McDonald's McCrispy Gochujang Butter Review [Korean Food]

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Today’s new McDonald’s item is the McCrispy Gochujang Butter. It’s a gochujang butter burger made with a gochujang butter sauce developed in-house by McDonald’s Korea. Instead of chipotle sauce, the usual go-to for spicy flavors, they created a Korean-style heat with the Asian market in mind. It’s 8,500 won for the burger alone in store and is sold for a limited time until mid-October. I’m a big McCrispy fan to begin with, and since this isn’t just a plain gochujang sauce, I ordered it right away out of curiosity. It turned out to be surprisingly good! Let’s take a look.

Table of Contents

📋 At a Glance

Product: McCrispy Gochujang Butter (McDonald’s)
Brand: McDonald’s Korea, a new K-spicy burger built around its in-house gochujang butter sauce (planned for launch in Asian markets such as Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Taiwan and Indonesia)
Price: in store 8,500 won for the burger, 10,700 won for the set / delivery apps 9,400 won for the burger, 12,100 won for the set
Availability: limited time until mid-October (G-Dragon brand collaboration from September 28)
Main components: brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, whole chicken thigh patty, Colby Jack cheese, gochujang butter sauce
Launched alongside: McSpicy Gochujang Butter · gochujang butter dipping sauce for nuggets
Verdict: ★4.0 — nutty before spicy, a mild heat wrapped in butter and cheese, and the reliably good McCrispy patty.

McCrispy Gochujang Butter: Price and Highlights

This new McDonald’s menu starts in Korea and is set to roll out across Asia, including Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Taiwan and Indonesia. Beyond a simple launch, there are reportedly plans to adapt it to each country’s local tastes. The burger itself promises a spicy-sweet flavor with the nutty aroma and taste of butter, plus Colby Jack cheese instead of regular sliced cheese for a richer flavor. Let’s check the prices first.

McCrispy Gochujang Butter in-store price : burger only 8,500 won / set 10,700 won
McCrispy Gochujang Butter on delivery apps: burger only 9,400 won / set 12,100 won

Since it’s a new item with a special sauce, it’s on the pricier side. It’s priced about 1,500 won higher than the original McCrispy.

Along with the gochujang butter McCrispy, a McSpicy version launched too, and there’s also a new gochujang butter sauce for dipping chicken nuggets. That dipping sauce is said to be a bit thinner than the one in the burger. I ordered the McCrispy Gochujang Butter large set. For reference, this is a fairly short promotion, sold only until mid-October. From September 28, there’s also a collaboration with G-Dragon’s brand, so if you’re after the merchandise, it’s worth checking before you buy.

What’s Inside the Burger

Let’s take a quick look at what’s inside. This one also uses the same buttery brioche bun. The build is almost identical to the McCrispy Chicken Deluxe, but it swaps the usual brown sauce for a red one, and the Colby Jack cheese is the first thing that catches your eye.

A photo of the McCrispy gochujang burger

From the outside, it looked like the white mayo sauce that normally goes with the vegetables was left out, and instead a generous amount of gochujang butter sauce went on the top and bottom. With that much sauce, I thought it might be pretty spicy, but maybe it isn’t that hot, because they really piled it on. Ha.

A Look at the Cross-Section

Now let’s cut it in half for a closer look! What it shares with the original is the potato brioche bun, onion, lettuce, tomato and the whole chicken thigh patty. On top of that, the smoky sauce seems to have been swapped for gochujang butter sauce on the top and bottom.

From the outside, I thought it looked almost the same as the existing menu, but the thick, firm Colby Jack cheese and the unfamiliar sauce color make it feel like a pretty different burger. If it weren’t for the McCrispy patty’s signature whole thigh meat you see when you cut it open, you might not even recognize it. Ha. Overall, you can think of it as the McCrispy Deluxe with the sauce and cheese switched to a gochujang butter concept.

Taste Test: Nutty First, Spicy Later

Let’s dig in. The first thing I noticed with the first bite was nuttiness rather than heat. Because of the gochujang name, I expected a pretty spicy first taste, so I was a little surprised at how gently it started.

As expected from a McCrispy, the whole chicken thigh patty was crispy outside and juicy inside. Juices came out with every bite, and the chewy texture of thigh meat was all there, so the patty quality is something you can trust. The vegetables also balance out the heat, so if you go in expecting a spicy burger, you may find it more manageable than you thought.

What Does the Gochujang Butter Sauce Taste Like?

The gochujang butter sauce hits you with a salty, nutty flavor first, followed by the subtle sweet heat typical of gochujang. If you taste the sauce on its own, the gochujang flavor is quite distinct, but inside the burger, the butter and cheese wrap around the heat so it never gets harsh. The spiciness also cuts through the rich chicken patty, making for a great combination.

Texture-wise, the crunch of tomato and lettuce on top of the crispy patty made it easy to eat all the way through. The brioche bun is slightly sweet too, and it went well with the sauce.

About halfway through, the heat crept up a little, but not enough to linger in my mouth. If anything, a gentle buttery richness stayed with me, so I finished it without any trouble. Next time, I think it’d be fun to order the dipping sauce separately and have it with fries or nuggets.

Final Verdict: A Mild K-Spicy Burger Anyone Can Enjoy

Personally, I found the gochujang flavor milder than the name suggests, so people who love spicy food might find it a little tame. On the other hand, if you’re not great with heat, the balance is very enjoyable. If you want something spicier, the McSpicy version with a chicken breast patty might suit you better. I’d strongly recommend it to McCrispy fans, spice lightweights curious about a new flavor, and anyone hunting for the G-Dragon merchandise from the 28th! For visitors to Korea, it’s also a chance to try the gochujang butter sauce in the country where it was created.

For more on the gochujang butter sauce developed by McDonald’s Korea and its Asian launch plans, see the (Korean source) NewDaily report on McDonald’s Korea’s gochujang butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much is the McCrispy Gochujang Butter?

In store, it’s 8,500 won for the burger alone and 10,700 won for the set; on delivery apps, it’s 9,400 won and 12,100 won. That’s about 1,500 won more than the original McCrispy.

Q. Is the gochujang butter sauce very spicy?

The first taste is nutty rather than spicy. The sweet heat of gochujang follows the salty, nutty notes, and the butter and cheese soften it so it never gets harsh. If you want more heat, the McSpicy version may suit you better.

Q. How long is it available?

It’s a promotional menu sold until mid-October. A collaboration with G-Dragon’s brand is also scheduled from September 28.

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McDonald’s McCrispy Gochujang Butter Review [Korean Food]