I tried the McPlant, McDonald's meat-free burger, and I don't understand why American diners snubbed it

Grace DeanJul 4, 2024, 16:45 IST

McDonald's sells a vegan burger of its McPlant in the UK.Grace Dean/Business Insider

McDonald's US boss says trials of the McPlant weren't successful stateside.
But the meat-free burger is on menus elsewhere, including Germany, Portugal, and the UK.

Don't expect to see the McPlant returning to McDonald's menus in the US anytime soon.

Trials of the meat-free burger in 2021 and 2022 were "not successful" because there simply wasn't enough demand among American diners, Joe Erlinger, the president of McDonald's US, said in late June at The Wall Street Journal's Global Food Forum.

"I don't think the US consumer is coming to McDonald's or looking for the McPlant or other plant-based proteins from McDonald's," he said. "It's a trend that we'll continue to monitor."

The McPlant is available elsewhere in the world, though, like in Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The patty, developed with Beyond Meat, is made from pea and rice proteins and served with American or cheddar cheese, ketchup, sandwich sauce, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles.

In these countries, McDonald's notes that it can't rule out contamination with meat — in the Netherlands, for example, the burger is described as being "for flexitarians."

But at McDonald's in the UK, where the McPlant has been on menus since November 2021, the burger is certified as vegan. It's served with vegan cheese and sandwich sauce.

I got a McPlant, as well as the most comparable burger on the menu, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, from a McDonald's in London. Here's how they stacked up.

Both burgers came in custom boxes. The McPlant box featured common motifs of plant-based food — natural colors and a small plant symbol. The Quarter Pounder had much brighter packaging.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

Both burgers came in custom boxes. The McPlant box featured common motifs of plant-based food — natural colors and a small plant symbol. The Quarter Pounder had much brighter packaging.

Inside, both burgers looked remarkably similar. They were pretty much identical in size.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

I weighed the burgers when I got home. Both came in at about 14.4 ounces.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

They had slightly different fillings, though.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

One thing notable about the McPlant was how smooth and rounded the patty was. This made it look a bit artificial, compared to the rough edges of the meaty patty.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

Still, it generally just looked like a normal, meaty burger when the top bun was on top.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

It tasted really good to me, though I am accustomed to the taste of vegan burgers. I know that for some people, the taste of plant-based meat can be a big surprise at first.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

It tasted really good to me, though I am accustomed to the taste of vegan burgers. I know that for some people, the taste of plant-based meat can be a big surprise at first.

I thought that the patty was excellent. It was served in a sesame seed bun, like many of McDonald's other burgers, including its iconic Big Mac. The burger was full of sauce — perhaps a little too much, because of the ketchup, mustard, and sandwich sauce.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

I thought that the patty was excellent. It was served in a sesame seed bun, like many of McDonald's other burgers, including its iconic Big Mac. The burger was full of sauce — perhaps a little too much, because of the ketchup, mustard, and sandwich sauce.

The meaty patty in the Quarter Pounder with Cheese tasted a little drier to me. I surprisingly couldn't taste much difference between the cheeses in both burgers, perhaps because the other ingredients overpowered them, but I liked that the dairy cheese melted properly.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

The meaty patty in the Quarter Pounder with Cheese tasted a little drier to me. I surprisingly couldn't taste much difference between the cheeses in both burgers, perhaps because the other ingredients overpowered them, but I liked that the dairy cheese melted properly.

For a flexitarian like me, who actually enjoys the taste of plant-based meat, I thought that the McPlant was a great option for McDonald's to have on its menu.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

The McPlant and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese both cost the same price at the restaurant I visited: £4.39, or $5.58. Both could be upgraded to a meal with fries and a drink. You could pay to add a second patty to the McPlant, though there was no option to add extra cheese.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

The McPlant and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese both cost the same price at the restaurant I visited: £4.39, or $5.58. Both could be upgraded to a meal with fries and a drink. You could pay to add a second patty to the McPlant, though there was no option to add extra cheese.

I was glad that McDonald's priced the vegan burger the same as a comparable meaty burger: Some restaurants charge extra for vegan patties in burgers, plant-based cheese on pizzas, and oat milk in coffees.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

I was glad that McDonald's priced the vegan burger the same as a comparable meaty burger: Some restaurants charge extra for vegan patties in burgers, plant-based cheese on pizzas, and oat milk in coffees.

I don't eat from fast-food chains often — I try to support independent businesses. But if I returned to McDonald's, I would definitely order the McPlant again.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

I tried Guy Fieri and Gordon Ramsay's quick burger recipes, and the best one was easier to make

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I tried the McPlant, McDonald's meat-free burger, and I don't understand why American diners snubbed it

Both burgers came in custom boxes. The McPlant box featured common motifs of plant-based food — natural colors and a small plant symbol. The Quarter Pounder had much brighter packaging.

Inside, both burgers looked remarkably similar. They were pretty much identical in size.

I weighed the burgers when I got home. Both came in at about 14.4 ounces.

They had slightly different fillings, though.

One thing notable about the McPlant was how smooth and rounded the patty was. This made it look a bit artificial, compared to the rough edges of the meaty patty.

Still, it generally just looked like a normal, meaty burger when the top bun was on top.

It tasted really good to me, though I am accustomed to the taste of vegan burgers. I know that for some people, the taste of plant-based meat can be a big surprise at first.

I thought that the patty was excellent. It was served in a sesame seed bun, like many of McDonald's other burgers, including its iconic Big Mac. The burger was full of sauce — perhaps a little too much, because of the ketchup, mustard, and sandwich sauce.

The meaty patty in the Quarter Pounder with Cheese tasted a little drier to me. I surprisingly couldn't taste much difference between the cheeses in both burgers, perhaps because the other ingredients overpowered them, but I liked that the dairy cheese melted properly.

For a flexitarian like me, who actually enjoys the taste of plant-based meat, I thought that the McPlant was a great option for McDonald's to have on its menu.

The McPlant and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese both cost the same price at the restaurant I visited: £4.39, or $5.58. Both could be upgraded to a meal with fries and a drink. You could pay to add a second patty to the McPlant, though there was no option to add extra cheese.

I was glad that McDonald's priced the vegan burger the same as a comparable meaty burger: Some restaurants charge extra for vegan patties in burgers, plant-based cheese on pizzas, and oat milk in coffees.

I don't eat from fast-food chains often — I try to support independent businesses. But if I returned to McDonald's, I would definitely order the McPlant again.