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Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe is the drive thru classic made better at home in fifteen minutes, and I started making these on lazy Saturday mornings when Maddie kept asking for the McDonald’s version and Lizzie was already eyeing thirds. If you love iconic copycats made at home, our Maid Rite Loose Meat Sandwich is the diner classic cousin of this same back to basics build.
If copycat fast food is your weekend ritual, our Dunkin Donut Munchkins (Air Fryer Recipe) and Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups are the sweet breakfast counterpoints, and our Silky Chinese Steamed Eggs Recipe is the no fail method to nail any breakfast egg.
Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 480kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Savory, buttery, salty (sausage, melted American cheese, round egg, toasted English muffin)
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our Simple Creamy Sausage Pasta with Kielbasa
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in under fifteen minutes from cold skillet to first bite, faster than any drive thru run.
- Stacks the exact McDonald’s flavor with pantry ingredients you already have on hand, including sausage patties, American cheese, and English muffins from any grocery store.
- Family friendly comfort food the kids ask for on repeat, just like our Homemade Classic Mini Corn Dogs Recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Breakfast Sausage: Jimmy Dean Regular pork sausage is the McDonald’s matching profile, with the sage and pepper backbone that lets the egg and cheese shine. Any pre-formed breakfast sausage patty works, or you can portion it from a roll for total control, much like we do with our Bacon Wrapped Bratwurst Sausage Sandwich.
- English Muffins: Thomas’ Easy to Split is the gold standard for this build, with the nooks and crannies texture that catches melted butter and traps the egg yolk if you opt for over easy. The split halves toast up crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, like the base in our BBQ Chicken English Muffin Pizza Recipe.
- American Cheese: Kraft Singles is what McDonald’s actually uses, with melt and tang dialed in for fast food cheeseburger and McMuffin builds. Real deal sharp cheddar will taste great but read different from the original.
- Eggs: Large grade A eggs cooked in a four inch ring mold give the signature round McMuffin egg with a clean disc shape. Skip the molds and you’ll still have a great sandwich, just less photogenic.
- Butter: Salted sweet cream butter melts into the toasted muffin and is the small detail that makes the whole sandwich taste like the drive thru version.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap the protein: Use turkey or chicken breakfast sausage for a lighter build, or trade for crispy bacon if you want a bacon egg cheese instead.
- Trade the cheese: Sharp cheddar, pepper jack, or Swiss all work; American melts the smoothest, but cheddar adds a sharper bite. For a smoky spicy take, layer in the chorizo profile from our Crock Pot Queso Dip with Chor zo.
- Egg method: Scrambled in a pan, over easy, or fluffed up like our Easy Vegetable Egg Foo Young Recipe all work; ring molds give the cleanest disc.
- Muffin alternatives: Bagels (split and toasted), biscuit halves, croissants, or Hawaiian sweet rolls each work and shift the sandwich profile.
- Spice it up: Brush the muffin with melted butter and a pinch of cayenne, or layer a thin pickled jalapeño slice next to the cheese for a kick.
How to Make Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe
- Cook the sausage patties: heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the patties until browned and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and tent loosely with foil.
- Toast the English muffins and add the cheese: split the muffins, butter both cut sides, and toast cut side down in the sausage skillet until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Place a slice of American cheese on each bottom half while still warm so the cheese starts to melt.
- Cook the eggs in ring molds: wipe the skillet, set greased ring molds inside, add a teaspoon of butter and a splash of water to each, crack one egg into each mold, cover, and cook over medium low until the whites are set, about 3 minutes.
- Assemble the sandwiches: stack the sausage patty on the cheese topped muffin bottom, set the egg on top of the sausage, and crown with the toasted muffin top. Press gently to seat the layers and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Form sausage patties slightly bigger than the muffin to account for shrinkage during cooking. Pre-formed patties typically shrink by about a half-inch in diameter.
- Press a small divot in the center of each raw patty to keep them flat as they cook, the same trick we use on hand-formed beef patties.
- Toast the muffins cut-side down in the rendered sausage fat for maximum drive-thru flavor; this single step is the biggest leap from “good homemade sandwich” to “tastes exactly like McDonald’s.”
