13 International McDonald’s Menu Items We’d Love to See in the US

Few emblems are as instantly recognizable around the world as the golden arches of McDonald’s. With over 41,000 locations worldwide, you can find a McDonald’s on nearly every continent (except Antarctica) and in roughly two-thirds of all countries on earth.

When travelling abroad, you might not think to visit a fast-food chain that’s so ubiquitous and standardized back home. But look closer: while the exterior of an international McDonald’s might look familiar, the menu inside often reflects the unique tastes and cultural preferences of the country you’re in. This is because McDonald’s encourages each country to customize their menus to fit local tastes, cultural preferences, and dietary restrictions. For example, McDonald’s India has more vegetarian options in lieu of beef products, and locations in predominantly Muslim countries tend to have more halal options on the menu, too.

McDonald’s approach to localized menus leads to some intriguing items that we wish we could try in the U.S. Want to find out where to order McSpaghetti, McFalafel, or McMolletes? Read on to learn more about these exclusively international McDonald’s menu items.

In 1967, McDonald’s opened its very first international location in Richmond, British Columbia. Today, there are over 1,400 McDonald’s locations in Canada alone. While the Canadian menu option is nearly identical to its U.S. counterpart — aside from the occasional limited-time offer — there is one major difference: poutine.

This decadent late-night dish features a pile of crispy fries smothered in rich brown gravy and squeaky cheese curds. While poutine originated from the French-speaking province of Quebec as a quick meal at diners, it’s now become Canada’s unofficial national food. Throughout the country, you can find poutine on menus everywhere, from fine dining establishments to the humblest of fast food joints, including McDonald’s.

McDonald’s Canada serves a classic poutine in various sizes as well as with deluxe toppings like spicy Buffalo chicken or other rotating seasonal specials. Want to recreate poutine at home? Follow along with our traditional recipe — just make sure those cheese curds are as squeaky as possible.

McDonald’s India boasts one of the most diverse and unique menus in the world, thanks in part to the dietary traditions of the country. According to the Pew Research Center, about 40 percent of the Indian population identifies as vegetarian, while around 80 percent limit the amount of meat in their diets. As most of the widely practiced religions in India have dietary laws and traditions, this reflects on the cuisine of the country — and yes, that includes the menu offerings of McDonald’s, too.

One standout from McDonald’s vegetarian sandwich options is the McSpicy Paneer. If you’re unfamiliar with the deliciousness that is paneer, think of it as a firm, creamy Indian cheese. It’s similar in texture to tofu, but richer and creamier in flavor. Paneer is a staple in popular dishes like palak paneer, but McDonald’s has elevated paneer to a whole new level of fast food perfection in the McSpicy Paneer sandwich.

McDonald’s McSpicy Paneer features a thick, breaded paneer patty topped with a spicy tandoori-style sauce along with lettuce and onions on a classic McDonald’s bun. It’s a great example of how McDonald’s adapts its menu to local tastes while still preserving the fast-food format and maximum flavor.

While croquettes may have originated in France, they’ve been a beloved staple in Dutch cuisine since the 18th century. Known locally as kroketten, these crispy nuggets are typically made with a meat ragout, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried until golden brown. These crunchy morsels are a popular frozen or fast-food snack in the Netherlands, to the point where McDonald’s introduced the McKroket to cater to local audiences.

The McKroket Sandwich appears surprisingly simple — there’s no lettuce, onions, or tomatoes in sight. But the focus is all on the kroket itself: one thick patty made with beef ragout and deep-fried to perfection. This patty is served on a plain bun and topped with a creamy whole-grain mustard sauce. It’s a simple sandwich we imagine would be the perfect late-night meal after a night out in Amsterdam.

Want to make your own version of the McKroket at home? Try adapting a typical mini croquettes recipe, like our cheese and herb one here, to fit the dimensions of a hamburger bun, and don’t forget to top it with some creamy mustard sauce for the full effect.

The French might not be known for their fast food, but they certainly know how to make a simple yet flavorful meal. The croque monsieur is a great example of this, and it’s no surprise that McDonald’s France would adopt it for its menu under the name Croque McDo. As a staple of French cafés, bistros, and brasseries, a classic croque monsieur is made with two slices of toasted white bread layered with gruyere cheese, deli ham, and maybe some bechamel sauce if you’re feeling fancy. The sandwich is then broiled with shredded cheese on top to reach a gooey-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside perfection.

