Has McDonald's Filet-O-Fish Gotten Smaller?

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McDonald's sells a staggering number of Filet-O-Fish sandwiches during Lent — roughly 75 million each year. While this item is undeniably popular, some consumers are crying foul over a perceived decrease in the sandwich's size. Filet-O-Fish fans even took to social media to get a second opinion. Mike Haracz, a well-known content creator and former McDonald's corporate chef, shared insight into the goings-on at the chain. In a 2023 TikTok, he replied to a video that supposedly presented the shrunken fish sandwich.

While we didn't get to see the clip he referenced, Haracz described it as being closer to the size of a slider than a full-sized entree. However, upon purchasing his own Filet-O-Fish, Haracz decided, "I don't think it's any smaller than it has been for a while." The chef did express a bit of sticker shock at the price ($5.42 for the sandwich alone) and dubbed the item "very expensive."

What does McDonald's have to say about these size claims? In a 2023 statement to Business Insider, a representative for the restaurant explained, "The size and build of the Filet-O-Fish, including a half slice of American cheese, has not changed in decades." Before you call out McDonald's stingy half slice of cheese as proof of wrongdoing, consider that this is an intentional choice to stop the cheese from overwhelming the fish patty.

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Despite evidence that McDonald's Filet-O-Fish hasn't changed much in terms of size, good luck convincing folks online of that. On Reddit, one poster wrote, "[I]t literally looked like a child's toy food sandwich. It was so, SO small." A commenter agreed, writing, "Hadn't ordered it in forever and was shocked [by] how small it is now." We should also note that on Mike Haracz's TikTok video refuting the rumor, some commenters continued to claim the size of the sandwich had changed. One person wrote, "So much smaller than before, didn't touch any box side!"

Of course, shrinkflation is definitely a thing in the food world, particularly in grocery stores where consumers often receive smaller portions while paying the same amount of money. However, any proof of McDonald's shrinking fish sandwich is only anecdotal. If we had to hazard a guess, we believe the ever-rising price of the Filet-O-Fish (and other McDonald's items) is creating a perception that the chain's meals are offering less value. And thanks to increasing prices throughout the industry, many consumers would rather eat at home than waste their bucks on what many perceive to be a punier sandwich. Fortunately, we have a copycat McDonald's Filet-O-Fish recipe that's sure to hit the spot.