McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: Calories, Nutrition and Health Benefits

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A McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 740 calories in the US, with about 48 g protein, 43 g carbs and 42 g fat. Sodium is roughly 1,360 mg, more than half the 2,300 mg daily limit. That is 220 calories and 18 g more protein than a single Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

Quick Nutrition Facts

Per 1 burger (US, about 280 g)

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	740 kcal
Protein	48g
Carbohydrates	43g
Fiber	3g
Sugars	10g
Fat	42g
Sodium	1,360 mg

Macronutrient Breakdown

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NUTRITIONIST'S INSIGHT

The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese is one of the highest-protein items on the McDonald's menu, with about 48 g, but one burger is also about 37% of a 2,000 kcal day and carries around 20 g of saturated fat, well above the roughly 13 g daily limit the AHA suggests. Sodium sits near 1,360 mg, over half the daily limit. If you want it, treat it as the whole meal: water or unsweetened tea, no fries, and nothing else heavy that day. Fries and a medium soda would add about 600 calories and take the meal past 1,300. If calories matter more than protein, the regular Quarter Pounder with Cheese gives 30 g protein for 520 calories. Figures differ by country and by source, so check your local menu.

Myth Busters

MYTH #1: The Double Quarter Pounder is just a Quarter Pounder with an extra slice of beef.

TRUTH: It adds a second 4 oz raw patty, but the US numbers go from 520 to 740 calories and from about 30 g to 48 g protein, with saturated fat and sodium rising too. McDonald's USA: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese; McDonald's USA: Quarter Pounder with Cheese

MYTH #2: The calories are the same in every country.

TRUTH: The US menu lists 740 kcal while McDonald's Singapore lists 717 kcal, with 50 g protein and 1,698 mg sodium, because recipes and portions differ by market. McDonald's USA: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese; McDonald's Singapore: Double Quarter Pounder

MYTH #3: A "double" burger is mostly protein, so it counts as a lean meal.

TRUTH: Fat is about 42 g, roughly 380 of the 740 calories or 51%, and around 20 g of it is saturated. McDonald's USA: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese; American Heart Association: Saturated fats

MYTH #4: Sodium only becomes a problem once you add fries.

TRUTH: The burger alone is in the range of 1,100 to 1,400 mg depending on the listing, already about half of the 2,300 mg daily limit. FatSecret: McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese; American Heart Association: How much sodium should I eat per day?

MYTH #5: The USDA entry shows it is a light food at 260 calories.

TRUTH: The USDA record gives about 260 kcal per 100 g, and the burger weighs about 280 g, so the full burger comes to roughly 730 kcal. USDA FoodData Central via GetFoodFacts: McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (FDC 172066)

NutriScore by Health Goals

Health Goal	NutriScore	Why This Score?
Weight Loss		740 calories is more than a third of a 2,000 kcal day in one sandwich. The 48 g protein is filling, but the regular Quarter Pounder gives most of that satiety for 220 fewer calories. McDonald's USA: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese; McDonald's USA: Quarter Pounder with Cheese
Muscle Gain		About 48 g of protein from two beef patties is a strong per-meal dose, and the bun supplies carbs for recovery. The saturated fat is high, so it works as an occasional post-training meal. McDonald's USA: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese
Diabetes Management		43 g of carbs from the white bun and ketchup raises blood sugar, though 48 g protein and 42 g fat slow the rise. Pair it with water and skip fries. McDonald's USA: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese
Heart Health		Around 20 g of saturated fat and over 1,100 mg of sodium in one burger exceed or approach the daily limits the AHA sets. It does not suit regular eating. American Heart Association: How much sodium should I eat per day?; American Heart Association: Saturated fats; FatSecret: McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese
Low Carb / Keto		43 g of carbs from the bun is too high for keto. Without the bun it is mostly protein and fat, though the ketchup still adds a few grams. McDonald's USA: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese

PERSONALIZED NUTRITION

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Blood Sugar Response to McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese

The burger has about 43 g of carbs, mostly from a refined white bun and ketchup, so blood sugar climbs within the first hour. The 48 g protein and 42 g fat slow stomach emptying, which lowers and delays the peak compared with a bun eaten alone, and the rise lasts longer. Fries and a regular soda would push the peak much higher. McDonald's USA: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese

Estimated Blood Sugar Response (1 burger, about 280 g)

Illustrative curve, not a measured CGM trace. Fries and a soda change the shape a lot. Individual responses vary.

How to flatten the spike

Drink water or unsweetened tea instead of soda, which can add 40 g or more of sugar.
Skip the fries or swap them for a side salad or apple slices, so the meal stays near the burger's 43 g of carbs.
Eat a few bites of vegetables first, or take a 10 minute walk after the meal, to blunt the rise.
Ask for no ketchup or leave half the bun to cut carbs by roughly 5 to 20 g.

Cultural Significance

McDonald's launched the Quarter Pounder in 1971 and later added the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese as the chain's heaviest standard beef burger. The name refers to the 4 oz raw weight of each patty, so the double carries half a pound of beef before cooking. In 2018 McDonald's US moved the Quarter Pounder line to fresh, never-frozen beef at most restaurants, cooked to order. In France the family is sold under the Royal name.

Compare & Substitute

McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese vs Similar Foods

Nutrient	McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese	McDonald's McDouble	McDonald's Cheeseburger	McDonald's Big Mac
Calories	520 kcal	400 kcal	300 kcal	580 kcal
Protein	30g	22g	15g	25g
Carbohydrates	42g	33g	33g	45g
Fat	26g	20g	13g	34g

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories are in a McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese?

The US menu lists 740 calories. McDonald's Singapore lists 717 kcal for its version.

How much protein is in a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese?

About 48 g in the US version, from two quarter pound (4 oz raw) beef patties and two slices of cheese. Other markets list 50 g.

How much sodium is in a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese?

Roughly 1,360 mg in the US, though listings range from 1,130 to 1,406 mg. The daily limit is 2,300 mg, so one burger is about half or more.

How many more calories is it than a Quarter Pounder with Cheese?

About 220 more: 740 calories against 520. Protein rises from about 30 g to about 48 g.

Is the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese keto?

No. The bun and ketchup give about 43 g of carbs. Without the bun it is mostly protein and fat, but the ketchup and cheese still add a few grams.

Why do the US and Singapore numbers differ?

Recipes, bun size and portions vary by country, and McDonald's measures each market separately. Singapore lists 717 kcal and 39 g carbs against 740 kcal and about 43 g in the US.