At McDonald’s France, the Croque McDo is a simplified, fast-food version of the croque monsieur. While it sadly lacks the broiled cheese on top, it does feature a delicious blend of gooey Swiss cheese and smoked ham pressed into two slices of soft, toasted bread. It’s compact, rich in flavor, and satisfying, and the simplicity of a Croque McDo would be a welcome addition to American menus.

While the McKroket is a beloved fast food item at McDonald’s in the Netherlands, bitterballen take things a step further as a quintessential Dutch fast-food snack. These tiny deep-fried spheres are filled with a spicy cheese ragout and served with mustard on the side. They’re considerably more bite-sized than the full-sized McKroket, making them a great midday or late-night snack. In fact, bitterballen are famously served as a borrelhapje, or “drinking snack,” in bars and pubs throughout the country.

Although many McDonald’s locations across Europe serve beer, including Germany and Spain, the Dutch McDonald’s sadly don’t have beer on the menu to complement its tasty drinking snacks. You’ll simply have to stop by on your way to or from the pub to get the full experience while in the Netherlands.

In Tasting Table’s ranking of all McDonald’s India exclusive menu items, the McAloo Tikki sandwich stood out as not only one of the most affordable, but also one of the tastiest. “Aloo” translates to potato, while “tikki” refers to a small patty: together they form the basis of this vegetarian burger.

The McAloo Tikki patty features a mix of potatoes, peas, and spices and is coated with a crispy breadcrumb crust. It’s topped with onions, lettuce, and a sweet tomato sauce, all tucked inside a classic McDonald’s burger bun. The result is a deliciously filling sandwich that blends traditional Indian flavors with a fast-food format.

If you get the chance to try this in India, we suggest upgrading to a multi-millet bun for added texture for this classic snack. Want to try it at home? You can use our crispy stuffed aloo tiki recipe as the delectable base for your own homemade McAloo Tikki sandwich.

In 1971, McDonald’s opened its first location in Japan in the Ginzo district of Toyko, and it’s been developing its own signature offerings ever since. While McDonald’s Japan is famous for its rotating seasonal items, such as the Tsukimi “moon-viewing” burger that comes back every fall, there are also a few standout items that remain on the menu year-round. One of the most iconic? The Teriyaki McBurger.

There’s a slight difference between traditional Japanese teriyaki and the Western version of teriyaki sauce. In Japan, teriyaki refers to the name of a cooking technique that bastes meat on a grill or under a broiler using a sweet soy-flavored glaze. Traditionally, this glaze consists of soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Meanwhile, here in the United States, we usually think of teriyaki as a syrupy, sweet and salty sauce that can be added to just about anything.

McDonald’s Japan takes inspiration from both methods with its teriyaki burger, which features a classic beef patty dunked in a Western-style teriyaki sauce. It’s topped with lettuce and a tangy lemon mayo, all served on a sesame seed bun. The result is a rich blend of Japanese and American cuisine in a fast-food format.

When you think about it, it’s a bit perplexing that McDonald’s in the United States doesn’t offer cheesy fries on its menu. After all, Americans are famous for ultra-processed cheese products, and our Canadian neighbors up north already have poutine. Cheesy fries would be a natural addition to American menus, but for the time being, you’ll just have to fly over to Italy for the McDonald’s cheesy fries of your dreams.

Enter Le Ricche Cheese & Bacon, a gloriously decadent snack from McDonald’s Italia. Starting with a base layer of world-famous thin, crispy fries, they’re topped with liquid cheddar cheese and garnished with bacon chunks. The resulting dish is somehow even more American than something you’d actually find on an American McDonald’s menu.

In addition to cheesy fries, Italian McDonald’s also offers more regionally inspired items, like a burger with gouda cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette glaze and a pistachio McFlurry. In Italy, McDonald’s also still sell salads — an item previously offered by U.S. chains, but ditched recently due to poor sales. But Le Ricche is one item that would most certainly be welcome on U.S. menus.

In 2005, McDonald’s Japan sought to boost its sales by introducing a new type of burger to the menu: the Ebi Filet-O, a shrimp patty coated in crispy tempura. Inspired by the iconic Filet-O-Fish, the ebi, or shrimp, burger proved to be an instant hit in Japan, helping its sales and becoming a mainstay of the menu ever since.

