
Now you can get a taste of a famous limited-edition exclusive burger without travelling to Japan.
On 15 April, McDonald’s released the Chicken Tatsuta in Japan for a limited time, with plans for it to be on the menu only until mid-May. As a recurring exclusive, many people in Japan look forward to the release every year, but what if you’re not in Japan to enjoy it?
While that used to be a problem for lovers of the chicken burger, we’ve come up with a hack that’ll have you recreating the burger with ease no matter where you are in the world. Unlike other hacks, which tend to involve complicated steps and hard-to-get ingredients, ours is the ultimate lazy-person’s recipe – once you have the ingredients ready, you can make it in just five minutes.
So let’s get right to it, starting with the ingredients:
- McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish
- McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets
- Soy sauce
- Ginger paste (Japanese tube-type is ideal)
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Shredded cabbage
Now for the method, which is so easy even lazy folks like us can handle it.
Step 1. Remove the white fish fillet and tartar sauce from the Filet-O-Fish.
Step 2. Take around three Chicken McNuggets and cut them in half.
Step 3. Spread ginger and soy sauce on both sides of the nuggets (use plenty of ginger).
Step 4. Lightly toast in a toaster (adjust to your liking).
Step 5. Spread mayonnaise and mustard on the bottom bun, then add shredded cabbage, the nuggets, and finally, the top bun.
▼ Chicken Tatsuta, complete!
While it may not look identical to the original Chicken Tatsuta, don’t let that concern you, because…
▼ …the taste is unbelievably spot-on.
With nuggets standing in for the chicken patty, the texture is slightly firmer than the original, but the flavour of the ginger soy sauce is almost identical. Oftentimes, it’s the sauce that really gives a McDonald’s burger its distinct flavour, and our recipe reproduces it incredibly well.
▼ If you prefer video tutorials, this clip will show you how easy it is to complete the hack.
Another key ingredient is the buns, and the ones on the Filet-O-Fish have the same fluffy texture as the ones used for the Tatsuta, making it very close to the original.
The brilliant brain behind this hack is our boss Yoshio Ueda, who loved it so much he got his wife to try it, and when she did she said, “If someone told me this was the newly improved Chicken Tatsuta, I would totally believe them. What a clever idea.”
That’s high praise from a discerning spouse, and it emboldened Ueda to take things one step further, with an additional idea. If you buy the Filet-O-Fish as a set rather than individually, you’ll be able to combine the leftover white fish fillet with fries, giving you a second meal of fish and chips.
This unexpected by-product of the hack is a pleasant, and tasty, surprise that Ueda urges you to try at least once. He didn’t think it would be this easy to recreate a Chicken Tatsuta, and get a bonus meal of fish and chips to boot, so he really thinks others will love the hack as much as he does, especially if you’re outside Japan and yearning for a taste of the Tatsuta, albeit without the anime packaging.
Related: McDonald’s Chicken Tatsuta
Images ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]










McDonald’s Japan brings out a new chicken burger with rice buns
McDonald’s Japan’s new Touch manga collab: Does it really capture the bittersweet taste of youth?
Who wins in a battle of McDonald’s and Komeda Coffee’s chicken tatsuta burgers?【Taste test】
McDonald’s adds wasabi and teriyaki sauces to their Chicken McNuggets in Japan
Are the new shrimp nuggets from McDonald’s Japan better than chicken McNuggets?
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Japanese airport rebrands itself as “Sushi Airport” to attract foreign tourists
Japan reacts to Donald Trump’s “Islamic Republic of Japan” remark
Tochigi man shares his family’s process for creating 16 years worth of rice paddy art
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Foreign tourists injured in Nissan GT-R crash near Tokyo’s Shibuya Scramble Crossing
Starbucks Japan puts a bow on peach season with new limited-edition Peach Creamy Tea Latte
Studio Ghibli theme park’s new dessert is a drinkable version of Hayao Miyazaki’s pilot daydream
Potato-Chip-Flavored Dressing coming to stores in Japan
Tokyo revises accommodation tax amidst tourism boom, Airbnb rentals now included
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
A visit to Sri Lanka’s knockoff knockoff Uniqlo (no, we didn’t stutter) to see its rare “Pikachus”
New Mt. Fuji overnight bus takes travelers from downtown Tokyo straight to the most popular hiking trail
Starbucks Japan teams up with Converse Tokyo for a new limited-edition collection in honour of Tanabata
Don’t judge this Kiki’s Delivery Service book by its cover, because it’s not actually a book!
7-Eleven Japan releases chocolate cookies that taste like freshly baked melon bread
Japanese overnight sightseeing train returns for summer with ramen stops and ocean views
7-Eleven Japan now has Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, but how do they taste?[Taste test]
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
McDonald’s teams up with Touch manga for burgers that capture the bittersweet taste of youth
Thousands Protest McDonald’s Online Speech Policy by Tweeting: “The Chicken Tatsuta is Delicious!”
Shrimp nuggets returning to McDonald’s Japan menu with a special surprise
McDonald’s Japan goes beyond chicken by adding shrimp nuggets to menu
How to make McDonald’s Katsu Curry Chicken McNuggets
How to turn McDonald’s chicken nuggets into tasty katsudon in five minutes【SoraKitchen】
New McDonald’s burgers pay homage to an icon of the kaiju genre
What did Mark Zuckerberg eat at McDonald’s in Japan, and is it as great as he says it is?
We taste McDonald’s Japan’s brand-new garlic burger, shrimp sandwich, and more
Japan super budget dining – What’s the best way to spend 1,000 yen at McDonald’s?
The most satisfying McDonald’s burger, according to Japanese customers
Ultraman title logo generator set up online by McDonald’s Japan
One Piece x McDonald’s Japan collaboration burgers: Does the treasure taste as good as it looks?
McDonald’s Japan’s new winter menu exclusives: Hot pies and special chicken nuggets
Worried about McDonald’s chicken in Japan? Don’t be! Free McNuggets ease your fears!