Jenő Rácz dreamed up the latest menu for the Hungarian McDonald’s

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 10. 07. 11:45

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A new chapter is opening in Hungarian gastronomy: star chef Jenő Rácz has created his own menu for the country’s iconic restaurant chain, McDonald’s, which will be available in Hungarian Meki® restaurants under the name Limited by Jenő Rácz.

The centerpiece of the menu is a special sandwich based on an extra buttery, almost brioche-like, flax and sesame seed bun. Inside, there is a juicy beef patty, smoked cheese sliced from a block, tomato, lollo rosso salad, bacon, fried and fresh onions. The flavors are completed by a truly special ingredient, a sauce made from black garlic, which is little known in Hungary.

The menu also includes a unique spicy potato, a separate bowl of black garlic sauce, and a 0.4 dl soft drink of your choice. The elements of the limited offer arrive in unique, black handwritten packaging on a red background, which evokes the menu planning processes and also bears Jenő Rácz’s signature.

Nearly three years of working together in the background

The collaboration did not come out of nowhere: Jenő is admittedly a huge Meki® fan and has been preparing for the collaboration since 2023. During this time, he cooked at several events with McDonald’s ingredients and got to know the brand firsthand. Building on this experience, he collaborated with McDonald’s product developers to create a menu that uses the chain’s existing products – such as the 100% beef patty – and its newly developed ingredients.

“My first experience with McDonald’s dates back to my childhood. I tasted my first burger when I was six years old, and the taste and the experience stayed with me forever. When I was given the opportunity to design this menu, I knew immediately: I wanted to create something that would make the guest stop for a moment and feel – well, this is something different. This is a limited burger, but there is endless potential in it”

– said the chef.

“Designing the menu was a collaborative effort consisting of many phases. I prepared and cooked several sandwich recipes, just like I do with new dishes on my own menu. After that, we tested three recipes together, and from these we selected the burger that we subsequently we fine-tuned it.”

McDonald’s suppliers were also involved in the work: for example, the sauce used in the sandwich was initially mixed by hand by the chef, which was then adapted to be produced in large quantities by Univer, the restaurant chain’s sauce manufacturer, based on the recipe. This was modified together during further tastings to provide the best taste experience for guests.

The bun was also a joint development, which, at the chef’s request, became a butterier bun than usual with the flax and sesame seed sprinkles he had dreamed up.

Another milestone in the career

According to Jenő Rácz, a chef’s career is a constantly inspiring journey, in which each station provides a different experience. On this journey, he has now reached a very special milestone: he has created a menu together with the restaurant chain’s team that will be available in every McDonald’s in every part of the country, and thus he can share his acquired knowledge with more guests than ever before.

The Limited by Jenő Rácz menu will be available for the first time on the McDonald’s app on October 8th. From October 9th, it will be available on all McDonald’s ordering channels.