McDonald’s Announces Brand-New ‘Larger, Satiating’ Burger
McDonald’s is planning to launch a new, bigger, and better burger that the chain hopes will compete with Burger King’s Whopper, Fox Business reported. The move comes amidst a litany of changes for the brand, which has contend with backlash stemming from skyrocketing prices and increased competition from the likes of Shake Shack and Five Guys.
On Wednesday, McDonald’s CFO Ian Borden announced that McDonald's “team of chefs from around the world have created a larger, satiating burger" as part of a renewed initiative "to further build on our leadership in beef."
McDonald’s did not provide any further details on the new burger, including a prospective name, outside of the fact that it’s larger than its signature thin patty. However, the burger will be an entirely new menu item, as opposed to a twist on an existing recipe.
The addition comes just a few months after McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski reported that the chain was "addressing an unmet customer need across markets for larger, high-quality burgers.”
McDonald’s is hoping that the larger burger will provide “superior value” to any items on offer at competitive establishments such as Burger King or Shake Shack. The Daily Mail reported that, while no details have been confirmed, the price for McDonald’s new burger will be somewhere between $6–8.
Borden confirmed that a test version of the super-sized burger will be made available tp customers at select North American McDonald’s locations before the new item officially hits menus.
"We’ll be testing this burger in a few markets later this year,” Borden promised, “ensuring that it has universal appeal before scaling it across the globe.” The chain is hoping for feedback related to the burger’s size, price, recipe, and condiments.
The announcement of a brand new, super-sized burger is the biggest move yet in McDonald’s Best Burger initiative, which saw the chain pledge to make their burgers taste fresher and less uniform. The chain also introduced sweeping changes to its signature Big Mac, making the patties more flavorful with a “uniform sear,” while ensuring the cheese is “meltier” and the buns “moister,” with a new, thicker “buttery brioche” bread. The chain also said its pickles and lettuce would be “refreshed” more frequently.
Earlier this month, McDonald’s debuted a brand new chicken sandwich, the Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy. It’s “stacked with a southern-style fried chicken filet and bold, applewood smoked bacon,” topped with crinkle-cut pickles and “finished with a creamy Cajun ranch sauce on the top and bottom of a warm, toasted potato roll.”
The new sandwiches are just a few of the sweeping changes McDonald’s has seen over the last year. In addition to announcing its partnership with Krispy Kreme, which will see fresh donuts delivered to all U.S. McDonald’s locations each day by the end of 2026, the chain debuted its celebrated spin-off, CosMc’s.
The snack-centered chain, which aims to compete with Dunkin and Starbucks, has so far been trouncing its competitors during peak business hours. After opening its first CosMc’s location in Bolingbrook, IL in December, McDonald’s cut the ribbon on two more locations in Texas. The company plans to open more CosMc’s throughout America by the end of the year.
