The 10 Bestselling McDonald’s Menu Items—Ever (2024)

Does your favorite make the list?

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Courtesy McDonald's

#10: McGriddles breakfast sandwich

This McDonald’s breakfast staple—bacon and egg surrounded by miniature, M-stamped pancakes—takes the number ten spot on our list. This is a big hit among people who crave the delicious taste of pancakes, but don’t have the time to sit down and have a stack. The egg in McGriddles is actually what employees call a “folded egg”—a frozen, slightly modified egg.

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Courtesy McDonald's

#9: Double cheeseburger

In 2002, McDonald’s learned that it’s OK to mess with the classics—if it means people get more of them. With double the beef and double the cheese, this burger is the ninth most popular Mickey D’s item. In early 2003, the Dollar Menu—which the Double Cheeseburger was introduced as a part of—saved McDonald’s from its first quarterly loss since 1965. Sales skyrocketed, with the dollar Double Cheeseburger leading the way. Of course, the Double Cheeseburger is now a little pricier (about $1.69), thanks in part to the rising price of American cheese, but it’s still a big hit. Check out these 75 mind-blowing McDonald’s facts.

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Courtesy McDonald's

#8: Premium salads

While McDonald’s may not immediately pop into your mind when you think of health food, consumers took notice when the franchise upped its salad game in 2003. Instead of using iceberg lettuce, the then-new Premium Salads used a new lettuce blend, and McDonald’s eventually got rid of iceberg lettuce altogether. Salads like the Southwest Buttermilk Crispy Chicken and the Bacon Ranch have cemented the Premium Salad at eighth place on this list. These are the healthiest things you can order from a McDonald’s menu.

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Courtesy McDonald's

#7: Chicken nuggets/Select Strips

Burgers and fries might be McDonald’s primary claim to fame, but chicken holds strong, claiming the seventh spot on this McDonald’s menu item list. McDonald’s introduced its Chicken McNuggets in 1980 and they’ve been a bestseller ever since. Select Strips, on the other hand, vanished from the menu in 2015, but chicken connoisseurs are still able to get their fix with the Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, new as of 2017. Either way, the combined chicken items have garnered enough sales to rank seventh. Did you know Chicken McNuggets only come in one of four shapes?

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Courtesy McDonald's

#6: Apple slices/baked apple pie

From snacks to dessert, apples are a big deal for McDonald’s. The baked apple pie, introduced in 1992, has become somewhat iconic thanks to its very inexpensive price (99 cents!) and its tasty recipe. In fact, its ingredients are actually more natural than you might think! If you want to get an even healthier apple fix, opt for the apple slices. Originally created as Apple Dippers, a nutritious side for Happy Meals, the apple slices alone have helped propel apple-related fare to spot six on this list. Find outthe secret behind McDonald’s apple pie recipe.

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Courtesy McDonald's

#5: Egg McMuffin

The Egg McMuffin revolutionized fast food as the first-ever breakfast item truly offered by a fast food franchise. In the 1970s, fast food executive Herb Peterson sought to create an eggs Benedict sandwich for McDonald’s. He put a poached egg, Canadian bacon, and cheese between two English muffins, and consumers loved it. Loved it enough, in fact, to make it the fifth most popular menu item. While you’re at it, also learn why you should always ask for your McDonald’s receipt.

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Courtesy McDonald's

#4: Happy Meal

Thanks to everything from the PlayPlaces in many McDonald’s locations to the fact that McDonald’s is the world’s largest toy distributor (yes, really!), it might come as a surprise that McDonald’s didn’t always market to children. But it’s true—it wasn’t until 1979 that the franchise began selling the boxed “kids’ meals” we know and love today. Even back then, the cardboard Happy Meal boxes contained toys, and the colorful, child-friendly packaging was inspired by cereal boxes. Oh, and did you know it wasn’t actually McDonald’s that invented kids’ meals—but the fast-food chain Burger Chef? Learn the secrets McDonald’s employees won’t tell you.

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Courtesy McDonald's

#3: Snack Wraps

Food on the go is what McDonald’s does best, and Snack Wraps are made for that very purpose. Don’t have the time or the appetite for a full meal? A snack wrap is the perfect choice off the McDonald’s menu. Take your pick of Grilled, Crispy, or Buttermilk Crispy chicken and enjoy. These portable portions are McDonald’s third best-selling item.

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Courtesy McDonald's

#2: Big Mac

You knew this one had to be near the top. The special-sauce-loaded, sesame-seed-bun-surrounded burger concoction, named after the franchise itself, falls just shy of the number one spot. Successful marketing has played a big part in the Big Mac’s enduring popularity. Recently, the Big Mac got both a downsize and an up-size, being marketed alongside respective larger and smaller sandwiches the Grand Big Mac and the Mac Jr. As the McDonald’s website puts it, “there’s a Mac for any moment.” (That goes for appetite too!) Get a look at these 14 things you never knew about the Big Mac.

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Courtesy McDonald's

#1: French fries

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to learn that these delicious slices of golden goodness are the all-time bestseller. They’ve been a staple of McDonald’s since its very first menu, and people have been asking for fries with that—or just fries—ever since. And yes, there is a secret ingredient that makes McDonald’s fries so addictive.

Meghan Jones is a word nerd who has been writing for RD.com since 2017. You can find her byline on pieces about grammar, fun facts, the meanings of various head-scratching words and phrases, and more. Meghan graduated from Marist College with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2017; her creative nonfiction piece “Anticipation” was published in the Spring 2017 issue of Angles literary magazine.

[Sources: HowStuffWorks.com, OneCountry.com, McDonald's.com/ca]