{"id":358245,"date":"2026-04-01T08:09:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T08:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/358245\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T08:09:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T08:09:12","slug":"review-mcdonalds-kpop-demon-hunters-happy-meal-takes-it-up-up-up-and-its-not-because-of-the-toy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/358245\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: McDonald&#8217;s KPop Demon Hunters Happy Meal Takes It Up Up Up (And It&#8217;s Not Because Of The Toy)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img alt=\"Huntrix meal on the table\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/03a4c351f11b9d46908bfef8d5adbe9e.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Huntrix meal on the table &#8211; Dani Zoeller \/ The Takeout<\/p>\n<p>Netflix&#8217;s animated movie &#8220;KPop Demon Hunters&#8221; has arrived at McDonald&#8217;s. The menu spotlights the pop-star musicians saving the world from soul-stealing demons. Mira, Rumi, and Zoey make up Huntrix, a beloved group of demon hunters who protect and connect with their fans through music, strengthening a shield for the world called a Honmoon, with the ultimate goal to make it golden. The problem? The Saja Boys. This rival KPop group are actually demons in disguise, set on keeping Huntrix from completing the Golden Honmoon. With opposite goals and complications in between, the movie has the perfect makings of a fast food tie-in.<\/p>\n<p>With flavors inspired by the movie, McDonald&#8217;s menu includes a breakfast meal, lunch or dinner meal, and even a McFlurry. Though the Saja Boys Breakfast Meal has minimal changes to make it fit the theming, the HUNTR\/X Meal has dips and a flavored shaker that certainly spice up the meal. Ready to see what a KPop Demon Hunter interpretation of McDonald&#8217;s might taste like, I set out to the Golden Arches to give these meals a try.<\/p>\n<p>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetakeout.com\/1630452\/fast-food-chains-highest-lowest-quality-burgers\/?zsource=aol\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Fast Food Chains That Serve The Highest And Lowest Quality Burgers;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Fast Food Chains That Serve The Highest And Lowest Quality Burgers<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Methodology<img alt=\"Outside of McDonald's location\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/60460d1de50c24efc0be31304bc6ecfe.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Outside of McDonald&#8217;s location &#8211; Dani Zoeller \/ The Takeout<\/p>\n<p>On March 31, I visited my local McDonald&#8217;s at breakfast for The Saja Boys meal, and again for the HUNTR\/X Meal at lunch with a McFlurry (desperately hoping that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetakeout.com\/1699400\/mcdonalds-broken-mcflurry-machine-fix\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:McDonald&#039;s has indeed solved its broken McFlurry machine epidemic;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">McDonald&#8217;s has indeed solved its broken McFlurry machine epidemic<\/a>). My determination of whether this menu is worth your time is based on how enjoyable the items were, and if they were overall tasty additions to the base food items. Ideally they would make the items even better, not simply add some marketing pizzazz.<\/p>\n<p>Review of The Saja Boys Breakfast Meal<img alt=\"Holding Spice Sausage McMuffin\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/524993c04c479437cb3f65c6d5faf414.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Holding Spice Sausage McMuffin &#8211; Dani Zoeller \/ The Takeout<\/p>\n<p>For breakfast, I tried The Saja Boys Breakfast Meal, which includes one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetakeout.com\/2053444\/fast-food-hashbrowns-should-shouldnt-buy\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:best fast food hash browns;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">best fast food hash browns<\/a> out there, a Spicy Sausage Egg and Cheese McMuffin, and a drink. When I first got my breakfast, the crew accidentally gave me a sausage muffin instead of the right one, so I had to ask for the Spicy Sausage Egg and Cheese version instead.