The 11 Best Grocery Store Copycats For McDonald's Items

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There are any number of reasons why someone may be seeking a way to make McDonald's at home. Maybe you've got a big family and a tight budget. Maybe you work unusual hours that put McGriddles out of reach. Perhaps a McDonald's just isn't that close to you. Whatever the motivation, keen taste testers have done the legwork for you in relaying the best grocery store copycats available to match — or come close to matching — McDonald's menu items.

Though some ready-to-eat options are included, getting a quality copycat isn't always as simple as a microwave minute. In addition to covering certain mainstays, like the Filet-O-Fish and Chicken McNuggets, this list gets into the materials to make many of McDonald's most popular items, including the hands-down best McDonald's burger. Plus, since ingredients are only part of the equation in nailing the flavor, tips along the way from a former corporate chef will also clue you in on preparation.

Sold in orders from 4 to 40 pieces, McDonald's Chicken McNuggets can satisfy a hangry kid with a Happy Meal, a family for a no-fuss dinner, or even be laid out buffet style for a party. Those with more mouths to feed may be inclined to try what is considered the closest retail option to what you'll find under the golden arches: A 10-pound case of Tyson's Tempura Chicken Breast Nuggets.

Just like the nuggets it supplies to McDonald's, Tyson coats the pieces with a tempura breading. Of course, if 10 pounds is simply too much for your freezer to hold, the global brand began promoting new Restaurant-Style Crispy Nuggets in 2026 in packaging far friendlier for the average home kitchen. Reviews find these to also be comparable in taste to traditional McNuggets.

That said, if it's an expert's opinion your after, former McDonald's corporate chef Mike Haracz has an alternative suggestion. Instead of sticking with Tyson, he recommends his TikTok followers try Pilgrim's Tempura Chicken Nuggets. Haracz bases his copycat selection on the similarity in the ingredients between McNuggets and the Pilgrim's nuggets. Whichever route you go, it's important to remember that none of these are precooked, and, to get the closest taste to McDonald's, they ought to be deep fried.

Not only is McDonald's one of the few restaurants of its kind to keep a fish sandwich on the menu year-round, the Filet-O-Fish is also considered by customers to be one of the best fast food fish sandwiches. With a reputation built over decades, not just any breaded fillet will suffice in copying what started as halibut and has since become an Alaskan pollock sandwich. As such, those with a taste for tartar, American cheese, and breaded seafood on a steamed bun tend to agree that Gorton's Fish Sandwich Breaded Fillets are the ideal copycat.

Sure, some on forums may propose others fillets to match Mickey D's, but the consensus around Gorton's relates to multiple elements. Connoisseurs of the popular Lenten handheld agree that the breading can't be too thick, nor can it be tough to bite through — it must match the flakiness of the fillet. Those who suggest fish sticks are a good match find themselves discredited over the disparate meat to breading ratio. Akin to getting the textures right, the taste has to be spot on as well, and Gorton's hits the mark in mere minutes in an air fryer.

Perhaps you've picked up a package of the recommended Gorton's fillets or you've got some ground beef your fixing to make into cheeseburgers. In either case, those looking to their grocery store for the best copycat slice of cheese ought to turn to Walmart. It's there that you'll find a package of Great Value American Cheese Slices that matches the specific fast food fromage for Quarter Pounders, McMuffins, and the Big Mac.

For those who don't know, American cheese is crafted at the crossroads of dairy and science, most often made by blending cheddar, Colby jack, and Swiss cheese together. According to a former student of McDonald's management classes, the chain sources its cheese from Sargento's. Be that as it may, store supplies can vary from proprietary recipes used for select businesses. As a result, chef Mike Haracz's recommendation on TikTok is in the aisles of Walmart. In procuring your cheese, the former McDonald's employee specifically cautions against individually wrapped singles since that's not how the chain operates. Instead, a package with slices staggered for your convenience or sold as a whole block is the best route to take.

Unless you simply aren't a fan, any attempt to recreate the McDonald's experience at home will not be complete without including every ingredient. So, if it's a classic hamburger, cheeseburger, or Quarter Pounder, that means ketchup, mustard, onions, and pickles. Slight differences in condiments may go unnoticed, but the same can't be said for the briny crunch delivered by the pickle slices. In order to get that as close as possible, you're going to want to search among the other jarred goods for Best Maid Dill Pickles.

Some argue Heinz Hamburger Dill Pickle Chips are a closer approximation than Best Maid, but for former McDonald's corporate chef Mike Haracz it has to be the latter. If ease is what you're after, the reliable source on TikTok recommends the convenience of the Best Maid Hamburger Slices. However, if you want a truer copycat experience, ditch the crinkle-cut pickles for the jar of whole pickles. Opting for those will allow you to slice them yourself and better match the bite to go along with the flavor.

At the heart of every McDonald's beef sandwich is the burger patty. So you're undoubtedly wondering if there's a copycat frozen package at the store just waiting to get grilled and served up with the other ingredients you've already acquired. This does not exist. Before you throw in the towel on your copycat endeavor you should know that the solution is far simpler. It comes down to how you season the meat.

Since the restaurant chain uses a proprietary grind of beef — typically an 80/20 blend — and special grills, true replication is out of the question, according to TikToker Mike Haracz. To get close, all you'll need is a 1/10 pound beef patty seasoned with the appropriate mix of salt and pepper. That happens to be 86% salt and 14% black pepper measured by weight. It's also important that, instead of fresh onions, you go out and pick up dehydrated onions. McDonald's employees use rehydrated onions on most of the burgers, so you'll want to let some soak in water before adding them to the burger when you build it.

