McDonald's Quirkiest Secret Menu Sandwich Is For Filet-O-Fish Lovers

When fast food fans are in the mood for a hefty burger or an extra meaty chicken sandwich, the McDonald's menu has plenty to offer. For those who prefer beef, there's the Double Quarter Pounder, made with ½ pound of ground sirloin, chuck, and round, and of course the classic Big Mac. When customers are craving a poultry sandwich instead, many go for a Deluxe McCrispy or a McChicken. But fans of the Filet-O-Fish only have the one sandwich — at least on the official menu. On the McDonald's secret menu, however, there's also the Land, Air & Sea Burger.

The Land, Air & Sea Burger is named for the three different proteins that it's made up of: The beef represents the "land" part of the sandwich, "sea" refers to the fish fillet, and though chickens don't really spend much time in flight, "air" refers to the poultry patty. As a cross between a Big Mac, a McChicken, and a Filet-O-Fish, the hybrid sandwich includes the sauces from each one — both tartar sauce and Big Mac sauce, as well as mayonnaise. The Land, Air & Sea Burger is also topped with shredded lettuce, pickle slices, onions, and American cheese.

In the past, McDonald's fish options have included the Old Bay Filet-O-Fish and the Filet-O-Fish Deluxe, but the Land, Air & Sea Burger has actually been around for longer than these other sandwiches. The term initially surfaced on Urban Dictionary back in 2010 following its mention in an NPR article. Around the same time, a number of outlets seemed to attribute its creation to an episode of the Playboy web series "Eat Me!".

Since then, the sandwich has maintained its status as a popular secret menu item among fans of the Filet-O-Fish. Recognizing its enduring appeal, in early 2022, McDonald's announced plans to include the Land, Air & Sea Burger on its menu as a limited-time offering at select locations, though contrary to earlier reports, McDonald's cited fans for creating it. Regardless of its origins, fans have certainly embraced the sandwich, experimenting with various modifications in recent years. As shared on TikTok, some have substituted the Big Mac with a McDouble, used a Hot N' Spicy McChicken instead of the regular McChicken, and, if available, they have even added a McRib to the mix.

Like many other McDonald's hacks that you should know, the Land, Air & Sea Burger requires some DIY. To get one, you'll need to order a Big Mac, a McChicken, and a Filet-O-Fish, then combine the contents of the three sandwiches on your own, which shouldn't be too complicated. It's actually the Big Mac that makes up the base of the sandwich, not the Filet-O-Fish. To assemble it, all you need to do is put the Filet-O-Fish on the top half of the Big Mac and put the McChicken on the bottom half. Most customers leave out the buns from the Filet-O-Fish and the McChicken when they assemble their Land, Air & Sea Burger. If you're looking for something to do with the excess bread, you can always transform the leftover hamburger buns into crunchy croutons for your next salad.

It's worth noting that even if you try to customize a Big Mac order through the McDonald's website, you won't see chicken or fish patties listed among the available add-ons, so you'll still have to order each sandwich separately. Given its popularity, you might be able to get away with ordering the Land, Air & Sea Burger by name at the counter or drive-thru, but only if the McDonald's employee has heard of it and is actually willing to make one for you.