McDonald’s is known for its iconic breakfast menu, from a Double Bacon and Egg McMuffin to a stack of pancakes with syrup drizzled on top.

But most importantly, the crispy hash browns are ideal, whether you’ve been on a night out and need some carbs to soak up the alcohol or you fancy a lazy morning with some tasty breakfast.

The first meal of the day is the most important (that’s what they all say), but with the price of food continuing to rise, a McDonald’s breakfast might be something you just can’t live without or equally can’t afford.

When looking at what fast food hacks to recreate at home were floating around on TikTok, I came across multiple viral videos showing different methods of making the McDonald’s famous hash brown.

So I chose to give it a go, as TikTok account @collegechefron posted a video recipe that has 34 million views, claiming you could make the ‘carby treat’ for a fraction of its current price at McDonald's and on food delivery apps.

In 2019, a McDonald’s hash brown cost 89p, reports The Independent, but now the item is priced at £1.99 on Uber Eats, £1.89 when ordered via Just Eat and £1.79 on the McDonald's app.

Warrington Guardian: Here are some of the ingredients I used to recreate McDonald's famous hash browns following a TikTok recipe (there was also an egg involved)Here are some of the ingredients I used to recreate McDonald's famous hash browns following a TikTok recipe (there was also an egg involved) (Image: Newsquest)

Is the TikTok McDonald’s hash brown hack better than the real deal?

First things first, let’s talk price – all together I paid around £6 for 6 medium eggs, a 2L bottle of Crisp and Dry oil, a bag of cornflour and a small bag of potatoes (most products were bought on offer).

Compared to the cost of one hash brown on multiple food delivery apps, this would work out cheaper over time, depending on how many you make and how often.

Taste-wise, I was incredibly surprised how much this did in fact have mega similarities to a hash brown, especially as this was the first time I had properly fried something.

However, it almost felt like there was a secret ingredient missing compared to the McDonald’s version, I thought it could possibly be down to the type of potatoes and oil I used, so it could be worth researching the best ones.

When it comes to effort and time, this is where the TikTok hack really had its flaw.

It took around two hours to make and although it required only parboiling the potatoes and a very simple recipe, the hash browns did have to be frozen for an hour to get rid of excess water in order for them to fry properly.

How to make the TikTok McDonald’s hash brown hack

I used one egg, one tablespoon of cornflour, three decent-sized potatoes and salt and pepper to season.

The first step was chopping up three potatoes into three or four even slices.

I then filled a pan full of hot water and once it began boiling on the hob, I parboiled them for around 10 minutes.

In a bowl, I then added the cornflour and cracked an egg before grating the potatoes once they were cooled. From there, I gathered small handfuls of the mixture and made four hash brown shapes.

@collegechefron How to Make GIANT McDonalds Hashbrowns for $1 #collegechefron ♬ original sound - CollegeChefRon

They then went into the freezer on a tray lined with baking paper for an hour.

After that, I filled a boiling pan with oil (up to halfway) for around five minutes. I dipped the end of a wooden spoon into the pan which will give off a tiny fizzing effect to confirm the oil was ready to fry.

I then dunked two hash browns into the pan and let them fry until brown, turning over every few minutes.

The final step was to season with salt and pepper or any of your favourite herbs and spices.

I personally feel that one of the many perks of a McDonald’s hash brown is that you can get access to something so tasty, so easily.

But I suppose this is also a great way of recreating as close to the real thing as it gets if you are on a budget, or you can’t get access to a McDonald's restaurant or delivery service any time soon.