Marcus Samuelsson Gave McDonald’s Snack Wraps A Spicy Glow-Up

Chef Marcus Samuelsson is working with McDonald’s to reinvent the relaunched snack wrap. The celebrated culinary mind and restaurateur hosted a lively demo at Brooklyn’s Duggal House on Saturday, where he introduced his take on the portable classic.

Samuelsson is best known as the force behind Harlem’s iconic Red Rooster—a restaurant so iconic, it’s appeared on shows like Run The World and And Just Like That as a setting where chic Black New Yorkers gather. (Can’t forget about the esteemed Ginny’s Supper Club in the basement, too!)

His culinary empire extends far beyond Harlem though, with elegant eateries like Ginny’s Supper Club, Chelsea hotspot Hav & Mar, Weehawken’s NoHu Rooftop, the swanky downtown Metropolis, and the recently opened Marcus DC.

Though he’s mastered fine dining, Samuelsson loves serving palates of all kinds.

He opened Marcus Live Bar and Grille in New Jersey’s American Dream Mall, specifically so people running errands or toting shopping bags could still sit down to a high-quality meal.

“Food lives on so many different levels,” Samuelsson says. And now, his influence is reaching the drive-thru. “Sometimes you want to sit down at a fine dining establishment. Sometimes you’re just on the go with the family,” he says. “For me, it’s about delicious. That should live everywhere.”

When it comes to the snack wrap, his version of delicious brings the heat.

McDonald’s is offering two versions of the reimagined wrap: a spicy snack wrap made with flaming habanero and a ranch option with bold kicks of garlic and onion.

During the event, Samuelsson waded into the audience to make sure everyone got to try his version—infused with spices and textures inspired by his Ethiopian heritage. He recalled being passed over for a job at McDonald’s as a teenager, long before becoming a household name in the food world.

“To do this McDonald’s remix is really fun because we’re bringing our Ethiopian flavors to this. Another chef might bring his or her flavor to this,” he says.

Snack wraps are customizable, making them ideal for a range of tastes and lifestyles. You can opt for different sauces or skip the cheese altogether. “You do your own spin on it,” he says.

Though Samuelsson can cook gourmet meals with ease, he too turns to fast, convenient options when traveling with his young family—something he does often. It’s part of why he understands the McDonald’s consumer so well.

“It has to be delicious,” he says. “It has to go quite quickly because people are on the go, and that’s why I think the wrap is so good, because it’s easy and quick. I have two young kids, so we can get something in them on the weekend, and then they can go out and play. This is very relatable to me.”

For the event, Samuelsson also brought along Brooklyn’s own Chef Ed—known for his Mixtape Dinners, which have long celebrated culinary creativity and cultural fusion.

“This is about a family celebration,” says Samuelsson. “Ed is Brooklyn.”

And it certainly felt like a celebration. Outside, a McDonald’s food truck handed out signature bites, while inside, caricature artists sketched guests and bartenders poured bespoke cocktails. Servers passed around Petrossian caviar—a nod to the viral TikTok trend of pairing the luxury snack with McNuggets, inspired by Rihanna’s “soccer mom snack” comments.

Samuelsson sees this merging of comfort food with high-end experiences as a natural evolution.

“We do that,” he says. “We see it in pop culture all the time, right? Think about fashion, it’s high and low. It can be like ripped jeans with a super elegant jacket. The same goes for food.”

The crowd was filled with tastemakers like actor Hassan Johnson, style influencer Armiel Chandler, model Ambre Anderson, media personality Ty Cole, and lifestyle creator Lauren Williams. Musical guests included Fabolous, Honey Bxby, and former McDonald’s employee turned rap star Dave East. And in true Brooklyn style, Lil’ Kim even surprised the audience by joining Honey Bxby on stage.

As Hot 97’s DJ Enuff spun tracks, guests balanced pearly crisps atop crispy fries and sipped McDonald’s-inspired cocktails. It was a celebration of flavor, culture, and collaboration.

“Think about music. You have collaboration with your classic musicians and popular street culture,” adds Samuelsson. “It happens in so many different parts of life, so it makes sense that it happens in food too.”