<\/p>\n<p>With the right sandwich in hand, I eagerly took a bite. The sauce looked like it was going to be overpowering because there was quite a bit of it on the sandwich, but I found it to be a delicious companion to the sausage and egg. The Spicy Saja sauce is certainly zesty, and this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetakeout.com\/1907195\/mcdonalds-spicy-mcmuffin-breakfast-sandwich-review\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:little bit of heat added new flavor to a classic breakfast sandwich;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">little bit of heat added new flavor to a classic breakfast sandwich<\/a>, just as it did in July 2025 when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetakeout.com\/1901958\/mcdonalds-new-spicy-mcmuffin-breakfast-menu\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:McDonald&#039;s turned up the heat with a new twist on McMuffins;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">McDonald&#8217;s turned up the heat with a new twist on McMuffins<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This McMuffin was so enjoyable, that I would really like to see McDonald&#8217;s keep it on the menu permanently. Still, with the spice of the sauce, I felt it needed more bread, so I can imagine it being more enjoyable on a bagel than an English muffin. For breakfast, instead of getting a soda pop (even if it fit the theme better), I went for a caramel iced coffee. I just can&#8217;t bring myself to drink soda in the morning, so coffee seemed more fitting.<\/p>\n<p>Review of The HUNTR\/X meal and Derpy McFlurry<img alt=\"Huntrix meal chicken McNuggets on table\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/534d03e3c9d061daae4ce925849e89f0.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Huntrix meal chicken McNuggets on table &#8211; Dani Zoeller \/ The Takeout<\/p>\n<p>At lunch, I returned to McDonald&#8217;s for a Derpy McFlurry and the HUNTR\/X meal with\u00a010\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetakeout.com\/1647900\/mcdonalds-chicken-nuggets-ingredients\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Chicken McNuggets;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Chicken McNuggets<\/a>, dips, and Ramyeon McShaker Fries. Oddly, I wasn&#8217;t able to order the meal over the app or on the kiosk, so I went to the counter where the staff took care of me. My meal was out shortly, and it was so worth the extra effort.<\/p>\n<p>The Hunter and Demon sauces were zesty and highly flavored, even if the purple color of the Demon sauce was a little off-putting. The former had a nice balance of sweetness with chili heat. Meanwhile, the Ramyeon flavoring was absolutely excellent and came with a nice bag to shake the fries in. With all of the extra flavoring, these basic McDonald&#8217;s foods got an impressive boost of flavor.<\/p>\n<p>The McFlurry also needed a personal at-the-counter order, but it was well worth it. The fruity treat consisted of vanilla ice cream mixed with sweet wild berry sauce with popping pearls on top. The flavor was indeed a sweet berry and tasted more like a mixed berry rather than one specific fruit, like blueberry or strawberry. I far prefer these fruity McFlurries to the candy options and would love to see McDonald&#8217;s offer more similar options.<\/p>\n<p>Is it worth a try?<img alt=\"Looking inside fries container\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/700f42a0471f10609353936af82bb941.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Looking inside fries container &#8211; Dani Zoeller \/ The Takeout<\/p>\n<p>The Spicy Saja McMuffin was excellent and definitely worth a try, provided you enjoy spicy foods. If you don&#8217;t like a bit of fire in the morning, this should probably be a skip. The Saja Boys Breakfast Meal is rather unremarkable aside from the sandwich.<\/p>\n<p>The lunch and dinner HUNTR\/X Meal is a must-try for anyone who loves highly flavored foods. The sauces and powder seasoning made for excellent additions, and while &#8220;KPop Demon Hunters&#8221; is a movie mostly for kids, this meal is all adult, full of spices and flavorings many kids might find overwhelming but are absolutely perfect for adults.<\/p>\n<p>The Derpy McFlurry was enjoyable and probably the best McFlurry I&#8217;ve ever had, but it still wasn&#8217;t a must-try for me. Still, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetakeout.com\/1700262\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-invented-canada\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:if you&#039;re looking for a creamy, sweet treat and these McFlurries are around;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">if you&#8217;re looking for a creamy, sweet treat and these McFlurries are around<\/a>, it should be your pick.<\/p>\n<p>Nutrition<img alt=\"Looking down into Derpy McFlurry\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6f6305ef50dceeb1a5b6f4cb02f02aff.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Looking down into Derpy McFlurry &#8211; Dani Zoeller \/ The Takeout<\/p>\n<p>The Saja Boys Breakfast Meal (with a small Coca-Cola for ease of calculation) had 800 calories, 16 grams of protein, 101 grams of carbohydrates, 39 grams of fat, 1,220 milligrams of sodium, and 56 grams of sugar. Though the marketing on McDonald&#8217;s website calls the condiment on the sandwich Spicy Saja Sauce, looking at the nutritional information, the sauce is actually the chain&#8217;s Spicy Pepper Sauce, getting its spice largely from habanero peppers. This same sauce shows up on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetakeout.com\/review-mcdonalds-crispy-chicken-sandwich-spicy-delux-1846338411\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Spicy McCrispy sandwich;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Spicy McCrispy sandwich<\/a> (both deluxe and regular) and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetakeout.com\/1909054\/mcdonalds-snack-wrap-return-review\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Spicy Snack Wrap;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Spicy Snack Wrap<\/a>. Basically, if the menu describes an item as &#8220;spicy,&#8221; it likely includes the Spicy Pepper Sauce.