Does McDonald's Microwave Its Bacon For Burgers And Sandwiches?

Have you ever bitten into a juicy bacon burger from McDonald's, only to feel as though you've sunk your teeth into a piece of salty leather? It could leave you wondering whether McDonald's microwaves the bacon for its burgers and sandwiches. The honest answer seems to be a definite "sometimes."

While McDonald's is known for its delicious breakfast sandwiches and burgers, getting one that has chewy bacon instead of crispy can be a real letdown. Tugging the bacon with your teeth can end up tearing the biscuit or bun, making a mess and ruining the entire sandwich. Do McDonald's employees really microwave its bacon? We thought maybe someone should just ask employees.

After attempts to speak to someone at McDonald's via phone calls were answered with, "No comment," we here at Mashed sought answers via social media. Here's what we learned from chatting with several self-professed McDonald's employees and former managers. Overall, the employees agree that the proper protocol is to heat up the precooked bacon on the grill, but if things are rushed and the grill is full, some employees use the microwave.

The McDonald's website maintains that the bacon is already cooked when it is delivered to the restaurant, and the employees reheat it in its "ovens." Yet most employees we questioned insisted that the correct way to heat the bacon according to McDonald's procedure, is by placing the frozen circle of pre-cooked bacon on the grill to "crisp it up." If things are rushed and the grill is full, some employees "get away with" using the microwave, according to former manager Mike Walsh.

Former employee Rachel Hiltabidel cleared up the confusion of microwaves vs "ovens." She explained that some time after the '90s, McDonald's began using something called a "Que-in Oven," similar to a microwave, in its stores. Hiltabidel shared that despite being called an oven, it still isn't supposed to be used for bacon according to McDonald's procedure.

If McDonald's only microwaves bacon for its breakfast sandwiches and burgers on occasion, that might explain why some patrons are so thrilled with the meat on its menu, and others swear it's the consistency of a belt. Knowing how to microwave bacon properly might help ensure that it comes out crispy and delicious, and could even move McDonald's from number nine to number one on our ranking of fast food bacon from worst to best.