McDonald's to make 'tasty improvements' to its iconic burgers

WASHINGTON — The Big Mac, along with all McDonald's burgers, are getting a flavor makeover. 

McDonald's announced on Monday that burgers across its menu are getting "small but tasty improvements." The fast-food giant plans to add softer buns, a meltier cheese, caramelized onions and more of its Big Mac sauce onto its burgers. 

The changes were introduced in international markets such as Australia, Canada and Belgium before making their US debut. Several West Coast cities have already seen the flavor upgrades and the chain expects a full rollout nationwide by 2024. 

“I’ll always remember my first burger from McDonald’s. And now my culinary team and I have the best job in the world: thinking about ways to bring even more of that iconic McDonald’s taste to fans,” McDonald's Senior Director of Culinary Innovation Chad Schafer said. “We found that small changes, like tweaking our process to get hotter, meltier cheese and adjusting our grill settings for a better sear, added up to a big difference in making our burgers more flavorful than ever.”

With improvements to its classic burgers, McDonald's has also tapped in its iconic burger fugitive: The Hamburglar. The burger thief, donning his striped outfit and infamous cape, is featured in two TV ad spots. 

"When you spot his notorious cape and striped outfit in your city, you’ll know that’s when you can head to your local McDonald’s to get your hands on our best-ever burgers," the chain said in a press release.

Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Las Vegas and Portland are among the U.S. cities that can already "taste the difference."