On any given day, around 70 million people will eat at McDonald’s. To put that in perspective, that is more than twice the population of Texas, 30 million more than the entire population of Canada, and almost the same amount of people as there are living in the UK right now. To sum up: it’s a staggering amount.
The globally-loved fast-food chain reels people in with its fast, relatively cheap, and filling food. People also love McDonald’s because of its familiarity—while menu offerings do vary from country to country, you can count on staples like fries, burgers, and nuggets wherever you go.
But McDonald’s isn’t always the best option for people looking for plant-based options, especially in the US. While the chain does have vegan options in several locations (like the McPlant, for example, which is available in select countries across Europe), in the US, McDonald’s relies heavily on processed meat. Its world-famous Big Mac, for example, is made with beef patties, while its McNuggets are, of course, made with chicken.
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If you’re craving the flavors of McDonald’s, but want to skip the animal products, we have good news: you can make all of the fast-food chain’s biggest hitters from scratch, with much healthier, plant-based ingredients at home. From Big Macs to fries to McMuffins, we’ve got all the secrets below.
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What is McDonald’s number one best seller?
Every day, McDonald’s locations around the world sell more than 2.4 million Big Macs. The burger, which was introduced back in the 1960s, is a firm favorite from the fast-food chain, and definitely one of the menu items it’s most famous for. But you might be surprised to learn that it’s actually not the fast-food chain’s number one best seller. In fact, that title goes to its French fries.
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According to Taste of Home, McDonald’s sells more than 9 million pounds of French fries every day. The chain’s fries are known for being skinny, salty, and incredibly addictive. In many countries, they’re suitable for vegans, but in the US, they’re cooked with natural beef flavoring. But don’t worry, if your mouth is watering for that signature McDonald’s fries mouthfeel, we’ve got the lowdown on how to make them below, using only plant-based ingredients, of course.
How to make McDonald’s best sellers from home (minus the meat)
Learn how to make McDonald’s fan-favorite items, vegan of course, with these standout recipes below.
Thee Burger Dude
1 Vegan Mcdonald’s Fries
McDonald’s fries can be recreated at home (without the beef flavoring, which contains milk) with a few simple tricks. According to this recipe from Thee Burger Dude, first, you want to find yourself a store-bought bag of frozen fast-food-style fries (the skinny ones, you know the type). After that, dunk them in a mixture of vegan beef broth, soy milk, baking powder, and ice, before frying them in batches in a pot of a high smoke point oil.
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Bosh!
2 The Plant-Based Big Mac
Of course, you can’t recreate McDonald’s at home without giving a Big Mac a go. This recipe from Bosh! combines plant-based burgers, cheese, gherkins, white onions, and lettuce with the must-have ingredient: homemade plant-based Big Mac sauce. The recipe blog calls this fast food-style burger “the ultimate naughty plant-based comfort food.”
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The Edgy Veg
3 Vegan McDonald’s Sausage Egg McMuffin
McDonald’s breakfast options are some of its most popular menu items. In fact, in 2022, the chain’s CEO Christopher Kempczinski said that this category was actually leading sales in comparison with its main daytime menu. One of the most popular items on the morning menu has to be the McMuffin, which is usually served with egg, and if you fancy it, sausage patties, too. Learn how to make the iconic breakfast option from scratch using ingredients like tofu, mung beans, vegan cheese, and vegan sausage with this delicious recipe from The Edgy Veg. It’s every bit as good as the fast-food classic, if not better.
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The Foodie Takes Flight
4 Tofu McNuggets With Spicy BBQ Dip
A kid favorite, most people have tried McNuggets at some point in their life. But while the fast-food chain’s version is made with chicken, you can create all that same flavor and texture using tofu, just like this simple recipe from The Foodie Takes Flight demonstrates. The spicy BBQ dip is also a must. One pro-tip from the blog reads: “If you’re looking to prepare these beforehand, then you can also cook and then freeze them for when you’re craving some nuggets.”
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It’s Liv B
5 Vegan McChicken Sandwich
Chicken sandwiches are another firm McDonald’s favorite, but you can create all of that crispy tender goodness at home using one of the most versatile and meaty plant-based ingredients around: seitan. When fried and served in a soft bun with plenty of egg-free mayonnaise, it’s every bit as good as the original. “Not only is this sandwich delicious, but it’s also super easy to meal-prep for those long, hungry days at work or school,” says It’s Liv B recipe developer Greg Bellefontaine.
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Thee Burger Dude
6 Vegan Snack Wrap
In the US, McDonald’s discontinued its Snack Wraps a while back, although you can still find them in other locations, like in the UK and Canada, for example. But the truth is, it doesn’t matter if you can find them in stores because they’re even tastier when they’re made with vegan ingredients at home. This recipe from Thee Burger Dude combines tofu vegan chicken tenders with shredded lettuce and vegan cheese in a soft tortilla. “It’s a simple but delicious combination,” says recipe developer Brian Watson.
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Brown Girl Vegan
7 Vegan Filet O’ Fish
Every year, McDonald’s sells roughly 300 million Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, according to Reckon. It’s very similar to the McChicken, only instead of chicken, it features a fish patty, of course, and instead of mayo, it’s slathered with tartar sauce. But just like its chicken cousin, the Filet-O-Fish is very easy to make from scratch with plant-based ingredients. This tasty recipe from Brown Girl Vegan, for example, recreates all the signature flavor with a vegan patty made with a combination of tofu, hearts of palm, nori, and capers.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
