After nearly a decade-long hiatus, the McRib has finally made a return to McDonald’s menus.
The legendary sandwich, first added to the chain’s repertoire in 1981, is available for a limited time only from today (Wednesday, October 16), so you’ll have to be quick if you want to get your hands on it.
Thomas O’Neill, Head of Menu at McDonald’s UK, said: “It is more than just a sandwich; it’s a phenomenon. We have heard our fans loud and clear – the fan petitions and pleas on social – and after almost a decade of anticipation, we are thrilled to bring back this iconic menu item.”
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The sandwich costs £4.49 on its own, or £6.19 as part of a medium extra value meal. However, if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative or just like to try out new recipes, one trends expert has come up with a ‘copycat’ you can make at home.
Nick Drewe, trend expert at WeThrift, said his version of the meal costs just £1.08 per portion – meaning you could save 76% on your sarnie.
Not only that, but vegetarians and vegans can even adapt the recipe and get a slice of the action for themselves. With just five ingredients, the mouth-watering meal is also very straightforward to make.
Taking to TikTok, other McDonald’s fans also shared clips of themselves making the meal in their own kitchens. Home cook Tracy Le took her version a step further by blending boneless pork ribs with salt, sugar and water before forming the patty by hand, rather than using store-bought sausages.
However, the rest of the method is similarly simple – just fry off the patties, coat them in your favourite barbecue sauce, toast your buns and assemble, topping with gherkins and white onions. Nick recommends brushing the patties with extra barbecue sauce as they fry, but warns the high sugar content of some sauces could cause the glaze to burn.
Nick’s ‘copycat’ McRib recipe can be found below.
Ingredients (serves one):
- Two pork sausages
- 60g good-quality barbecue Sauce, warmed
- One white sub or deli-style roll
- Four gherkins
- 10g slithered white onions
Method:
- Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat, while that is happening, remove two sausages from their casing and shape them into one rectangular patty that is roughly the size of your bun.
- Once formed, cook the patty for 3-4 minutes per side or, until fully cooked. Adjust the cooking time to the size of your patty, since it is flattened it will not take as long as a regular sausage. If you want a thicker patty, use an additional sausage.
- While the sausage cooks, lightly toast your roll using a toaster, grill, or the same pan after cooking the patty so it can absorb the flavour of the sausage.
- Once the patty is done, dip it in the warm barbecue sauce, place it on the bottom bun, and top with gherkins and onions. Finish with the top bun and serve immediately.
To make the recipe vegetarian or vegan, simply swap the pork sausages for a meat-free alternative and be sure to select a barbecue sauce with no animal products. Nick recommends opting for a soy or pea-based sausage rather than a vegetable-based one, as they will better mimic the taste and texture of the real deal.