McDonald’s newest Signature Crafted Recipe features a slice of white cheddar, in-house fried onion strings, Applewood-smoked bacon, a layer of bacon onion sauce, and a layer of sweet mustard sauce on an artisan bun with your choice of a beef patty, buttermilk crispy chicken, or grilled chicken.
Here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, we don’t have fresh beef at our McDonald’s locations like most of the country does. Since that’s case, I thought it would be best to eat it with the buttermilk crispy chicken to experience what everyone else can order.
Before stuffing my mouth, I thought the two different sauces would clash with each other, but they work well. The combo is like an original barbecue sauce. However, as I ate my sandwich, I was also tasting something familiar. It took me awhile to put my finger on it, but I finally realized it reminds me of Van Camp’s Pork and Beans with hot dogs.
I know it sounds strange, but if I break it down, it might make sense. Pork and beans are sweet and savory, and there’s a little bit of vinegar and onion mixed in. The bacon onion sauce is porky, onion-y, and a little sweet, while the sweet mustard sauce is vinegar-y and sweet.
With the sauces and slightly sweet artisan bun, there’s a noticeable sweetness with every bite. The not crispy Applewood-smoked bacon and the bacon in the sauce help cut through that sweetness with a bit of smokiness. The buttermilk crispy chicken adds a slight tang to complement the mustard’s tang, which is something the other two protein choices can’t provide. As for the fried onion strings, I’m not sure they bring much to the party. When eaten separately, they don’t have much of an onion flavor. But they do provide some crunch, much like the chicken’s breading.
Some folks might find the two sauces weird, but I love the combo, and in turn I very much enjoyed this sandwich. I think it’s one of the better and more unique tasting Signature Crafted Recipes.
(Nutrition Facts – 920 calories, 45 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 1980 milligrams of sodium, 81 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 46 grams of protein.)
Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Two sauces give this recipe a different flavor from the McDonald’s kitchens. Flavor reminds me of Van Camp’s Pork and Beans, which might be a good thing. Fried onions strings and chicken breading provide some crunch. Buttermilk coating enhances flavor in ways that the beef patty and grilled chicken can’t.
Cons: Bacon not crisp, which was not a surprise. Fried onions strings were bland. Sauces might be weird for some.
Bacon Smokehouse Burger? half-cooked bacon, two SMALL pieces of an onion ring (not even one whole one!), sauce literally running out of the bottom. Maybe the Canyon, Texas, McDonald’s hasn’t seen the photo of what the burger is supposed to look like. Certainly not worth the $5.99 I paid for it.