- Cook the eggs covered so the steam sets the whites without flipping; a glass lid lets you watch the white turn opaque without lifting it.
- Make-ahead and meal-prep: stack assembled sandwiches, wrap individually in foil, and freeze for up to two months. Reheat in the microwave for sixty seconds or in the air fryer at 350°F for four minutes, similar to the make-ahead approach in our Slow Cooker Brats and Sauerkraut with Apples.
- Salt the eggs lightly because the cheese and sausage are both salty; over-salting the egg breaks the balance.
- Bake instead of skillet for a crowd, the same volume-cooking trick we use on the muffins in our Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe; arrange split muffins on a sheet pan and toast at 400°F for 6 minutes.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Plate these breakfast sandwiches alongside a stack of crispy potato sides like our Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole (or just air-fried tots on the side), or pair them with a glass of our Apricot Oatmeal Fruit Smoothie Bowls blended a touch looser for a drinkable version. Add a Homemade Flat White Coffee Drink and you’ve recreated the whole drive-thru breakfast at the kitchen table for a fraction of the cost.
For a weekend brunch board, sneak our Easy Berry Danish with Cream Cheese onto the plate to balance the savory bite with something sweet, and these hold their temperature well for fifteen to twenty minutes wrapped in parchment if your crew comes downstairs one at a time.
Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe FAQs
The two details that bring this Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe closest to the drive thru original are toasting the English muffin cut side down in the rendered sausage fat and using a ring mold for the egg so it sets in a clean disc. Kraft Singles American cheese and Jimmy Dean Regular sausage match the McDonald’s flavor profile exactly.
Yes, this Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe freezes beautifully for up to two months. Stack each assembled sandwich, wrap individually in foil, and reheat from frozen in the microwave for sixty seconds or in the air fryer at 350°F for four minutes.
A four inch metal ring mold or even a clean tuna can with both ends removed works for this Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe. The mold contains the egg so it sets in the round disc shape that fits the English muffin.
Absolutely, scrambled eggs work great in this Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe and are faster than using a ring mold. The trade off is the sandwich loses the clean round egg layer that makes it look like the drive-thru version.
One serving of this Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe is about 480 calories, with most of that coming from the sausage patty and the buttered toasted English muffin. Lower fat options include turkey sausage, lower sodium cheese, and skipping the cooking butter.
The ring mold needs to be greased before you crack the egg in for this Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe. A quick spray of nonstick spray or a small teaspoon of butter melted in the mold first solves the sticking.
Other Recommended Easy Breakfast Recipes
If you loved this Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below and a five star rating in the recipe card goes a long way for the blog. Tag us @thissillygirlskitchen on Instagram with your stacked sandwich shots so we can see how yours turned out.
Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound breakfast sausage
- 6 large eggs
- water
- 6 English muffins
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 6 slices American cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler on high.
- Form the sausage into 6 even, thin patties and use your thumb to make a little indention in the center; this will help keep them even and not plump up while cooking, and place them on a plate.1 pound breakfast sausage
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the sausage, not touching, to the pan; you may need to cook in batches, do not overcrowd the skillet.
- Cook until browned on both sides, and an internal temperature reaches 165°F, 8-10 minutes. Place on a paper towel to absorb any excess grease.
- Wipe out the skillet, and place over medium-low heat. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Using a 3-inch heat-safe mold (I used a 3-inch metal biscuit cutter), spray the mold lightly with cooking spray and place it into the skillet.
- Add 1 egg into the center of the mold and immediately break the yolk. Pour in 2 tablespoons of water around the mold and cover the pan. Cook for 4 minutes or until the egg is set and cooked through. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining eggs.6 large eggs, water
- While you are cooking the egg, butter the English muffins, cut side up on a sheet tray. Place under the broiler until toasted to your liking; keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.6 English muffins, 3 tablespoons butter
- Add 1 slice of cheese to the bottom of each muffin and allow it to melt.6 slices American cheese
- Place the sausage on top of the cheese, and add the egg. Add the top of the muffin and serve immediately.
Notes
- