The McDonald's Filet-O-Fish has always had a loyal following, but it also comes with one persistent complaint: there's simply too much bun and not nearly enough fish. If you've ever pulled apart that steamed pillow of a roll only to find a modest square patty staring back at you, you're not alone. The good news is there's a completely legitimate, easy-to-use trick that can change all of that - and it doesn't require any special codes, secret handshakes, or arguments at the counter.
The Sandwich That Started It All
The Filet-O-Fish was created in 1962 by Lou Groen, a McDonald's franchise owner in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood of Monfort Heights in Cincinnati, Ohio, in response to declining hamburger sales on Fridays due to the practice of abstaining from meat on that day. It's a sandwich born not out of culinary ambition, but out of business survival. At the time of the creation of the Filet-O-Fish, Lou Groen was "barely doing $300 in daily sales" on Fridays.
Kroc made a deal with Groen that they would sell the Hula Burger and the Filet-O-Fish on a Friday, and whichever sandwich sold the most would be added to the permanent menu. Kroc was so convinced that his Hula Burger would outsell the Filet-O-Fish that he made a side bet with his first grillman Fred Turner. The final score? Hula Burger: 6, Filet-O-Fish: 350. In 1965, the Filet-O-Fish was the first addition to McDonald's original menu; it was the only non-hamburger option and sold for $0.29.
What's Actually Inside the Sandwich
The Filet-O-Fish sandwich recipe features a crispy fish filet patty made with wild-caught Alaskan Pollock on melty American cheese and is topped with creamy McDonald's tartar sauce, all served on a soft, steamed bun. One detail that surprises a lot of people is the cheese portion. Half a slice of cheese is used in each Filet-O-Fish sandwich; McDonald's states the reason is to prevent the cheese from overwhelming the taste.
The Filet-O-Fish is also the only sandwich at McDonald's that uses a steamed bun. In a viral TikTok, Essential McDonald's shows that the bun is steamed for 11 seconds before being placed in the box and topped with tartar sauce, fish, and cheese. There are 380 calories in McDonald's Filet-O-Fish. That's relatively modest for a fast food sandwich, which is part of why adding an extra patty or two makes a lot of nutritional and practical sense.
The Core Trick: Ask for Extra Patties
With a little custom ordering, you can get a much more filling meal. If ordering in person at the counter or drive-thru, you can simply ask the employee for extra pieces of fish. It's still possible if you're ordering electronically, such as with the McDonald's app or a third-party service, but a little more complicated. The key insight here is that McDonald's has already built the infrastructure to accommodate this request - it's not off-menu at all.
This trick has been noted by Redditors and TikTokers, and it offers a pretty great deal for fish lovers. While it depends on your location, the double Filet-O-Fish is only about $1.40 more than the standard one-patty version - and the third fish patty costs an additional $1.10 on top of that. Needless to say, tripling the amount of fish on your sandwich for merely $2.50 is a great deal if you love the McDonald's sandwich that refuses to go away.
How to Do It Through the App
The classic Filet-O-Fish cannot be modified in-app to include a second fish patty. But the Double Filet-O-Fish is a separate menu item, and you can add a third patty to it. This is where things get a tiny bit confusing, so it helps to know exactly what you're doing before you tap through the menu. Confusingly, the app may say that the double sandwich has one patty by default, and you can add a second for an upcharge of about $1.20, depending on your location. That so-called second patty is actually a third, for a true whale of a sandwich.
If you're ordering through the app or at an in-restaurant kiosk, simply select Double Filet-O-Fish from the menu, then click the "Customize" button. Under the section for the fish patty, click the drop-down arrow and select the "2" button (it will also show what the additional charge will be for your location). Click on the yellow "Save Changes" button and then add your monster fish sandwich to your bag. It really is that straightforward once you know where to look.
Don't Forget the Rest of the Sandwich
One thing to remember when ordering either the double or triple McDonald's Filet-O-Fish is that the only thing that increases is the number of fish patties, so make sure to ask for extra cheese if you want to maintain a strong ratio between the sandwich's two key ingredients. More fish without extra sauce can leave the overall experience feeling a little dry. More fish patty goodness can mean that you're left with less of the other flavors that come as part of the sandwich, such as the cheese and tartar sauce. Luckily, it's easy to also add more of those ingredients, and it will cost you an extra 49 cents for the sauce, and 59 cents for an additional slice of cheese.
Because each filet is only 120 calories, ordering extra fish also ensures a more satiating Filet-O-Fish without adding too many calories. Not to mention that the additional patties could even result in a better tasting bite given the improved fish-to-bun ratio. Additionally, there's an opportunity to layer a bunch of other ingredients into a double or triple Filet-O-Fish. Anything from pickles to diced onions and fresh lettuce can add crunch and provide some vegetables - they even tame the richness of the multiple fried pollock patties of the Filet-O-Fish.
The Sauce Swap That Changes Everything
An increasingly popular trend involves replacing the standard tartar sauce that the Filet-O-Fish is known for with Big Mac sauce. The trick - one that's also approved by former McDonald's corporate chef Mike Haracz - gives the sandwich a bold flavor that's great for both fans of Big Macs and those who aren't particularly fond of tartar sauce in the first place. It might sound strange at first, but the logic is actually solid. Big Mac sauce is kind of like an upgraded tartar sauce, and has the same briny, sharp, and sweet notes, as well as a creaminess. In addition, though, it also has a pop of savoriness that tartar sauce somewhat lacks.
If you want to ensure you get a fresh Filet-O-Fish sandwich, simply ask to have your sandwich "cooked to order." According to McDonald's employees on Reddit, those three words are all it takes to ensure you're getting a crispy, piping-hot Filet-O-Fish whipped up right then and there. Fun fact: The Filet-O-Fish is the only sandwich on the McDonald's menu that comes with a steamed bun. Combining a fresh cook-to-order request with extra patties and a sauce swap turns what many consider a small, forgettable sandwich into something genuinely worth ordering every single time.
Why This Sandwich Keeps Selling
Globally, 100% of the fisheries from which McDonald's sources whitefish are from verified sustainable sources. McDonald's USA uses solely Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified wild-caught Alaska Pollock for its Filet-O-Fish sandwich. In 2013, the company became the first and remains the only national restaurant chain in the U.S. to adopt the MSC blue ecolabel. That's a meaningful credential in a fast food landscape where ingredient sourcing is rarely this transparent.
The Filet-O-Fish, originally created for Western Christians observing the Friday Fast, remains popularly associated with this community, with US sales significantly rising around Lent. The practice has inspired other fast food chains to offer seafood options during Lent. This sandwich is also popular among Jewish and Muslim communities due to its ingredients being more aligned with kashrut and halal rules than McDonald's other offerings. A quarter of all Filet-O-Fish sales occur during the 40 days of Lent. The sandwich has outlasted dozens of menu experiments and fads at McDonald's - and with the simple patty-stacking trick now widely shared online, it may be more relevant than ever.
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