For years, the composition of a McDonald's Big Mac was piped over the airwaves, leaving fast food fans able to recite, "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and a sesame seed bun." As straightforward as most of that is, many were left guessing at the right blend of ingredients to recreate the secret special sauce. Those days are long gone and guesswork can be swapped out for a trip to Walmart. It's there that Mickey D's copycats can grab a bottle of Great Value Secret Sauce for Burgers & Dipping.

Matching the posted ingredient list of the Big Mac Sauce fairly well, many agree that this is the closest option you'll find short of trying to make a purchase at your local restaurant. Sure, some locations may be willing to accommodate, but there are no guarantees. Alternatively, those living abroad contend they've found a fair match in Colona M'Burger Sauce produced in Belgium. The package even pictures a double-decker burger similar in style to the Big Mac.

Considered the GOAT by many, and way at the top of the best fast food fries ranked by Redditors, are McDonald's French Fries. Arguably the only salty and oil-crisped spud to surpass the current offering is the previous iteration. The big difference between the original fries and today's version is McDonald's switch from using mostly beef tallow to 100% vegetable oil. This is something to keep in mind when you pick up the nearest copycat, Great Value Thin Cut French Fried Potatoes.

Another recommendation from former McDonald's corporate chef Mick Haracz on TikTok, these fries come about as close as you can to matching the cut and texture of the restaurant chain's potatoes, which are typically made from spud varieties like Russet, Burbank, and Shepody. The only thing you need to worry about is the preparation. For that, Haracz advises a mix of beef tallow and vegetable oil using one tablespoon of the former for every cup of the latter. Once fried, season the fries with Morton salt, just like McDonald's does. Then, just like the fries, you're as good as golden.

When the Chicken McNugget launched in 1983, four dipping sauces were promoted alongside the tempura-battered bites. These included Barbecue, Honey, Hot Mustard, and Sweet 'N Sour. Now, if your a fan of the last among those, you may have noticed other similar sauces simply don't compare to McDonald's blend of sweet and sour. So, if you've picked up your copycat McNuggets and are looking for the closest dip to match, you're going to want to grab some Ken's Foods Sweet and Sour Sauce.

As he states on TikTok, the reason why Mike Haracz favors this version over other store bought sauces that come highly recommended is a matter of fruit. Where many brands choose to use pineapple in building the sweet profile to pair with the savory, McDonald's recipe blends apricot and peach. Likewise, Ken's uses apricot concentrate, giving it a leg up in the copycat competition. You may not find it on the shelf of your local market, but you can order it in large gallon containers or portioned cups — which go a long way toward recreating the fast food experience.

Copycats keen on getting a taste of McDonald's breakfast have a lot of different options, and you don't even need to worry about it being too late in the day. If you don't like the fuss of too many steps, but you do like the taste of the Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles, Jimmy Dean has a frozen option you can have on a plate in seconds. The brand offers a Sweet Maple Griddle Cake Breakfast Sandwich that is a fair match to McDonald's.

That said, if the Sausage McGriddles are more your speed and you've got a few extra moments, you can build your own breakfast with a closer copycat. Trader Joe's Dutch Griddle Cakes can be toasted, microwaved, or put in the oven while you see about heating up however many Great Value Fully Cooked Original Frozen Pork Sausage Patties you need. In a TikTok video admitting the McGriddle is hard to match, either route was presented by commenters as a quality copycat.

Similar, but not the same, as the McGriddle, the McDonald's menu has a touch more variety with the McMuffin. There's the Egg McMuffin, featuring cheese, egg, and a piece of Canadian bacon, the Sausage McMuffin, with sausage and cheese, and the Sausage McMuffin with Egg — an addition that's self-explanatory. It also happens to be another item Jimmy Dean offers a close copycat for with its Meat Lovers English Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches. Featuring two patties instead of one, these sandwiches are a convenient go-to when you've got little time to spare.

Still, if you want something much closer in taste — and you've already picked up some Great Value Fully Cooked Original Frozen Pork Sausage Patties — the pièce de résistance is the English muffin. For that, you're going to want to look for Bays Original English Muffins. Kept in the refrigerator section of your grocery store rather than the bread aisle, these English muffins are a product of Bimbo Bakeries, which is said to be a supplier of McDonald's, as well. Additionally, to really nail the flavors, it's advised that you wrap your sandwich in parchment paper and allow it to rest for a few minutes rest to steam.

A common frustration for fast food fans comes in having a favorite item that also happens to be seasonal or, worse still, a limited-time offer. Such has been the bane of McRib lovers since the sandwich first hit restaurants at the onset of the '80s. Built atop a homestyle bun, the sweet and tangy sauce of the pork sandwich is contrasted with the bite delivered from onions and pickles. If you're drooling just thinking about it, rest assured that a copycat is at hand with On-Cor Barbecue Sauce & Boneless Rib Shaped Patties.

Considered by many to be the closest grocery store copycat to the real deal, On-Cor lets you skip the trouble of making your own pork patty when building the sandwich. If that's something you want to do, you can always try one of the best ways to use tofu in a sandwich with a vegan McRib. However you come by your patty, you'll need bread to build the sandwich with onions and some Best Maid Dill Pickles. For that, look for Francisco French Sandwich Rolls to toast up and put an end to the wait since you're last McRib.