The secrets McDonald’s employees won’t tell you – from the secret menu to how to get meals for less

McDonald’s workers have lifted the lid on a number of secrets about the fast food chain – and the little-known facts that may come as a shock to some.

Former and current employees revealed how to save money on your favourite meal, why you should avoid ordering apple pies and breakfast burritos, and how to ensure your meal is made ‘fresh’.

McDonald’s is the most popular fast food restaurant in the world and serves more than 68 million people internationally every day. 

But only those who have stood behind the counter know exactly what goes on, how the food is made and what the perks are. 

For instance, they claim employees are required to wash their hands at least once an hour because gloves are believed to harbor far more bacteria than fingers.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted McDonald’s for comment.

Ask a ‘special’ request for a fresher meal 

If you want to ensure your meal is prepared fresh and hot off the grill, workers recommend asking specific requests when ordering. 

One worker on Reddit said if you ask for no ‘grill salt’ on the meat the employees will ‘have to cook the meat fresh’. 

‘Also if you ask for no salt on the fries they will have to cook them fresh,’ the worker wrote.  

‘And the Fries can sit no longer than fifteen minutes but that is not strictly enforced.’

You can pay less for your favourite meal 

Rather than ordering straight off the menu, the workers shared savvy ways to save a few dollars on your meal. 

US Redditors claim ordering a Sausage McMuffin with a side of round egg is $1 cheaper than if you were to order a Sausage Egg McMuffin.

‘This applies to basically all the breakfast sandwiches,’ the person wrote. 

Sydney finance guru Queenie Tan, who also used to work at McDonald’s also previously noticed the kids’ McNuggets Happy Meal and small McNuggets adult meal contain the same menu items.

But the kids Happy Meal is $2 cheaper and priced at $8.30, while the adult version costs $10.30.

‘I used to work at Macca’s and something I learnt is that you can buy nuggets or a cheeseburger Happy Meal, which is the same thing but $2 cheaper!’ Queenie, 26, wrote on Instagram.  

Customers receive small fries, Big Mac special sauce and a small drink with both options, but the Happy Meal is slightly cheaper and comes with a toy or book.

Sydney finance expert Queenie Tan (pictured) revealed you can save $2 by ordering a kids’ McNuggets Happy Meal instead of the small McNuggets adult meal 

There is no official ‘secret menu’

A resurfaced Reddit thread from last year titled ‘what’s really on the secret menu?’ also dived in on the less common menu items. 

‘There was no secret menu but you could ask for pretty much any combination of things and we’d make it at Maccas. The “pounder” was popular,’ one worker claimed. 

‘In all my years working at McDonalds, there was never a ‘secret menu’. I honestly don’t know where that idea comes from,’ another said. 

‘If you ask for an off-the-menu item, we might not know how to make it. Just tell us exactly what you want; we will whip up almost anything we have the ingredients for,’ a third claimed.  

A customers also added: ‘Not a secret menu item but if you add lettuce, tomato and McChicken sauce to a quarter pounder you make yourself a McFeast.’ 

Avoid breakfast burritos and apple pies

It may come as a shock to some, but employees recommend avoid adding apple pies and breakfast burritos to your order.

Apparently these two menu items aren’t as popular as you may think, meaning the food can sit on shelves for a long time.

Workers don’t wear gloves

Apparently the staff aren’t required to wear gloves, but wash and sanitise their hands every hour. 

Gloves can carry more germs than fingers if used incorrectly.  

‘Until recently, employees were not required to wear hairnets, and did not wear gloves when handling raw food when working in the kitchen,’ a former McDonald’s employee wrote.

But others claim they choose to wear gloves when handing raw food.