I Ordered a ‘Land, Air and Sea’ from the McDonald’s Secret Menu—Here’s What I Thought

Ever heard of a McDonald’s Land, Air and Sea? It’s not on the regular menu, but it is on the McDonald’s secret menu. This sandwich is a legendary fast-food item, made with a Big Mac, McChicken and Filet-o-Fish all stacked together. I had to try it!

What is McDonald’s Land, Air and Sea?

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper for Taste of Home

The name is self-explanatory once you break it down. The Big Mac represents land, the McChicken, air, and the Filet-o-Fish, sea. Yes, chickens get the “air” label… they can indeed fly short distances. Trust me, I used to live on a farm.

But menu hackers don’t just order the three sandwiches and eat them separately. Instead, they take them apart and restack them, like fast-food Jenga. So if you’ve ever dreamed of getting a taste of chicken, beef, and fish in the same bite, here’s your chance.

How to Order a Land, Air and Sea

It’s simple: You order all three of the sandwiches. Don’t confuse your McDonald’s cashier by asking for a Land, Air and Sea, because they likely won’t know what you’re talking about, and they’re not going to hand-build it for you anyway.

Like other items on the secret menu, the Land, Air and Sea is a DIY project. (For example, the Orange Dreamsicle Shake requires a customer to mix orange Hi-C with a vanilla cone. The “Poor Man’s Big Mac” is a McDouble with some tweaks. But nothing has earned the social buzz of the Land, Air and Sea.)

Just order a Big Mac, McChicken and Filet-o-Fish, then take them home to do the assembly. I promise, it’s easier than Ikea.

How to Build the Land, Air and Sea Sandwich

I carefully dismantled the McChicken and Filet-o-Fish and stacked the various patties inside the Big Mac, along with the bottom buns from each.

Yes, that was messy.

Yes, the lettuce shreds stuck all over my kitchen counter like New Year’s Eve confetti.

Yes, the whole procedure left me with two extra buns.

It only dawned on me after I’d already crammed the three sandwiches into one towering fast-food condominium, that a simpler version of the Land, Air and Sea could be made with a regular McDonald’s hamburger or Quarter Pounder instead of the Big Mac. You just don’t need two beef patties or the Mac’s extra middle bun.

Maybe part of the appeal of this secret menu item is just how huge it looks when made with the Big Mac, but if you really want to eat it, I recommend picking a smaller burger. Because honestly, Godzilla could maybe take a chomp out of this sandwich, but it was impossible for me. I had to squish the sandwich down and take numerous bites to sample of the land, the air and the sea.

McDonald’s Land, Air and Sea Review

I’ll be honest, this sandwich is Not. Worth. It. There’s a reason these menu items are sold as three separate sandwiches. The chicken, beef and fish don’t complement each other—if anything, they fight with each other, especially the tangy, tartar-coated fish. But honestly, I didn’t like how any of the three patties tasted when mixed with one or both of the others.

I’m no snob about fast-food menu items, but I can’t in good conscience recommend you smash three sandwiches together and eat the results. It may have a cute name, but it’s a McDisaster.

Save yourself all the trouble and try this Chicken Big Mac that everyone is talking about.