Served on a standard McDonald’s bun with lettuce and a Thousand Island-style sauce, the Ebi Filet-O sandwich is relatively simple but a refreshing alternative to typical fast food fare.The crispness of the tempura makes it especially appealing as a fast-food sandwich.

In recent years, McDonald’s Japan has even released limited edition Gohan Ebi Filet-O variations of the sandwich, replacing the bread buns with fried rice buns and sending Japanese customers into a frenzy. While these rice buns are not on the menu at the moment, McDonald’s Japan is known for swapping out items frequently, so maybe they’ll make a long awaited return soon. In the meantime, you can try recreating this exclusive Japanese sandwich with a shrimp burger patty and a rice bun at home.

Unlike most of the menu items on this list, McSpaghetti actually originated from the United States. Introduced sometime in the late 1980s to early ’90s, McSpaghetti was never particularly successful in the U.S., though a few franchise owners continued serving it until around 1996.

Today, McSpaghetti has found an unexpected second life in the Philippines, where it’s become a permanent item on the menu. As a country known for its love of sweet spaghetti made with banana ketchup and topped with hot dog slices, McSpaghetti fits right into the culinary landscape. At McDonald’s, it’s served as a side to a chicken drumstick meal.

There’s also one place in the U.S. where you can still order McSpaghetti: the World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s in Orlando, Florida, near Disney World. As the name might suggest, it’s an oddball spot known for its expanded menu offerings and plethora of arcade games. While we wait for the full comeback of McSpaghetti in the States, you can make an authentic Filipino-style pasta with our recipe here.

At McDonald’s Egypt, the McFalafel is a popular vegetarian wrap that pays homage to the Egyptian ta’meya, which is similar to the more widely known Middle Eastern-style chickpea falafel but made with fava beans instead.

Introduced in 2001, the McFalafel turns the street food classic into a fast food meal. The wrap. features three crispy falafel patties seasoned with herbs and spices, which are garnished with tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles, and drizzled with tahini sauce, all wrapped inside a tortilla, burrito-style.

We think that the U.S. McDonald’s could really benefit from a McFalafel, considering the lack of decent vegetarian options on the menu currently. Did you know that even the hashbrowns and fries at McDonald’s aren’t vegetarian friendly? The McFalafel could cater to the changing taste buds of America as a filling, meat-free meal.

McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches are a beloved start to the day across the globe. But there’s one country that offers an open-faced version that’s a sure way to start your day right. At McDonald’s in Mexico, you can order McMolletes: three rolls served with refried beans and cheese, topped with pico de gallo. As a vegetarian and protein packed-snack, it’s a great energy boost, making it yet another enticing meal we wish we had in the States.

Although the McDonald’s McMolletes appears to use English muffin halves as the base, traditional molletes are made with toasted bolillo rolls sliced in half. If you’re not headed to Mexico anytime soon, try making molletes at home with some toasted bread, canned refried beans, shredded cheese, and fresh salsa, and you’ve got an international McDonald’s-worthy breakfast. As an aside, refried beans are a highly underrated sandwich spread, adding creaminess and protein all at the same time. It’s a sandwich hack we could all use for breakfast and lunch sandwiches alike.

If there’s one takeaway from exploring McDonald’s international menus, it’s this: it’s genuinely shocking that U.S. McDonald’s hasn’t hopped on the melted cheese trend yet. Few countries embrace gooey cheese quite like Brazil, where cheese mania is a real prenomenon. Nowhere is that more evident than in the beloved Cheddar McMelt. This fan-favorite sandwich is an irresistible combination of a beef patty topped with a generous serving of melted cheddar cheese and a mountain of sweet caramelized onions, all nestled inside a whole-wheat bun. No lettuce, no tomato — just a simple sweet and savory combo that hits all the right notes.

So why hasn’t the Cheddar McMelt made a permanent home on U.S. menus? Believe it or not, it actually debuted in the U.S. in the mid-1980s and made a brief comeback in 2014. Like McSpaghetti, it’s now a forgotten relic of McDonald’s past, but it’s still going strong in Brazil.

Craving one now? You can easily replicate the Cheddar McMelt at home with your favorite burger patty, plenty of sauteed onions, and a rich cheddar cheese sauce, whether it’s homemade or straight from the can.