The World Has a Love/Hate Relationship with the McDonald's McRib — How Are They Made?

All the way back in 1981, barbecue was the craze of the decade, and McDonald's was looking for a way to incorporate the BBQ flavor without modifying any of the classic favorites already on the menu.

Enter: the McRib.

It's shaped like a rack of ribs. It tastes like barbecue. But people can't decide if they really love or absolutely loathe the McRib.

One McDonald's worker has offered an explanation of how the McRibs are made, and it's probably making some minds up for people. Here's what we know about how the McRibs are made, as well as what kind of meat they're comprised of. Because yes, despite rumors, there's real meat in the McRib. Just maybe not what you'd expect.

Through the decades, McDonald's has made some questionable choices, such as striking the most beloved item from the menu: the snack wrap. Although they've agreed to bring the beloved snack items back, the years-long battle fans engaged in with the fast food chain shows that McDonald's does what it wants, and people can buy their food ... Or not.

That's kind of the approach they've taken with the love/hate McRib; you can buy it or not, but it is what it is.

But in December 2025, one McDonald's worker seemed to blow the lid off a long-kept secret: How are they made? And it's not exactly the most appetizing answer.

Thanks to TikTok user @datboi_bell, we've seen behind the wizard's curtain, and what we've found is a rock-solid, pink, frozen patty. They come to the restaurant already formed and ready to heat.

The process is not exactly surprising, but it is kind of unappetizing. @Datboi_bell shows themself pulling frozen patties out of a box, shaped like a rack of ribs. They then pop the patties on a grill for a short amount of time, under a press. But to finish cooking, the patties get popped in a microwave before getting bathed in barbecue sauce.

It's pretty on par for McDonald's, but people are still somehow a little surprised and aghast to see the work in progress.

This, of course, begs the next question: What is the meat in the McRib made out of? Luckily, a 2014 article by CNBC lifted the mystery surrounding this topic.

In order to put to rest some really gross rumors about the contents of the McRib, McDonald's sent an invitation out to a high school teacher who disparaged the sandwich to join Grant Imahara, former MythBusters star, and look inside the process.

What they found was the contents of the sandwich: chunks of boneless pork picnic, which Grant was quick to point out doesn’t contain bones or gristle.

The ingredients are listed as: pork, water, salt, dextrose, and preservatives, according to CNBC.

From there, the patty is spritzed with water to avoid drying out, frozen, and sent to your McDonald's, where it will get flash-grilled and microwaved before being slapped between two buns.

It's a good reminder that some things are better unknown. While none of the information is harmful, it might put you off your McRib lunch.