I found the best Filet-O-Fish hacks on Reddit and TikTok and put them to the test.
I Tested 3 Viral Filet-O-Fish Hacks—Here’s the One That Actually Works
Published on Mar. 19, 2025
Growing up, I ate a ton of fish. My dad’s life basically revolved around fishing, and it was perfectly normal to see him bring home a fresh catch and fillet it in our basement for dinner. As you can imagine, when we went to McDonald’s, his first (and only) choice was a Filet-O-Fish.
The Filet-O-Fish is the original fast-food fish sandwich, and it’s a classic choice for people who want fast food during Lent.
What if we could make the Filet-O-Fish even better, though? I had to find out if there was a way. I found three Filet-O-Fish hacks and headed to McDonald’s on a blustery Friday night to test them out.
Request No Tartar Sauce
I’ve heard murmurings from people that ordering without tartar sauce would result in a freshly made sandwich. Hopping onto the Mickey D’s app, I selected the Filet-O-Fish and was able to easily customize my sandwich to ditch the wonky tartar sauce. I then drove to McDonald’s to collect my prize.
When I picked up the unassuming sandwich and took a bite, I was met with…disappointment. A Filet-O-Fish with no sauce isn’t the right fit for me. The combo of fish and bread was much too dry for my taste, and it was clearly lacking its most iconic element. While the flavor of the fish was definitely highlighted, the sandwich wasn’t noticeably fresher, and I wouldn’t order it again.
Order an Extra Fish Patty
This viral hack appeared on a Reddit thread, where a user mentioned that the McDonald’s app allows you to make a Double Filet-O-Fish into a Triple Filet by adding an additional fillet for $1.10.
Let it be known that my app charged me $1.20 for an additional fillet. Nevertheless, I created the three-story behemoth. It was a whole ‘lotta fish. I could barely take a bite! The Reddit user claimed it was a better fish-to-bread ratio, and I have to agree. There was more tartar sauce, too. Overall, the sandwich was tasty with extra fish, but not worth the extra cost. Where I live in Chicago, a single Filet-O-Fish is $4.69, while a triple is $7.69.
Replace the Tartar Sauce with Big Mac Sauce
This last hack comes from TikTok user @chefmikeharacz, a former McDonald’s corporate chef. In one of his videos, he mentions that Big Mac sauce on a Filet-O-Fish is even better than tartar sauce. Color me curious! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to add this one to my McDonald’s app order because you can’t customize the Filet-O-Fish with Big Mac sauce, and you can’t order the sauce separately. When I got to McDonald’s to pick up my order, I just asked at the drive-thru for a Filet-O-Fish with Big Mac sauce instead of tartar sauce.
I took a bite of this sandwich and it was heavenly. Big Mac sauce is basically elevated tartar sauce, and it suits the Filet-O-Fish wonderfully. The subtle sweetness of the sauce was a fantastic complement to the fish.
Of the three Filet-O-Fish hacks, this is the one I liked most. You’re looking at my new Filet-O-Fish order!
