There is some serious heat on this new menu.
It seems like everyone has totally fallen in love with KPop Demon Hunters. The Netflix animated film was nominated for—and won!—two Oscars at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15. And when McDonald’s announced that it was debuting two exclusive meals to celebrate the film, I knew I had to make a trip to the “Golden” Arches.
The unique thing about this McDonald’s KPop Demon Hunters meal collab is that it includes both breakfast and lunch/dinner items. It’s a really fun way to infuse Korean flavors into multiple menu options at McDonald’s. I was excited to try both the Saja Boys Breakfast Meal and the Huntr/x Lunch and Dinner Meal. My taste test had plenty of surprises—like wrapping my mind around the very purple dipping sauce. But I ended up discovering a new fast-food flavor obsession. Here’s everything to expect from the meals.
What do the KPop Demon Hunters McDonald’s meals taste like?
One flavor profile that unites everything across this menu: spice! This was something I knew going in, since I had already written about what the meals included. But I was a little unprepared for just how spicy everything was—and I mean that as a compliment. After the success of the McDonald’s hot honey menu earlier this year, I’m glad to see the brand leaning into its spicy offerings.
The Saja Boys Breakfast Meal
The star of this meal is the main course, which is a Sausage McMuffin with Egg, complete with a Spicy Saja Sauce. It brings the heat from the very first bite and builds as you eat the sandwich. I was actually happy to have a hash brown afterward to tame some of the spiciness. The spicy sauce paired really well with the sausage, and seeing as the Sausage McMuffin is my favorite breakfast menu item at McDonald’s, I’ll be sad when the Saja Sauce is no longer available.
My only complaint is that I don’t actually want a soft drink with my breakfast meal. I am staunchly a hot coffee person in the morning, and I would have really loved to get a small coffee instead of a small “soda pop.” I understand that it’s a thematic tie-in, but the next time I order this, I’ll swap that out for a coffee.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
The HUNTR/X Meal
I was really happy to see this meal focus on chicken nuggets, because I am not always in the mood for a burger. Plus, McDonald’s literally just released its Big Arch Burger, so this was a nice change of pace.
This 10-piece McNugget comes with two new dipping sauces: Hunter and Demon sauce. The Hunter sauce is a sweet-and-spicy chili garlic pepper sauce with a consistency and opacity similar to McDonald’s sweet and sour sauce. But boy, this is spicy! Again, I was happily surprised by how well the flavors blended. But the true winner, in my opinion, is the Demon sauce.
At first, I was totally put off by the viscous purple texture. My friend joked that it looked like someone had “pureed Grimace,” which is as funny as it is disturbing. But I was able to push past that visual and dunk a McNugget in this sauce, which turned out to be amazing. It’s a tangy and spicy hot mustard, and it coated each nugget really well. This sauce is so good that I actually forgot about the Hunter sauce entirely.
The other showstopper in the HUNTR/X meal are the Ramyeon McShaker fries. The McShaker fries have been something of an international sensation, but they came to the U.S. only last year. They made their debut in the Grinch Meal with a dill pickle seasoning. When I reviewed that meal, I called the fries “a Christmas miracle,” and if you can believe it, the Ramyeon version is even better! The seasoning blend of sesame, garlic and soy imparts a beautiful umami to the french fries. I couldn’t stop eating them.
Overall rating: 5/5
The Derpy McFlurry
Not to be dramatic, but this is the best McFlurry flavor that has ever been created. The Derpy McFlurry is a callback to the Derpy Tiger from KPop Demon Hunters. It has a delicious purple wild berry sauce swirled together with vanilla soft serve. But the berry-flavored popping pearls were the best part. They truly do pop in your mouth when you bite down on them, and they are delicious and juicy and add so much fun texture to the McFlurry.
Perhaps the best flavor combination of my entire meal was dipping the Ramyeon McShaker fries into the Derpy McFlurry. It was sweet, spicy, salty and umami all at once! Plus, the fries were hot, and the ice cream was cold. That made for a really delicious sensory experience, and it’s a treat that I can’t wait to enjoy again.
Overall rating: 6/5
Final Thoughts
I truly loved this collab and hope you experience it while it’s available. The one thing that I really found quite bizarre, however, is that these are both adult meals and do not come with toys. They come with collectible cards that feature the characters from the movie, but it’s really something an older kid or teen would like. There is no KPDH Happy Meal tie-in for this particular collab. Which is odd, considering how much kids love this movie! The current Happy Meal promotion is still the Super Mario Bros. movie.
So while your kids might be excited about this drop, I would probably stick to letting them order the Derpy McFlurry. The rest of the menu is so spicy, it doesn’t feel very kid-friendly. Although maybe the gateway to expanding your toddler’s palate is actually a purple hot mustard. Who’s to say?
How long will the McDonald’s KPop Demon Hunters Menu be available?
This menu will be available for a limited time while supplies last at participating McDonald’s locations. If you’re a fan of the movie or just like spicy, Korean-inspired flavors, you should definitely check this menu out while you can. I, for one, hope that popping pearls become a regular add-in to the McFlurry.
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