McDonald's menu adds some wild new 'secret' sandwiches

McDonald's, like seemingly every other fast-food chain, has a secret menu. These are items created by customers which become popular enough that many crew members know what people are asking for.

In some cases, you can order secret menu items by name, but most of the time, you have to order all the needed items and make the finished product yourself. While some McDonald's (MCD) rivals like In-N-Out Burger have sort of formal, not-so-secret secret menus, the Golden Arches hasn't really done that.

Related: McDonald's menu adds two new sandwiches nationwide

McDonald's did have a promotion last July where it promoted four popular secret menu items:

• Surf + Turf (a sandwich with both the Filet-O-Fish and Cheeseburger patties),
• Hash Brown McMuffin (an Egg McMuffin with the chain's hashbrown in between the egg and sausage)
• Crunchy Double (chicken nuggets over a burger).
• Land, Air & Sea (a McChicken, a Big Mac, and a Filet-O-Fish stacked on top of each other.

That was a fairly brilliant idea because it created social media buzz and added new menu items without the chain having to add any new ingredients.

It was really a gimmick because the chain did not actually assemble the secret menu items.

"And with the weather heating up, we're dishing out deals on two menu hacks with peak summertime vibes – an Apple Pie McFlurry and a McFlurry Sandwich – which fans can build themselves," the company shared.

A "McFlurry Sandwich" is created by taking the frozen treat and putting it between two chocolate chip cookies. An Apple Pie McFlurry is literally a McDonald's Apple Pie blended into a McFlurry.

McDonald's Canada has a secret menu promotion

While the new promotion will only take place in Canada, three of the four menu items can be ordered in the U.S. By putting them on an official menu, the chain locks down the recipe for the now-not-secret menu item, which makes it easier for anyone to order the needed parts to make the items.

The promotion in Canada includes a partnership with Lil Yachty, a successful rapper who once worked for the fast-food chain. That includes a new version of the chain's "Menu Song," a popular tune that had a Tragically Hip-like trajectory where it was huge in Canada and barely known in the U.S.

"Going from working at a McDonald's in Atlanta to collaborating on the Remix Menu Song with McDonald's Canada is a wild full circle moment that brought back memories and is such a reminder that anything in life can happen," Lil Yachty shared.

A look at McDonald's secret menu

To celebrate the song, McDonald's has introduced what it's calling its first-ever Remix Menu. The promotion has already begun and runs through April 29. You can listen to Lil Yachty's song here.

These are the three secret menu items that can be ordered in the U.S. — or at least created.

• Chicken Cheeseburger: "Delicious worlds are colliding with a combo of two classics featuring a crispy chicken patty made with Canadian-raised seasoned chicken AND a juicy 100% Canadian beef patty, all topped with a slice of melty processed cheddar cheese, a tangy pickle, onions, ketchup, and mustard on a toasty bun."
• Surf 'N Turf Burger: "Made with two juicy 100% Canadian beef patties AND a crispy, flaky Filet-O-Fish® patty made with 100% Alaska Pollock, it's also topped with two slices of melty processed cheddar cheese, tangy pickles, onions, ketchup and mustard on a toasty bun."
• Apple Pie McFlurry: "Some desserts were just made for each other, but what gets this remix really singing is our cool soft vanilla serve swirled together with tasty caramel sauce and pieces of our Baked Apple Pie."

A fourth member of the Remix Menu, the Sweet Chili Junior Chicken, can't be recreated in the U.S. easily because it uses a sweet chili Thai sauce that's not on American menus. 

The remix of the "Menu Song" has been released in both French and English.