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Exploring the McDonald’s $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu (Calories and Prices)

Dollar menus are all the rage at your favorite fast-food restaurants, and McDonald’s has always been a leader in offering special discounts. McDonald’s has three value menus featuring dollar menu items for $1, $2, and $3.

You can order McDonald’s Dollar Menu items in restaurants or online using the McDonald’s app. McDonald’s $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner items in three pricing tiers. Soft drinks are available for $1 in any size. You can mix and match McDonald’s Dollar Menu items from different pricing tiers.

In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into McDonald’s Dollar Menu, including the menu items, prices, calories, and nutritional facts.

What Is on the McDonald’s $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu?

The McDonald’s $1, $2, and $3 Menu features breakfast, lunch, dinner, side, and beverage options in three pricing tiers. It includes the McDouble, McChicken, Chicken McNuggets, Sausage Biscuit, Sausage McMuffin, Sausage McGriddles, fries, hash browns, select McCafe drinks, any soft drink, sweet tea, and smoothies.

The three value menus at McDonald’s let you mix and match some of your favorite menu items to create custom meals at great prices.

Based on your location, pricing and participation in the McDonald’s $1, $2, and $3 menus will vary.

We spoke to McDonald’s and were told that since 95% of all McDonald’s restaurants are franchise-owned, each restaurant can choose how to price the value menu at their location.

You can check your local McDonald’s dollar menu pricing and availability at any time by using the McDonald’s app.

Here are the items you can expect to find on your local McDonald’s $1, $2, $3 menu. Keep in mind that the pricing will vary based on your location and which tiered menu they belong to.

McDonald’s Dollar MenuPrice RangeSize
Sausage Biscuit$1 – $2n/a
Sausage McMuffin$1 – $2n/a
Sausage McGriddle$3 and upn/a
Hash Browns$1- $2n/a
McChicken Sandwich$1 – $2n/a
McDouble Sandwich$2 – $3n/a
Chicken McNuggets$1- $34 pieces
McCafe Drink$2Small
Smoothie$2Small
French Fries$1 – $3Small
Any Soft Drink$1Any size
Unsweetened and Sweet Tea$1Any size

Depending on your local McDonald’s, any or all of these items will be available on the value menu.

While the drink prices are consistent across McDonald’s locations, the food items can appear at different price points.

Here are some current prices from two different McDonald’s locations across the country:

Even though the pricing can vary, every McDonald’s restaurant carries the menu items featured on their $1 2$ 3$ Dollar Menu.

Let’s look at each McDonald’s Dollar Menu item, including its ingredients and nutritional value.

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

1. Sausage Biscuit

The Sausage Biscuit is available during breakfast service hours. It consists of a sausage patty served in a warm, buttered biscuit.

The Sausage Biscuit is 460 calories. It has 30g of fat, 36g of carbohydrates, and 11g of protein. Common allergens found in the sandwich include wheat, soy, and milk.

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

2. Sausage McMuffin

McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin contains 400 calories and features a hot sausage patty and a slice of American cheese served on a toasted and buttered English muffin.

There are 26 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbs, and 14 grams of protein in the popular Sausage McMuffin, and it contains the common allergens of wheat, milk, and soy.

You can pick one up today during breakfast hours!

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

3. Sausage McGriddles

The Sausage McGriddles is a breakfast sandwich featuring McDonald’s famous warm griddle cakes to hold a sizzling hot sausage patty.

There is the signature taste of maple syrup and at 430 calories is the ultimate breakfast sandwich.

You’ll find 24g of fat, 41g of carbs, and 11g of protein in this breakfast sandwich that also includes the allergens wheat, soy, and milk.

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

4. Hash Browns

McDonald’s Hash Browns are one of their most popular breakfast menu items. These crispy, shredded potato hash brown patties are 140 calories each.

They are the perfect side to pair with any McDonald’s breakfast item and contain 8 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of protein.

While the hash brown ingredients themselves do not contain any allergens, they are cooked in the same fryer as the Donut Sticks containing wheat and milk allergen.

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

5. Small McCafe Drinks

The McDonald’s value menu features a small-sized McCafe drink for $2. Both hot and cold McCafe items are available, but this offer excludes their regular coffee and iced coffees.

