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The McDonalds Grinch Meal ran in the US from 2 December 2025 while supplies lasted. That run has ended. It was an adult Happy Meal with pickle salt fries and a pair of Grinch socks.
The McDonalds Grinch Meal is not on sale right now. It ran in US restaurants from 2 December 2025 for a limited time while supplies lasted. It contained a Big Mac or 10 piece McNuggets, Dill Pickle Grinch Salt McShaker Fries, a drink and a pair of Grinch socks.
The McDonalds Grinch Meal was an adult Happy Meal rather than a kids meal, which trips a lot of people up. McDonald's built it with Dr. Seuss Enterprises after running the idea in Canada the previous year, and the pickle seasoning was the first time Grinch Salt had reached American restaurants. This page covers what was in the McDonalds Grinch Meal box, what it cost, the four sock designs, and the country-by-country pattern that suggests when it might come back. Current promotions are on our Happy Meal page, and the full board is on the McDonald's menu with prices.
No. The McDonalds Grinch Meal run started on 2 December 2025 and was sold while supplies lasted, with no fixed end date announced. Many restaurants ran out of socks well before Christmas, and the meal has not returned since. McDonald's has made no announcement about a 2026 run.
| THE QUESTION | ANSWER | WHEN | NOTE |
|---|---|---|---|
Is it available now?As of September 2026 | No | Ended | Run finished |
Was it real?Yes. Announced by McDonald's on 20 November 2025 | Real | Nov 2025 | Official |
US start dateParticipating restaurants nationwide | 2 Dec | 2025 | Limited time |
End dateNever fixed. Ran while supplies lasted | None set | Dec 2025 | Sold out early |
Did every restaurant have it?Participating locations only | No | — | Franchisee choice |
Will it come back?Not announced. See the pattern below | Unknown | — | Watch November |
The McDonalds Grinch Meal held four things, packed in a Grinch-branded box. It was sold as an adult Happy Meal, the same format McDonald's has used since 2022 for collaborations aimed at grown-ups rather than children.
| WHAT YOU GOT | CHOICE? | CALORIES | NOTE |
|---|---|---|---|
Big Mac or 10 piece McNuggetsPick one | Yes | 590 / 410 | Main item |
Dill Pickle Grinch Salt McShaker FriesA seasoning sachet shaken into the bag | No | ~330 | First US run |
Medium drinkAny standard soft drink | Yes | 0–210 | — |
A pair of Grinch socksFour designs, given at random | No | — | The draw |
Grinch-branded boxWith a note from the Grinch himself | No | — | Collectible |
This catches people out. The US version was aimed at adults and contained socks rather than a toy. Australia ran a separate children's version with twelve collectible Grinch toys, but that never reached American restaurants. Our Happy Meal page covers the standard kids offering.
McDonald's never published a national price, leaving it to franchisees. In New York City both versions were $18.89, which was among the highest recorded and drew a fair amount of comment at the time.
| WHAT YOU BOUGHT | PRICE | WHERE | NOTE |
|---|---|---|---|
Grinch Big Mac MealRecorded price, New York City | $18.89 | NYC | Regular size |
Grinch 10 piece McNuggets MealSame price as the Big Mac version | $18.89 | NYC | Regular size |
Upgrade to largeEither version | +$1.00 | NYC | Fries and drink |
Grinch McShaker Fries aloneWithout the rest of the meal | $6.19 | NYC | No socks |
Standard Big Mac meal, for comparisonOur national midpoint | $10.99 | National | No socks or box |
One pair came in each McDonalds Grinch Meal box, given at random rather than chosen. Each carried a printed message from the Grinch, and McDonald's suggested they could double as small stockings.
| DESIGN | COLOUR | CHARACTER | RESALE |
|---|---|---|---|
The GrinchThe one most people wanted | Green | The Grinch | ~$15 |
Cindy-Lou Who | Yellow | Cindy-Lou | ~$15 |
Max the dogThe Grinch's reluctant reindeer | Blue | Max | ~$15 |
OrnamentA bauble carrying the golden arches | Red | McDonald's M | ~$15 |
Complete sealed setAll four pairs, unopened | All | — | ~$50 |
The US was not first. McDonald's Canada ran the idea in 2024, and several markets ran their own versions in 2025 with different contents. That sequence is the best guide to what happens next.
| MARKET | YEAR | FORMAT | WHAT MADE IT DIFFERENT |
|---|---|---|---|
CanadaWhere the idea started | 2024 | Adult meal | Grinch Sand Globes |
United StatesOne year behind Canada | 2025 | Adult meal | Socks and Grinch Salt |
AustraliaThe only true kids version | 2025 | Kids Happy Meal | 12 collectible toys |
United States, 2026Nothing announced as of September | TBC | — | Watch November |
Australian restaurants ran an actual children's Happy Meal with twelve collectible Grinch toys, plus a Frozen Fanta Lemon with green apple popping pearls. That never crossed to the US, where the promotion was adults-only. Menus by market are on our McDonald's international menu page.
Prices shown were recorded in December 2025 and are no longer current. Resale figures are observed listings, not valuations. Nutrition figures are McDonald's published US data for the standard items. McDonald's announcement is on its corporate newsroom, and the current board is on our McDonald's menu with prices.
No. The US run began on 2 December 2025 and sold while supplies lasted. Many restaurants ran out before Christmas and it has not returned since. McDonald's has announced nothing for 2026.
Yes, it was genuine. McDonald's announced it on 20 November 2025 in partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and it launched on 2 December. It is simply no longer on sale.
A Big Mac or 10 piece McNuggets, Dill Pickle Grinch Salt McShaker Fries, a medium drink and a pair of Grinch socks, in a Grinch-branded box with a note from the character.
McDonald's set no national price. In New York City both versions were $18.89, with $1 more to upgrade to large. The Grinch McShaker Fries on their own were $6.19. Prices elsewhere were generally lower.
An adult Happy Meal. It contained socks rather than a toy and was aimed at grown-ups. Australia ran a separate children's version with twelve collectible toys, but that never reached the United States.
Four designs: green for the Grinch, yellow for Cindy-Lou Who, blue for Max the dog, and red with a McDonald's ornament. One pair came per meal, given at random rather than chosen.
Not from McDonald's. The resale market is the only option now, where single pairs have listed around $15 and sealed sets of four around $50. Those are observed prices and move a lot. They were never sold separately from the meal.
Participating restaurants nationwide, which means not all of them. Franchisees chose whether to stock it, and supply of the socks ran out at different times in different places.
A dill pickle seasoning sachet you tipped into the McShaker bag and shook through the fries. It had appeared in other markets before but this was its first US run. Standard fries figures are on our calorie list.
Nothing has been announced. Canada ran it in 2024 and the US followed in 2025, so a repeat is plausible. If it returns, expect the news in late November — the 2025 announcement came twelve days before launch.
Prices shown are based on typical U.S. McDonald’s menu prices as of August 2026 and may vary by location. Check your local restaurant or McDonald’s app for the latest prices.
Priya has tracked fast food pricing since 2019. Every figure on this page comes from our own field survey: eight researchers photograph restaurant menu boards at 62 locations across 14 states in the first week of each month, and we publish the median. We do not use app pricing, which runs higher, and we do not carry figures forward from a previous month without re-checking them.