast Nuggets.
Kroger, Walmart, and H-E-B all list these nuggets on their websites, so customers should be able to score a package at those retailers. For the absolute best results, Haracz recommended cooking them in an air fryer or deep fryer rather than the microwave.
Pilsudski's Sweet Hot Mustard with Honey
McDonald's Hot Mustard Sauce may not have the same level of fame as some of the chain's other popular dipping options, like the Tangy Barbeque Sauce and Sweet 'N Sour Sauce. However, the condiment still boasts a wildly devoted fanbase, so much so that Haracz tasked himself with finding a good dupe in January 2023.
After comparing the ingredients in McDonald's Hot Mustard sauce to a variety of retail versions, Haracz determined that Pilsudski's Sweet Hot Mustard with Honey was the absolute best grocery store match. He noted that even though the flavor of the sauce is somewhat "sweet," it's still the "closest retail brand right out of the bottle you could buy to get your McDonald's Hot Mustard fix."
If you want to enjoy an exact replica of McDonald's Hot Mustard Sauce, Haracz has also released a recipe that fans can use to recreate it at home.
Crystal Wing Sauce & Sauce Craft Buffalo Sauce
Haracz has identified not just one, but two great retail options for McDonald's customers who want to enjoy the chain's Spicy Buffalo Sauce at home: Crystal Wing Sauce and Sauce Craft Buffalo Sauce.
"They are both very, very close. Ingredient statements are almost identical. Nutrition-wise, they're going to be a little more salty than the McDonald's version. But both of those options…are excellent if you like the McDonald's Spicy Buffalo dip cup," Haracz said in a January 2023 TikTok.
The Crystal sauce can be purchased at Walmart, as well as through Amazon, the Crystal website, and WebstaurantStore, an online restaurant supply company. The Sauce Craft Buffalo Sauce doesn't seem to be as widely available, but it's currently offered at WebstaurantStore as well.
Season's Choice Hash Brown Patties
According to Haracz, there are several grocery store hash browns on the market right now that are "almost identical" to McDonald's classic Hash Browns. However, the one that's the absolute closest match for the McDonald's version in terms of ingredients is the frozen Season's Choice Hash Brown Patties available at Aldi.
In a December TikTok, Haracz noted that the taste of the Aldi hash browns may differ slightly from the McDonald's version. That's because McDonald's fries its Hash Browns in oil that contains beef flavoring, which most consumers likely won't have access to at home. However, he still stressed that the flavor of the Season's Choice spuds is "almost identical" to what you'd get at Mickey D's.
RELATED: I Tried 5 Frozen Hash Browns & The Winner Was Crispy & Delicious
Great Value Thin Cut French Fried Potatoes
Walmart, yet again, is responsible for the winning grocery store dupe for McDonald's famous French fries. In a December 2023 TikTok, Haracz revealed that Walmart's frozen Great Value Thin Cut French Fried Potatoes are the best match for McDonald's fries due to ingredient lists that are "almost identical."
However, if you want the Great Value fries to taste just like McDonald's fries, you'll have to prepare them in a very specific way. Because McDonald's frying oil contains beef flavoring, Haracz recommended deep frying the frozen fries in oil with about two tablespoons of beef tallow mixed in to mimic the taste.
He also suggested frying the frozen spuds in small batches for about two minutes at 360 to 370 degrees, then seasoning them with Morton Salt straight out of the fryer. After that, you're free to dig in.
Open Pit Hickory Barbecue Sauce
McDonald's customers who know where to look can amass quite the collection of grocery store dupes for the chain's dipping sauces. If you're looking for a great match for McDonald's Tangy Barbeque Sauce, you'll want to snag a bottle of Open Pit's Hickory Barbecue Sauce, according to Haracz.
He explained in a December 2023 TikTok that the Open Pit version isn't an exact match because, unlike McDonald's sauce, it doesn't contain soy sauce. However, Haracz said that the Open Pit version does contain soy protein ingredients that "replicate " the soy sauce flavor.
Open Pit's Hickory Barbeque Sauce can be purchased through Amazon, as well as at at several major retailers like Walmart and Meijer. Customers can use the Open Pit website to check where it's in stock near them.
Great Value Deluxe Slices
That's right! There's even a retail dupe for the American cheese on your McDonald's burgers and breakfast sandwiches.
In a September 2023 TikTok, Haracz explained that in terms of ingredients, the Great Value Deluxe Slices at Walmart are the most similar to McDonald's American cheese out of all the retail brands.
Because McDonald's lets its American cheese sit out for about an hour to come to room temperature before serving it to customers, Haracz encouraged anyone who purchases the Great Value version to do the same for the best experience.
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