<\/p>\n<p>For lunch or dinner, the HUNTR\/X Meal offers 1,200 calories, 28 grams of protein, 158 grams of carbohydrates, 54 grams of fat, 84 grams of sugar, and 1,980 milligrams of sodium. While the Spicy Saja Sauce was already available at McDonald&#8217;s under a different name, the included packages of Hunter Sauce, Demon Sauce, and Ramyeon Seasoning for shaking on the fries and dunking the nuggets were completely unique. If you&#8217;re adding dessert to your meal, you&#8217;ll tack on an additional 400 calories, 9 grams of protein, 72 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of fat, and 52 grams of sugars with your regular sized Derpy McFlurry.<\/p>\n<p>Availability<img alt=\"Spicy Sausage McMuffin sandwich on table\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/41ac89050f3c4517fa1f5514aea71eca.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Spicy Sausage McMuffin sandwich on table &#8211; Dani Zoeller \/ The Takeout<\/p>\n<p>Though &#8220;KPop Demon Hunters&#8221; has been on Netflix since June 20, 2025, this special menu didn&#8217;t hit McDonald&#8217;s locations until March 31, 2026. As expected, this menu will be around for a limited time, but precisely how long depends on the amount of time supplies last. Of course, it&#8217;s hard to predict a timeline for such ambiguous limits, but based on past McDonald&#8217;s customer behavior, I can make some predictions.<\/p>\n<p>When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetakeout.com\/2041748\/mcdonalds-grinch-dill-pickle-mcshaker-fries-review\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:McDonald&#039;s released its Grinch Dill Pickle McShaker fries;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">McDonald&#8217;s released its Grinch Dill Pickle McShaker fries<\/a>, I tried them immediately. However, I didn&#8217;t get to enjoy them more than once because the McShaker turned out to be very popular, and they sold out quickly. I can imagine the same thing happening with the Ramyeon McShaker Fries that play a starring role in The HUNTR\/X Meal. That said, as long as McDonald&#8217;s still has other spicy items on the menu, the Spicy Sausage McMuffin could be made by asking for a regular Sausage McMuffin with the addition of the Spicy Pepper Sauce, even after the Saja Boys Breakfast Meal fades to just a memory.<\/p>\n<p>For more food and drink goodness, <a href=\"https:\/\/subscribe.thetakeout.com\/newsletter-syndicated?utm_source=aol&amp;utm_medium=thetakeout-NL-feed\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:join The Takeout&#039;s newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">join The Takeout&#8217;s newsletter<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=thetakeout.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:add us as a preferred search source;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">add us as a preferred search source<\/a>. Get taste tests, food &amp; drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more!<\/p>\n<p>Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetakeout.com\/2137184\/mcdonalds-kpop-demon-hunters-menu-review\/?zsource=aol\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:original article on The Takeout;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">original article on The Takeout<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Huntrix meal on the table &#8211; Dani Zoeller \/ The Takeout Netflix&#8217;s animated movie &#8220;KPop Demon Hunters&#8221; has&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":358246,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[189112,189114,156,1096,132920,189110,157,111,139,69,189111,189115,189113],"class_list":{"0":"post-358245","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-breakfast-meal","9":"tag-dani-zoeller","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-kpop-demon-hunters","12":"tag-mcdonald39s","13":"tag-mcdonald39s-menu","14":"tag-music","15":"tag-new-zealand","16":"tag-newzealand","17":"tag-nz","18":"tag-saja-boys-breakfast-meal","19":"tag-sausage-mcmuffin","20":"tag-the-takeout"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=358245"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358245\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/358246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=358245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=358245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=358245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}