Crispy chicken, smoky bacon, creamy Caesar sauce, tomatoes, pickles and crunchy onions turn McDonald’s McCrispy into a surprisingly loaded summer sandwich.
Photo by SCRR
Copycat McDonald’s Bacon Caesar McCrispy
McDonald’s Bacon Caesar McCrispy combines its all-white-meat McCrispy filet with creamy Caesar Sauce, thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, shredded lettuce, Roma tomatoes, crispy onions and crinkle-cut pickles on a toasted potato roll.
The Caesar sauce does most of the flavor work, so keep it creamy, Parmesan-forward and noticeably garlicky with enough lemon to cut through the bacon and fried chicken. Frozen crispy chicken breast fillets are an excellent shortcut if you would rather assemble four sandwiches than turn the kitchen into McDonald’s fry station.
Quick Recipe Overview
- Best For: Chicken sandwich nights, summer meals, game days and McDonald’s fans
- Flavor Profile: Crispy chicken, smoky bacon, creamy Parmesan, garlic, lemon and tangy pickles
- Skill Level: Moderate
- What Makes It Like the Restaurant: McCrispy-style chicken topped with Caesar sauce, applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, Roma tomato, crispy onions and pickles on a potato roll
McDonald’s
McDonald’s began in San Bernardino, California in 1940 when brothers Dick and Mac McDonald opened a drive-in restaurant. In 1948 they radically simplified the operation with their Speedee Service System and a short menu built around inexpensive hamburgers, fries and drinks.
Ray Kroc encountered the restaurant in 1954, became the brothers’ franchising agent and opened his first McDonald’s in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955.
The company expanded rapidly from there, adding now-familiar items such as the Filet-O-Fish, Big Mac, Egg McMuffin and Chicken McNuggets while continually using limited-time products to give its core menu new flavors.
Caesar Dressing Finds a Crispy Chicken Sandwich
The Bacon Caesar McCrispy first appeared nationally in 2026 as part of McDonald’s limited-time Caesar Sauce lineup. What makes the sandwich interesting is how far it pushes Caesar flavor beyond salad.
McDonald’s describes the sauce as a creamy Parmesan blend with garlic and lemon, which brings salty richness and brightness to the fried chicken while smoky bacon and crispy onions pile on another layer of savory crunch. Roma tomato and shredded lettuce keep the sandwich fresh, while the original McCrispy pickles add enough acidity to stop everything from becoming too rich.
It is basically Caesar salad’s considerably less virtuous cousin.
McDonald’s Bacon Caesar McCrispy Recipe
McDonald’s Bacon Caesar McCrispy combines a crispy chicken breast filet with creamy Parmesan-garlic Caesar sauce, smoky bacon, lettuce, Roma tomato, crispy onions and crinkle-cut pickles on a toasted potato roll.
Yield: 4 Sandwiches
Ingredients
Caesar Sauce
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 small Garlic Clove finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Water as needed
Crispy Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless Chicken Breast Cutlets about 5 ounces each
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
- Vegetable Oil for frying
For the Sandwiches
- 8 slices Thick-Cut Applewood-Smoked Bacon cooked crisp
- 4 Potato Rolls split
- 1 1/2 cups Shredded Lettuce
- 1 large Roma Tomato thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Crispy Fried Onions
- 12 Crinkle-Cut Dill Pickle Slices
Instructions
Prepare the Caesar Sauce
- Add mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper to a small bowl.
- Stir until smooth.
- Add enough water to make the sauce creamy and easily spreadable.
- Cover.
- Refrigerate until ready to assemble the sandwiches.
Prepare the Chicken
- Add chicken, buttermilk, salt and black pepper to a bowl.
- Turn chicken until evenly coated.
- Let stand for 15 minutes.
- Add flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper to a separate bowl.
- Stir until combined.
- Remove chicken from the buttermilk one piece at a time.
- Let excess liquid drip away.
- Coat thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing lightly so the coating adheres.
- Place coated chicken on a wire rack.
Fry the Chicken
- Pour vegetable oil into a heavy skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches.
- Heat oil to 350°F.
- Working in batches if necessary, fry chicken for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deeply golden and cooked through to 165°F.
- Transfer to a wire rack.
- Let drain for several minutes.
Toast the Rolls
- Toast potato rolls cut-side down in a dry skillet or under the broiler until lightly golden.
Assemble the Sandwiches
- Spread Caesar Sauce generously over the bottom and top halves of each roll.
- Place one crispy chicken filet on each bottom roll.
- Top with 2 slices bacon.
- Add shredded lettuce and Roma tomato.
- Sprinkle generously with crispy onions.
- Add 3 crinkle-cut pickle slices.
- Close with the top rolls.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- For the easiest version, use 4 good-quality frozen crispy chicken breast fillets. Cook according to package directions until very crisp, then make the Caesar Sauce and assemble the sandwiches with the restaurant toppings.
- McDonald’s first introduced the Bacon Caesar McCrispy nationally in 2026 with its new Caesar Sauce, described as creamy Parmesan with garlic and lemon.
Related Copycat Recipes
- Chick-fil-A Original Chicken Sandwich – Iconic fast-food comfort built on juicy chicken, golden coating, and simple balance.
- KFC Cole Slaw – Finely chopped cabbage in a creamy, slightly sweet dressing delivers that unmistakable classic side.
- Angelina’s Louisiana Kitchen Fried Chicken Po’Boy – Crispy fried chicken piled high on a soft roll with bold Southern flavors and just the right crunch.
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Questions People Ask
What is on McDonald’s Bacon Caesar McCrispy?
It includes a McCrispy chicken filet, Caesar Sauce, thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, shredded lettuce, Roma tomatoes, crispy onions and crinkle-cut pickles on a toasted potato roll.
What does McDonald’s Caesar Sauce taste like?
McDonald’s describes it as creamy and garlicky with Parmesan and notes of lemon.
When did the Bacon Caesar McCrispy first appear?
It first appeared nationally in 2026 as part of McDonald’s limited-time Caesar Sauce chicken lineup.
Can I use frozen crispy chicken fillets?
Absolutely. Cook good-quality breaded chicken breast fillets until very crisp, then concentrate on the Caesar sauce and toppings.
Do I need to make crispy onions from scratch?
No. Store-bought crispy fried onions are an excellent shortcut and give the sandwich exactly the crunchy finish it needs.
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Photo of “McDonald’s Bacon Caesar McCrispy” created by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes. Photo of “McDonald’s” is by Mike Mozart and is used by permission under the Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en. Thank you, Mike. Great Picture. Photos may be representative of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe is our adaption of several recipes formally widely-circulated on the internet – courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Recipe is original to Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes. Recipe created by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes based on information from the restaurant and other sources on the internet – many courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
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