McPlant

The McPlant is a vegetarian (and in some regions vegan) burger sold by the American multinational fast food chain McDonald's in several European countries.[3] In 2021, McDonald's partnered with Beyond Meat, a Los Angeles–based producer of plant-based meat substitutes, to create the McPlant platform.[4][5] It features a plant-based meat alternative burger patty made from plant ingredients such as potatoes, peas and rice.[6]

The McPlant was launched in the United Kingdom in January 2022, after tests in October 2021.[7] It is also available in Ireland. In both the United Kingdom and Ireland, the burger is vegan due to the use of vegan sandwich sauce and a vegan cheese alternative.[8] The McPlant is also sold in a non-vegan variant (with cheese and egg-based mayonnaise) in Austria,[9] Germany,[10] and Portugal,[11] as well as in the Netherlands with cheese and a vegan sandwich sauce.[12][13] When the McPlant was launched in Germany in February 2023, it replaced the Fresh Vegan TS burger, leading to some criticism from vegan customers.[14] According to McDonalds, the burgers are prepared on the same grill as meat products and thus are not vegan or vegetarian according to some strict definitions. McDonald's Germany targets flexitarians[15] and lists all ingredients of the burgers.[16][17] In Germany an additional McPlant Tomato Chargrill became a permanent menu item after a collaboration with two members of the band Tokio Hotel in 2024.[18][19] The McPlant was removed from the menu in Austria in July 2025 and in Germany in October 2025, with McDonalds citing "low demand."[20]

In January 2023, McDonald's launched the Double McPlant with two patties in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[21][22] In Austria, McDonald's also sells the McPlant Steakhouse, a variant of the burger with steakhouse sauce.[23] In Germany and France, it also sells McPlant Nuggets made from wheat and pea protein. The full list of ingredients is not disclosed.[10][24] In Germany, McPlant nuggets are fried in the same fryers as chicken McNuggets and thus might not be vegan or vegetarian either.[25] McDonalds Germany lists the ingredients, the nuggets are based on wheat and pea protein.[26]

In several other countries, the McPlant was tested but not introduced in the permanent menu. The first tests occurred in Sweden and Denmark between January and April 2021.[27][28] In the United States, the product was initially tested in November 2021, with expanded tests in California and Texas from February 2022.[29][30] The trial run of the McPlant in the United States was discontinued in August 2022,[31] reportedly due to low sales.[32] From July until November 2022, the McPlant was served in Victoria, Australia, as a limited run item.[33][34]

See also

• McVeggie
• McVegan
• Impossible Whopper