Nearly a decade on, the McRib is allegedly making a return to McDonald’s restaurants for a limited time – but here is how you can make it at home for just £1.
Nick Drewe, trend expert at WeThrift, has shared a copycat recipe for the beloved, and periodically sold sandwich, which costs less than the actual store-bought version. Additionally, he shares a top tip on how vegetarians or vegans can enjoy the beloved item too.
The McRib has become a pop culture phenomenon, being referenced in The Simpsons and Family Guy, with The Simpsons calling the sandwich the ‘Ribwich’ back in 2003.
It is rumoured to join the McDonald’s menu for a limited time on October 16th, thanks to an ‘accidental’ notification on the McDonald’s app that read, “McRib_Test.notification_16.10.24” – this may have been on purpose to generate some buzz.
What is the McRib and how can I make it at home?
Despite its craze, the McRib is one of the simpler McDonald’s items and consists of a homestyle bun, pork patty, barbecue sauce, gherkins and slithered onions. Despite being modelled after a rib, there are no bones in the pork patty.
Here is how you can recreate it at home:
Cost of McRib Ingredients, Tesco, 2024
Ingredient | Pork Sausages (pack of 8) | White Rolls (pack of 4) | BBQ Sauce (510g) | Gherkins (180g drained) | White Onions (360g) | Total | Cost per serving |
Cost | £1.79 | £1.00 | £2.99 | £1.10 | £1.10 | £7.98 | £1.08 |
Ingredients: [One Serving]
- 2 Pork Sausages
- 60g Good-quality Barbecue Sauce, warmed
- 1 White Sub or Deli-style Roll
- 4 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.
- Pro tip: for added flavour, brush barbecue sauce on the patty while cooking. Be mindful as the high sugar content in the sauce can burn.
- 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.
- Vegetarian or Vegan tip: Swap the pork sausages for plant-based ones, and opt for a barbecue sauce that’s free of honey or any animal-derived ingredients. For the best results, choose sausages made from pea or soy protein, as these will give you the ideal texture. Vegetable-based sausages may taste good but won’t hold the same shape or consistency.
The cost of the homemade sandwich is just £1.08 if sourcing your ingredients from Tesco, the price increases slightly to £1.16 if using plant-based sausages. The price of the actual McRib has not been revealed yet, but compared to its previous release, it will most likely cost £3.99 for the sandwich alone – a shocking 115% price difference.
