A copycat McChicken® Sandwich recipe that costs less than a third of the price of one at McDonald’s®? What’s not to love? And the recipe is incredibly simple. There’s no messing around with raw chicken or fiddly coatings. We’ve found a chicken patty that tastes just like the iconic McChicken, and it’s available in all UK supermarkets.
The McChicken is one of the best-loved sandwiches on the McDonald’s menu. Its blend of crispy chicken, tangy mayo, and cool lettuce is a winner every time. But the McChicken sandwich costs £4.09, which makes it an expensive treat compared to the £1.39 Mayo chicken, which is not hugely different. However, thrifty fans, we’ve got you covered. We’ve recreated the classic burger using supermarket ingredients, and it’s pretty close to the original. And it’s a quarter of the price.
The Mrs Thrifty Copycat McChicken Sandwich
These are very close to the McDonalds patties
The Burger
Birds Eye Crispy Chicken in Tempura Batter is a dead ringer for the original McChicken patties. It’s available in most supermarkets and is often on promotion if you shop around. At the moment Asda have a special offer of £3.00 for six, so they are a bargain 50p each.
Tempura batter, made with flour, egg and iced water, helps to give the coating that distinctive taste. The original McChicken sandwich is made with 100% chicken breast meat, so buy tempura chicken that’s 100% breast. Cheaper burgers may have different cuts of meat and additives, which won’t give you that high-quality taste.
Lettuce
McDonald’s uses 100% Iceberg lettuce for that crisp crunch. The product arrives in the restaurant already, prepared and chopped. They famously only use the leaves nearest to the heart, which are crisper and fresher.
The McChicken Sandwich Sauce
We did some experimenting to try to get the McChicken sandwich sauce as close to the original as possible. Most online recipes use two ingredients: mayonnaise and yellow mustard. Some also call for onion powder. After several attempts at getting the proportions right, this is what we decided tasted closest to the Maccies original
Copycat McChicken Sandwich Sauce
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
Mix all the ingredients well. If you like the sauce more on the tangy side, double the mustard.
Burger Buns
We used Iceland’s seeded burger buns (£2.00) for 12, but any sesame-topped burger bun will do. The Iceland ones are good value for money and come pre-sliced, which is good as I always manage to get them wonky. We popped them in the air fryer for a few minutes just to get them toasty like they are at McDonald’s.
To Assemble The Copycat McChicken Sandwich
- Cook the Tempura Chicken according to instructions. We used an air fryer, which we think gave the best results
- .Make the sandwich sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl
- Shred the lettuce
- Toast the burger buns or put them in the air fryer to crisp up.
- Assemble and serve straight away.
How Does The Price Compare to McDonalds?
A McDonald’s McChicken Sandwich costs £4.09
Our version:
- Chicken burger – 50p
- Burger Bun – 17p
- Sandwich Sauce – 15p per serving
- Lettuce – 10p
Total Cost 92p – less than a third of the price of the McChicken Sandwich
We hope you will try this copycat McChicken sandwich. If you do, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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