A Former McDonald’s Exec Says Rising Beef Prices Could Revive the Sandwich It Killed
McDonald's killed its grilled chicken sandwich in 2020 because barely anyone ordered it.
Now beef prices have exploded, and a former insider says that math just flipped.
That means the sandwich McDonald's buried five years ago could be headed for a comeback.
Why McDonald's Buried the Grilled Chicken Sandwich in the First Place
The company blamed pandemic-era menu simplification when it pulled the sandwich in 2020.
Mike Haracz, McDonald's former manager of culinary innovation, told Fox News Digital there was more to it than that.
"Once sales dip below a certain level, it does not make financial sense to keep it on the menu," Haracz said.
He said McDonald's also worried about menu cannibalization, one item quietly stealing sales from another.
Fewer proteins on the grill meant simpler, faster kitchens too.
Health-conscious options sounded good on a menu board.
They just did not sell well enough to keep a spot on it.
Beef Prices Climbed More Than Fifty Percent Since 2021
That calculation is getting harder to defend now.
US beef prices have jumped more than 50 percent since 2021, squeezing every burger chain in the country.
The cause is not a mystery.
The national cattle herd has shrunk to its smallest size in roughly 75 years, as years of drought across the West and Plains left ranchers without enough grass or water to keep breeding cows.
President Trump temporarily expanded beef imports from Argentina in 2026 to take some of the pressure off grocery and restaurant prices while the herd rebuilds.
Economists say that fix buys time, but rebuilding a cattle herd takes years, not months.
McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski says the company controls roughly 45 percent of the beef burger market, a lead it wants to protect even as costs climb.
At the same time, chicken is growing at roughly twice the pace of beef systemwide.
McDonald's has set a goal of grabbing another 1.5 percentage points of the global chicken market by 2030, pushing deeper into territory held by Chick-fil-A, Popeyes and Wingstop.
Haracz thinks that strategy could pull the grilled chicken sandwich back from the dead.
"I do think there's a chance it could come back because many chains are dealing with the fact that beef prices are rising," Haracz said.
He stopped short of guaranteeing grilled chicken specifically is the item that returns, but he sees chicken broadly gaining ground as the cheaper protein.
Second-quarter sales data shows why McDonald's needs an answer.
Comparable sales rose just 0.8 percent, down sharply from 2.5 percent a year earlier.
Kempczinski admitted the company pulled back on value deals and did not promote them hard enough, and fewer loyal customers walked through the door as a result.
McDonald's Is Betting Your Next Visit Costs Less in Chicken Than Beef
Beef got too expensive to keep building a menu around, and chicken got cheap enough to build a comeback around.
A sandwich that failed a profit test in 2020 could pass that same test in 2026 for the exact opposite reason it failed the first time.
Lower-income families already stretching grocery and gas budgets are the same families McDonald's is trying to win back with cheaper protein.
If the grilled chicken sandwich returns for good, it will not be because McDonald's suddenly cares about your cholesterol.
It will be because the math on your plate finally forced the company's hand.
Sources:
- Fox News, "Former McDonald's Exec Spills the Beans on Why Healthier Menu Favorite Got the Axe," Fox News, October 21, 2026.
- Fox News, "Beef or Chicken? Beef Prices Hit Fast-Food Chains," Fox News, 2026.
- Grocery Gazette, "McDonald's Ramps Up Chicken Push as Beef Costs Soar," Grocery Gazette, 2026.
- FOX 29 Philadelphia, "The Surprising Reason Why Americans Could Face High Beef Prices for Years," FOX 29, 2026.
