McDonald’s Quarter Pounders: Nutrition Comparison of 4 Options

Did you know there are four separate options for a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder®? Here is your best guide to learn about and compare the calories, nutrition, and ingredients in this popular cheeseburger.

This report has a different format than many of our other food reviews as we focus on comparing the four menu options. Here are the four cheeseburgers covered in this report:

What’s on a Quarter Pounder with Cheese?

First, note that the name comes from the pre-cooked weight of the beef patty, which weighs 4 ounces (one quarter of a pound). The Double Quarter Pounder is essentially a Half Pound burger.

Let’s start with a simple overview of what’s on each type of McDonald’s Quarter Pounder cheeseburger.

Nutritional Information

Any reference to percentage daily value (% DV) in this food guide is a measure of how much one nutrient per serving contributes to a daily diet of 2,000 calories.

Calories

Total calories range from 520 calories to 740, depending on which Quarter Pounder you order.

Here is a summary of the total calories in each cheeseburger:

Calories by Macronutrient

An original Quarter Pounder single patty cheeseburger has the fewest calories. Moreover, about 44% of total calories is derived from fat, which is lower than the other three options.

Conversely, the double patty cheeseburger has the highest total calories per serving.

Dietary fats contribute about 50% of the total calories, with the exception of the original QPC, as described above.

Carbohydrates deliver between 23% to 33% of the total calories per serving, depending on which burger is selected. The remaining calories are derived from protein.

Here is a summary table illustrating the percentage of total calories in each cheeseburger derived from fat, carbs, and protein.

The summary of calories by macronutrient above is a rounded estimate based on the nutrition facts provided by McDonald’s. Calories may vary as a result of how the cheeseburgers are prepared.

For a lower calorie option, remove the bun. A regular Quarter Pounder without the bun has 340 total calories, which 180 fewer calories than a standard order.

Total Fat

For the same flavors with the least amount of dietary fats, select the original version of the Quarter Pounder with Cheese. It has 26 grams of total fat.

While that is still high (33% daily value), it’s least amount of total fats of all four burgers.

On the other hand, the double beef patty version contains the most fat per serving with 42 grams of total fat, including 20 grams of saturated fat. That is significant and should not be overlooked.

Here is the amount of dietary fats in each of the QP cheeseburgers from McDonald’s.

According to the U.S. FDA, a 20% daily value or greater per serving is considered high.

To that end, take note that the amount of fat and saturated fat in all four of the Quarter Pounder with Cheese options exceed that 20% DV threshold.

As such, the cheeseburgers contain a high level of dietary fats in high. Here is a summary of the daily value of saturated fat in each cheeseburger:

Compare the amount of total fat in a Steak ‘n Shake Butter Steakburger

Sodium

The recommended daily limit of sodium is 2,300 milligrams (based on a 2,000 calories).

Each cheeseburger contains more than 1,100 milligrams of sodium per serving. That’s at least half the limit for an entire day.

Here is a summary of the amount of sodium in each of the four burgers:

Nutritional Value Summary

Here is a summary of the nutrition facts for each cheeseburger.

Ingredients and Allergens in Quarter Pounders

Ingredients

All four of the cheeseburgers are made with a beef patty, sesame seed bun, processed American cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard.

The Deluxe also includes lettuce, Roma Tomatoes, and mayonnaise.

A Bacon QPC is served with Applewood smoked bacon.

Here is the list of ingredients for each component used to make each of the four varieties of McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese burgers.

Beef Patty

Ingredients:100% Pure USDA inspected Beef prepared with Salt and Black Pepper.

Bun

Ingredients:Enriched Flour, Water, Sugar, Yeast, Soybean Oil, Sesame Seeds, Salt, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Guar Gum, Vinegar, Vegetable Proteins (pea, potato, rice), Sunflower and/or Canola Oil, Maltodextrin, Natural Flavors, Dough Conditioners, and Modified Food Starch.

Pasteurized Process American Cheese

Ingredients:Milk, Cream, Water, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Citric Acid, Enzymes, Soy Lecithin, and Color Added.

Pickles

McDonald’s pickles contain an artificial preservative. Order the burger without pickles to avoid consuming potassium sorbate.

Here is the full list of ingredients in McDonald’s pickles.

Ingredients:Cucumbers, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Alum, Potassium Sorbate, Natural Flavors, Polysorbate 80, and Extractives of Turmeric (for color).

Applewood Smoked Bacon

Ingredients:Pork Bellies cured with Water, Salt, Sugar, Natural Smoke Flavor, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Erythorbate, and Sodium Nitrite.

Mustard

Ingredients:Distilled Vinegar, Water, Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, and Spice Extractive.

Ketchup

Ingredients:Tomato Concentrate, Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water, Salt, and Natural Flavors

Mayonnaise

Ingredients:Soybean Oil, Egg Yolk, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, Spice, and Lemon Juice Concentrate.

Allergens

The cheeseburgers are made with ingredients that contain egg, sesame, soy, and wheat.

To avoid consuming egg, do not order the Deluxe QPC, which contains mayonnaise.

McDonald’s Burger Menu Prices

Burger Menu with Prices

Here are the prices and summary nutrition facts for McDonald’s burgers and cheeseburgers.

Updated Feb 2025	Price	Calories	Fat	Carbs	Protein	Sodium
Hamburger	$1.69	250	9g	30g	12g	510mg
Cheeseburger	$1.99	300	13g	31g	15g	720mg
Double Cheeseburger	$2.89	440	24g	34g	25g	1120mg
McDouble	$2.99	390	20g	32g	22g	920mg
Big Mac	$4.89	580	34g	45g	25g	1060mg
Quarter Pounder with Cheese	$5.09	520	26g	42g	30g	1140mg
Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe	$5.99	630	37g	44g	30g	1210mg
Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese	$6.59	740	42g	43g	48g	1360mg
Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese	$6.39	630	35g	43g	36g	1470mg

Ingredients, allergens, and nutrition facts are based on available information as of the date this article was published and/or updated. Restaurants and food manufacturers may change their recipes without notice. Check directly with the food provider for the most accurate and up-to-date information. NutritionandIngredients.com does not provide health or wellness advice or dietary recommendations. Our aim is to research commercially processed food and publish articles for informational purposes only. Unless otherwise stated, % Daily Value is based on 2,000 calories per day, but calorie needs vary by individual. Always consult your physician for any healthcare or dietary advice.

Nutrition facts and ingredients source: McDonald’s