MW McDonald's is spicing up its McMuffins. Will hot-food loving Gen Z and millennials bite?

By Charles Passy

Fast-food chains, from Popeyes to Subway, have been turning up the heat. Now McDonald's is adding spicier items to its breakfast menu.

For half a century, McDonald's $(MCD)$ has served up a basic breakfast sandwich - just an egg, cheese and a slice of Canadian bacon, served on a toasted English muffin - that somehow hits the spot.

Apparently, that may be too basic for some diners who demand more peppery flavor at every turn. So, that beloved a.m. bite, otherwise known as the Egg McMuffin, is now being offered in a Spicy McMuffin version for a limited time. It's what the Golden Arches chain calls "a fiery, delicious twist," all thanks to a slathering of pepper sauce.

These days, such spice-enhanced menu additions and tweaks have become the norm across the fast-food landscape. Think everything from the ghost-pepper bread that Subway uses in its sandwiches to the Takis Fuego Meal offered at Wendy's $(WEN)$, which includes a chicken-fillet sandwich featuring - what else? - Takis Fuego chips (MX:BIMBOA) (BMBOY).

And while some industry professionals and experts say such menu offerings indeed reflect a changing American palate, others also wonder if the trend has gone too far - and that too many items are getting an unneeded pepper boost, like the Egg McMuffin-turned-Spicy McMuffin.

"It's a gimmick," said Paul Denamiel, owner and executive chef of Le Rivage, a prominent New York City restaurant.

Denamiel makes the point that heat has its role in many dishes, but it has to be used carefully, lest it overwhelm the core flavor profile. And if that happens? "All it does is kill your palate and you can't taste anything," he noted.

Not that others don't see a place for a Spicy McMuffin sandwich, especially given that McDonald's will continue to offer the traditional Egg McMuffin alongside it.

"I think this makes so much sense," said veteran food writer Aly Walansky. She noted that the trend for fiery flavor especially took off when Popeyes $(QSR)$ unveiled its Spicy Chicken Sandwich in 2019, which became so popular that "there were brawls in line" to get it. Walansky added that she likes to add a splash of hot sauce to her egg sandwiches "for a bit of extra kick."

And McDonald's isn't stopping with the standard Spicy McMuffin. Its new limited-time breakfast offerings also include a Spicy Sausage McMuffin and Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg. The chain said it's looking to offer customers "some kick to your morning routine" with the lineup.

Industry insiders and watchers say the boom in heat-enhanced fast-food fare isn't just about catering to the American taste for spice. It's specifically about catering to the key Gen Z and millennial demographics, which are the groups most embracing all things fiery.

And given that some chains are already heavily promoting menu options for heat-seeking diners, especially at breakfast, the Golden Arches couldn't sit still, experts say.

"A Spicy McMuffin is a way for [McDonald's] to get ahead of the potential loss of these customers," said Kevin Ryan, a food-innovation strategist.

Another reason why McDonald's - or for that matter, all fast-food chains - are embracing spice: It's often a low-cost, easy way to add flavor, experts note. That is, there's no great recipe-tinkering or changes to the cooking or assembly process.

"All you're doing is putting sauce on" in some instances, said Ji Hye Kim, a James Beard Award-nominated chef based in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The boom in spicy fare at fast-food restaurants reflects a larger trend that cuts across all dining categories as well as grocery shopping. One industry report projects global sales of hot sauces to grow from $3.3 billion in 2024 to $5.98 billion in 2032.

Melinda's Foods, an American-based brand of hot sauces and condiments, is reflective of this trend. Co-founder David Figueroa said the company's annual sales have more than tripled over the past three years and now top $45 million.

Figueroa said Americans have just become increasingly interested in peppery flavors - and their curiosity typically turns into a lifetime commitment.

"Once you start eating spicy foods, there's no road back," he said.

-Charles Passy

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July 13, 2025 11:12 ET (15:12 GMT)

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