Here's How To Make Your Own 1992 Michael Jordan Burger Today
If fast food behemoth McDonald's was going to name a burger, sandwich, shake, Happy Meal, or limited-time-only menu item after someone, you might think the chain would give a nod to Ronald McDonald, the (clown) face of Mickey D's for many years, now retired (per The Vintage News). Ronald McDonald has his name on Ronald McDonald Houses, residences around the world that provide a comforting place for families to stay when their children face hospitalization far from home (per Ronald McDonald House Charities), but McDonald's tends to give its regular and special-edition menu items "Mc Names”: Think the ever-popular menu guest, the McRib, the always-available Egg McMuffin, and the McPizza (yup!), a menu experiment from the 1980s that didn't exactly catch on (per Insider).
Speaking of blasts from the past: Some of you born before 1992 might remember the McJordan Special, the burger McDonald's created in honor of Chicago Bulls basketball star (and merchandising heavyweight) Michael Jordan (per Chicago Tribune). The sandwich was sold at Chicago-area McDonald's outlets for a short time, but some fans are still lovin' it — and asking for it by name (per The Takeout).
McJordan Special: Gone but easy to recreate at McDonald's
If you lived in the Chicago metropolitan area and frequented McDonald's in the early 1990s, you probably remember the McJordan Special — and the catchy commercials for it. The sandwich was a somewhat sloppy-sounding affair: a 4-ounce hamburger piled with bacon, a square of American cheese, diced onions, mustard, pickles, and a special barbecue sauce created specifically for it. Those ingredients were said to be the basketball star's personal favorites, according to the Chicago Tribune.
To figuratively time travel to 1992 and wrap your hands around a McJordan Special, this is what you need to do (per The Takeout): First, order a "Quarter Pounder with Cheese Bacon." This is basically a bacon cheeseburger on a sesame seed roll (per McDonald's), topped with onions and pickles. Ask them to hold the ketchup, and instead request a container of Tangy Barbecue sauce, which under normal circumstances is a companion of McNuggets. Voila! You have the McJordan Special, 30 years after its debut. Of course, Michael Jordan is far from the only celebrity to have collaborated with the fast food behemoth.
McDonald's has collaborated with other celebrities since
Teaming up with Michael Jordan on a celebrity-endorsed and -hawked burger may have marked the first foray by McDonald's into star-studded collaborations, but the chain has taken other steps in that direction in more recent years. In 2020, for example, Mickey D's rolled out a "limited time collab” with Houston-born rapper, songwriter, and record producer Travis Scott. The $6 "Travis Scott Meal” included a Quarter Pounder with cheese and Scott's "go-to toppings” — shredded lettuce, onions, and bacon — plus fries with barbecue sauce and a Sprite to wash everything down (per Good Morning America). The deal, seen as concerning and controversial in some circles, earned the rap star a cool $20 million (per The Street) and fans lined up for the Scott meal in droves, causing supply chain issues for the fast food chain.
McDonald's also showed that it's hip to Gen Z and gaming culture by making a deal with Esports and entertainment company FaZe Clan, which began its life as a YouTube channel. In doing so, the Golden Arches collaborated with the young upstart organization on "Friendsgaming” and other special streaming events that go well with Crispy Chicken sandwiches.