NEED TO KNOW
- An ex-McDonald’s chef is revealing the secret behind the burger seasoning
- It’s a simple recipe — just 86% salt and 14% pepper, said Mike Haracz
- The ingredient information is listed on the McDonald’s website, as legally required
A McDonald’s ex-chef is revealing the secret behind their burgers.
Mike Haracz, a former chef for the fast food chain, spilled some secrets about the brand’s meat seasoning in a TikTok. Despite one commenter calling the flavor “magical,” Haracz insisted it’s an incredibly simple and accessible recipe.
“I am gonna divulge some information for you, right now,” he began. “It is magic. No one ever believes me when I tell them this magic.”
Jens Kalaene/picture alliance/Getty
Maybe it’s magic, but it’s not a secret, Haracz said — the restaurant is legally required to list the ingredients in their products on their site, which confirmed the former chef’s claims.
McDonald’s did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further comment.
Haracz cited that source when he announced the “magic seasoning” is simply salt and pepper — and anyone can try making it at home.
Haracz explained the ratio is 86% salt and 14% pepper, mixed into 100% beef. The seasoning is used on the “tender ones” like the cheeseburger, the hamburger, the McDouble, the double cheeseburger, the quarter pounders and the Big Mac, Haracz said.
The TikToker ultimately left McDonalds in 2019, according to the New York Post.
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McDonald’s recently announced they’ll be extending restaurant hours across the country this summer — open until midnight or later — though its unclear which locations will participate or which menu items will be available during the extended hours.
