McDonald's is set to introduce a new beefburger recipe across its restaurants after 50 years in the UK and Ireland.

All of McDonald's burger variants, including the iconic Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with cheese, and the classic cheeseburger in double and triple options, will undergo a taste transformation.

The new burger variants will be rolled out across the UK and Ireland from mid-March 2024, marking a significant change as the restaurant chain celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The new recipe aims to deliver a hotter and juicier patty with a tighter sear on the grill, enhancing the overall flavour and size of the burger.

The chain is introducing white onions to the grilling process, placing them on top of the patties as they cook to improve the colour and contribute to a more charred flavour profile.

The recipe has been tested in the Australian and US markets and will be rolled out across the UK and Ireland.

McDonald's UK and Ireland chief restaurant officer Gareth Pearson said: "We are excited to introduce our enhanced classic beef burgers. We're constantly innovating and improving our menu and we found that a collection of complementary small improvements to the iconic burgers make a significant difference to the flavour.

"Another big part of this transition has been around our restaurant teams and how we can support them in delivering the best possible customer experience.

“Not only have we introduced new kitchen technology, but we've also retrained all 177,000 crew members on these new procedures to enable them to serve our best burgers yet.”

In February 2024, the Food and Drug Administration in the Indian state of Maharashtra took action against a McDonald’s outlet in Ahmednagar for allegedly using cheese substitutes in their food products without proper disclosure, the Times Of India has reported.