The Key To McDonald's Minced Onion Is Starting With Dehydrated Onions

McDonald's is known for a whole lot of delicious menu items. But sometimes, what makes its meals most craveable are the little details. And although the classic Quarter Pounder features fresh onions, most of the restaurant's sandwiches (including the iconic Big Mac, McDouble, and the standard hamburger) feature one such special touch — minced onions. 

This addition contributes tasty aromatics and texture, bringing depth and craveability to every juicy sandwich. But there's a key to these little alliums from a culinary perspective: the removal of moisture. The minced onions in McDonald's dishes are actually nothing more than the same type of dehydrated onions you can find in your grocer's spice section. McDonald's simply mixes them with water to reinvigorate them before using as a topping for your favorite sandwich.

So if there isn't much to these onions beyond a little water, what makes them so extra delicious? Well, if you're somewhat sensitive to the powerful flavor of fresh onions, these may be more appealing, as the process of dehydration helps mellow out onion's natural intensity. That means a sweeter addition to your savory burger, bringing contrast and complexity.

If you want to recreate this condiment for yourself, you need nothing more than a jar of those dehydrated onions and some warm water. 2 tablespoons of this stuff is about the equivalent of a medium fresh onion, or a bit more than a quarter-cup yield. Give them a soak for about 15 minutes, then drain, and voilà: you have a replica of this restaurant classic.

You can even make your own dehydrated onions (in fact, this is a hack for your air fryer you may wish you'd known sooner). All you have to do is dice up your preferred onion — be it yellow or red or even sweet shallots — and set them in your dehydrator at around 135 degrees Fahrenheit for about four to six hours.You can also use a conventional oven at around 140 degrees Fahrenheit, until they're totally crisped up.

These little bits are obviously excellent on burgers, but you can also use them in a variety of other tasty ways, including adding them to the lists of secret weapon meatloaf tricks and game changing hacks for cornbread. Once you are clued in on the key to these delicious McDonald's classics, you can open up a whole world of flavor.