Chef Yun Develops Caribbean Menu for McDonald's

The James Beard Award semifinalist reimagined classic menu items with flavors inspired by Puerto Rican heritage.

Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Recipes

Bold vector editorial illustration showing a chef's knife and fresh Caribbean ingredients like plantains and peppers on a board. — James Beard semifinalist Chef Yun has partnered with McDonald's to introduce a new Caribbean-inspired menu across select locations. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Chef Yun has introduced a Caribbean-inspired menu featuring items like the Tres Golpes Egg McMuffin and specialty McNugget sauces. These recipes were developed during a collaborative workshop with McDonald's crew members in Philadelphia.

Why it matters

The collaboration highlights an effort to blend fast-food staples with authentic cultural flavors derived from the chef's Puerto Rican heritage. It also underscores the company's role as a starting point for millions of employees across the nation.

The new menu includes the Tres Golpes Egg McMuffin, specialty sauces for Chicken McNuggets, and a modified version of the classic Apple Pie. These items were crafted to reflect culinary traditions from Chef Yun's Puerto Rican heritage.

The players

Chef Yun

A celebrated culinary professional who was featured on the James Beard Foundation's TasteTwenty list and named a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2024 and 2025.

McDonald's

A global fast-food corporation that currently employs a vast workforce, with historical data suggesting one in eight Americans began their careers at the company.

The details

The recipes were finalized during a hands-on cooking workshop held at a Philadelphia restaurant alongside three McDonald's crew members. The menu serves as a creative expansion of the brand's standard offerings.

Chef Yun was named a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2024.
Chef Yun earned a second James Beard Award semifinalist recognition in 2025.

Culture Shift

This project aligns with the James Beard Foundation's TasteTwenty list, which champions chefs who integrate diverse heritage into mainstream culinary formats. It reflects a broader trend of high-end chefs partnering with global brands to elevate the palate of casual dining consumers.

While the recipes provide a new way to enjoy fast-food staples, their availability is currently limited to the experimental scope of the collaboration. Diners should monitor local restaurant menus to see if these specific flavor profiles reach their area.

The takeaway

Home cooks can experiment with their own versions of these recipes by incorporating traditional Puerto Rican ingredients into familiar favorites. This menu update serves as a reminder that even mass-market food items can be adapted to honor specific culinary backgrounds.