The Cheap Store-Brand Cheese That Tastes Just Like McDonald's

The United States is home to plenty of delicious regional fast-food chains, but no matter where you are, you can almost always find a McDonald's for a quick bite. If you're unsure or worried about what concerning fast-food ingredients are hiding in those burgers, though, then it's not a bad idea to try to recreate your favorite fast-food burgers at home. This way, you remain in control of exactly what goes into the dish while still getting those flavors you love. Next time you want to make your favorite McDonald's burger at home, reach for Walmart's Great Value brand cheese; many people say it tastes just like that melted cheese you find at the burger chain.

When you add cheese to any McDonald's burger, it's that melted, processed yellow American cheese with a distinct color and texture. Although McDonald's employees revealed on Reddit that the McDonald's cheese comes in bulk and its actual brand name remains unknown, rumor has it that Walmart's store brand, Great Value, makes a cheese that tastes and looks almost exactly the same. Even a former McDonald's chef admitted on TikTok that there is no flavor distinction between the two.

Interestingly, McDonald's sliced cheese is not made from entirely real cheese. According to the restaurant's U.K. website, its cheese at U.K. locations is only 60% real cheese, with 51% of that coming from cheddar. Walmart's Great Value cheese is labeled as "American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product," suggesting it's also not completely real cheese.

Chef Mike Haracz, a former McDonald's corporate chef, revealed in a TikTok video that the Great Value brand is the closest you can buy. "You can't get the exact, exact, exact cheese McDonald's uses, because their suppliers make a specific recipe for them," Haracz said. He added that the cheese should be a in a "big loaf" rather than individually wrapped. "You're gonna want to go to Walmart, and you're gonna want to get Great Value Deluxe American Cheese." He said the recipes between the two are "almost identical" and that any big-name brands have their own cheese formulas that won't taste the same as the McDonald's manufacturer. Once you have that Great Value cheese in hand, let it sit out for one hour before you add it to your homemade version. Whether you're using one slice for two for your recreation — which makes all the difference between building a classic McDouble or a Double Cheeseburger — letting that cheese get to room temperature is going to help it "taste even more like McDonald's American cheese," Haracz advised.