The hot McCafe drinks featured on the $2 Dollar Menu at McDonald’s are:

  • Small Mocha
  • Small Caramel Mocha
  • Small Latte
  • Small Caramel Latte
  • Small French Vanilla Latte
  • Small Caramel Macchiato

For iced or cold options, you can choose from a Caramel Frappe or a Mocha Frappe.

McDonald’s McCafe Latte has 140 calories, while the Caramel Latte and French Vanilla Latte have 250 calories, and the Caramel Macchiato has 260 calories.

For the hot McCafe drinks, the Mochas have the most calories, with 300 calories in the Mocha and 290 in the Caramel Mocha.  

Both the Mocha Frappe and the Caramel Frappe have 420 calories each in the small size and 17g of fat, 60g of carbs, and 7g of protein.

Ordered as is, all these McCafe items contain allergen milk.

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

6.  Smoothies

You can choose either a small Strawberry Banana Smoothie or a small Mango Pineapple Smoothie from the $2 menu at participating McDonald’s.

The Mango Pineapple Smoothie has 200 calories and is a combination of fruit juices and purees of mango and pineapple blended with creamy low-fat yogurt and ice.

There are 0.5 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of protein in the McDonald’s Mango Pineapple Smoothie.

If Strawberry Banana is more to your taste, for 190 calories, you’ll get the same blend of low-fat yogurt and ice combined with a strawberry and banana fruit base.

The McDonald’s Strawberry Banana Smoothie also has 0.5g of fat and 2g of protein but has 44 grams of carbs.

Both McDonald’s Smoothies contain milk products.

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

7.  The McDouble

The 400-calorie classic McDouble burger is the McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger minus a single slice of American cheese.

There are two 100% pure beef patties and only one slice of American cheese. It comes topped with pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, and mustard.

The McDouble has 20 grams of fat, 33 grams of carbs, and 22 grams of protein. Ordered as is, you will find wheat in the bun and soy and milk in the cheese.

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

8. McChicken Sandwich

The McChicken is a McDonald’s classic for a reason. A chicken patty is topped with shredded lettuce and mayonnaise, and served on a toasted bun.

Your McChicken will have 400 calories and contain 21g of fat, 39g of carbs, and 14g of protein. The common allergens in the McChicken are eggs and wheat.

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

9. 4 Piece Chicken McNuggets

Chicken McNuggets are one of the most iconic McDonald’s menu items and are made with 100% white meat chicken. They are a staple on the value menu and come with one sauce selection.

Four pieces of McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets have 170 calories, 10g of fat, 10g of carbs, and 9g of protein, and they contain wheat.

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

10. Small French Fries

McDonald’s French Fries are world-famous. This addictive, iconic menu staple has 0g of trans fat per labeled serving. There are 220 calories in a small McDonald’s fries.

Each small order of Fries has 10 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of protein. The common allergens found in McDonald’s Fries are wheat and milk.

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

11. Any Sized Soft Drink

The most consistent offering on the McDonald’s $1 Dollar Menu is the ability to purchase any sized soft drink for just $1. So you can order a small, medium, or large Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Orange Fanta, or Hi-C Orange Lavaburst and still pay only a dollar.

Medium-sized Sprite and Dr. Pepper have 200 calories per serving, while a medium Coca-Cola and a medium Orange Fanta have 210 calories each.

A Diet Coke always has zero calories no matter the size, and a medium Hi-C Orange has the highest calories with 230 calories per serving.

Image Courtesy of McDonald’s

12. Unsweetened and Sweet Iced Teas

McDonald’s Iced Tea and Sweet Tea are both available in any size for $1 on the McDonalds Dollar Menu. They are both made with a blend of orange pekoe black tea, freshly brewed, and then served over ice.

An unsweetened Iced Tea from McDonald’s has 0 calories, 0g of fat, 0g of carbs, and 1 gram of protein, no matter what size you order.

Sweet Tea is the same Iced Tea sweetened with liquid or inverted sugar. A medium Sweet Tea has 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 41 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of protein.

McDonald’s Dollar Menu Ranked by Calories

The McDonald’s $1, $2, ad $3 Dollar Menu features a selection of breakfast, side, and entree favorites for you to mix and match however you’d like.

