The Filet-O-Fish made a splash from the moment it appeared on the McDonald's menu. Here are the facts behind the fish.
9 Things You Never Knew About McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish
Updated on Mar. 20, 2025
1
/
9
The Filet-O-Fish debuted in 1965 for $0.29
McDonald’s franchise owner Lou Groen saw sales plummet every Friday, a night most restaurants see major profit. In 1962, his McDonald’s restaurant was in a majority-Catholic area during a time when most Catholics didn’t eat meat on Fridays other than fish. He pitched the idea of a fried halibut sandwich to Ray Croc, the man who launched McDonald’s as a corporation. Croc was doubtful but agreed. That first Friday, the Filet-O-Fish sold enough to cement its place on the menu.
2
/
9
McDonald’s uses only Alaskan pollock
In 2013, McDonald’s switched from cod to Alaskan pollock. Fortunately, Alaskan pollock tastes similar to cod—both are whitefish with a mild flavor, perfect with a slice of cheese and tartar sauce.
3
/
9
The Hula Burger, it was shortly on the McDonald’s menu. Two slices of American cheese with a thick slice of pineapple instead of a meat patty.
byu/honesttruth2703 inStupidFood
The “Hula Burger” was almost McDonald’s first meatless option
Like the iconic Chicken McNuggets, which weren’t originally supposed to be made with chicken, there was almost a different meatless option on the menu. When Lou Groen suggested adding a fish sandwich to the McDonald’s menu, Ray Croc had already been thinking about a meatless option—the “Hula Burger.” His sandwich featured a slice of grilled pineapple paired with cheese. In the name of friendly competition, Croc pitted his idea against Groen’s. Whichever sandwich sold the most on a Friday would be permanently added to the menu. The Filet-O-Fish won 350 to 6.
4
/
9
The Alaskan pollock in Filet-O-Fish is surprisingly fresh
Mike Haracz, a former McDonald’s corporate chef, explains on TikTok that pollock is caught, then quickly filleted and flash-frozen on board the fishing vessel. He adds that the Filet-O-Fish is “whole muscle,” not protein that’s been chopped and formed into a shape like McNuggets.
5
/
9
Filet-O-Fish buns are steamed
You’ve probably noticed that the tartar sauce is always off-center. But have you also noticed that the buns on a Filet-O-Fish seem softer and fluffier than a Big Mac’s? To get the texture of the Filet-O-Fish bun just right, a McDonald’s worker steams it for 11 seconds, as shared by a McDonald’s employee-run TikTok account, @essentialmcdonalds.
6
/
9
Canadians could briefly buy McDonald’s tartar sauce by the bottle
In 2017, McDonald’s rolled out a line of bottled condiments in Canada: Big Mac sauce, McChicken mayonnaise and, of course, the Filet-O-Fish tartar sauce. Though they didn’t have staying power on grocery store shelves, McDonald’s tartar sauce remains a quintessential part of the Filet-O-Fish experience. It’s made with real egg yolks, pickle relish and onions for that classic tang.
7
/
9
Filet-O-Fish is one of the healthier menu options
No one pulls into the McDonald’s drive-thru expecting a super healthy meal, but some menu items are lighter than others. Where does Filet-O-Fish fall? This fish sandwich has 380 calories, putting it in the same category as a McDouble and McChicken (390 calories each). For comparison, a Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 520 calories.
8
/
9
The Filet-O-Fish has not gotten smaller
As McDonald’s prices have increased, so have rumors of shrinkflation, which is when a company keeps a product at the same price but decreases its size. Some customers say the Filet-O-Fish is much smaller than it used to be. Mike Haracz explained this on TikTok, too, saying the Filet-O-Fish is still the standard size. (He also recommends swapping the tartar sauce for the Big Mac sauce.)
9
/
9
There are more fish sandwich options at McDonald’s in other countries
In Japan, McDonald’s sells the Ebi Filet-O, a fried shrimp patty topped with lettuce and Thousand Island dressing. The Filet-O-Fish is available there, too—it’s so popular that it also appears on the breakfast menu. Up in Canada, restaurants briefly sold the McLobster, the Golden Arches’ take on the classic lobster roll.
Next Up: See how the Filet-O-Fish stacks up against other fast-food fish sandwiches.
