Chili’s takes aim at McDonald’s with new burger to rival the Big Mac

Chilli’s are turning up the heat with their new burger that they believe is set to rival McDonald’s, packing on almost twice as much beef. 

McDonald’s is implementing a lot of changes to their burgers in 2024 as a part of their ‘best burger’ initiative. This means that they’re altering the way the meat is seared on the grill, as well as replacing the bun with a softer version. 

In addition to this, according to the most recent quarter earnings call on April 30, they confirmed that they’d be increasing the size of burger patties.

CFO Ian Borden announced: “As we look to further build on our leadership in beef, our team of chefs from around the world have created a larger satiating burger.”

But whether or not it will be large enough to compete with Chili’s new offering is yet to be decided. The Texan burger chain has brought out its latest heavyweight item, the Big Smasher, and it’s set to go toe-to-toe with competitors. 

The new burger has twice as much beef as a Big Mac, with nearly half a pound of hand-smashed beef. This is quite sizeable compared to the Big Mac, which only weighs in at 3.2 ounces.

In addition to the nearly half-pound burger patty, the new Big Smasher Burger also features diced red onions, lettuce, pickles, Thousand Island dressing, and American cheese.

To help save on fast food costs, Chili’s is also offering a new deal that customers can take advantage of called the 3 for Me menu. With this deal, customers can get a bottomless drink, bottomless chips and salsa, the new burger, and a side of fries for $10.99.

“We know diners are experiencing sticker shock from the rising cost of fast food, with little change to the actual quantity or quality of fast food combo meals,” George Felix, Chili’s chief marketing officer, said in a press release. 

“We believe that Chili’s 3 for Me offers better value than you’ll find in any drive-thru and, with the all-new Big Smasher burger, we just made the 3 for Me even better. We believe our guests can enjoy better quality, better pricing and a better experience every time.”

The Big Smasher is currently available for purchase at all Chili’s locations across the US.

There are more fast food releases to get excited about this May, as Dunkin’ have revealed their all-new summer lineup.