If you are calorie conscious, here is the ranking of all the food items on the McDonald’s Dollar menu from the lowest to the highest calorie count.

McDonald’s Dollar MenuCalories
Hash Brown140
4 Piece Chicken McNuggets170
Small French Fries220
McChicken Sandwich400
McDouble400
Sausage McMuffin400
Sausage McGriddle430
Sausage Biscuit460

Does McDonald’s Still Have $1 Drinks?

McDonald’s soft drinks, Unsweetened Iced Tea, and Sweet Tea are available in small, medium, or large sizes for only $1. The McDonald’s $1 Dollar Menu lets you choose a Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Orange Fanta, or Hi-C Orange Lavaburst in any size. Small regular McDonald’s coffee and tea are also $1.

You can maximize your savings by ordering your favorite sodas and fountain drinks for only $1 when you order a size extra small, small, medium, or large.

Even though participation may vary, most McDonald’s restaurants also have a senior-sized drink for under $1.

What Is the Cheapest McDonald’s Meal?

The best way to find the cheapest meal at Mcdonald’s is to have the McDonald’s app downloaded to your mobile device. McDonald’s exclusive daily deals feature many ways to create cheap meals. Daily deals usually offer free fries and a drink with the purchase of a featured menu item, including items from the Dollar Menu.

If you love finding the best deals and the cheapest ways to enjoy your favorite McDonald’s meals, the value menu is the best place to start.

In addition, McDonald’s showcases exclusive savings and pricing on the mobile app.

The Daily Deals can be used once a day for a limited time and provide you access to deeply discounted meal prices. Here is an example of McDonald’s Daily Meal Deals.

Check out our article to learn more about how to access the best McDonald’s deals using your mobile app.

Can You Order McDonald’s Dollar Menu Online?

McDonald’s Dollar Menu can be ordered online on the McDonald’s app. For the $1, $2, and $3 menu items to be the value menu price, you must order for pickup only. Delivery menu items are priced higher because it is provided by third-party delivery partners. For “Mobile Order and Pay” pickup orders, prices stay the same.

McDelivery uses third-party delivery providers, so even if you are ordering through the McDonald’s app, you will see an increase in the price of the menu items, including the Dollar Menu.

However, regular pricing applies to all Mobile Order and Pay pickup orders made on the McDonald’s app.

If you choose to use any other delivery service to order from McDonald’s online, you won’t have access to the McDonald’s dollar menu at all.

Can You Order McDonald’s Dollar Menu for Breakfast?

There are four breakfast menu items on the McDonald’s $1, $2, $3 Dollar Menu. Breakfast is served at McDonald’s from 5 am to 11 am. Therefore, you can only order breakfast items from McDonald’s Dollar Menu during these hours. You cannot order the lunch and dinner value menu items during breakfast hours.

McDonald’s breakfast is wildly popular. However, their full breakfast menu is only available between 5 am- 11 am.

The breakfast items featured on the McDonald’s Dollar Menu, the Sausage Biscuit, Sausage McMuffin, Sausage McGriddle, and Hash Browns, are also only available to order during these hours.

At the same time, all the other Dollar Menu items are not available during McDonald’s breakfast and start being served at 11 am.

It is always best to check your McDonald’s to confirm their breakfast hours.

Conclusion

McDonald’s has always been known for providing great food at a great price. Their multi-tiered $1, $2, $3 Dollar Menu has something for everyone at unbeatable prices. Make sure to download the McDonald’s mobile app to see what’s on your local McDonald’s Dollar Menu.

If you’re interested in finding out more tips about McDonald’s, check out the related articles below.

Related Articles:

How to Use McDonald’s App to Get Coupons and Order Online

A Complete Guide to McDonald’s Breakfast Hours and the Breakfast Menu

All You Need to Know About McDonald’s Big Mac and the Big Mac Sauce

Deconstructing McDonald’s Happy Meal and the Happy Meal Toys

McDonald’s Takes Apple Pay and Here’s How to Use It

About the Author

Alison Valsamis is a content creator with a passion for food, specifically cultural cuisine, family-friendly meal planning, and sustainable eating. When she is not working, she enjoys tending to her plant collection and having movie nights with her family.

 

November 11, 2022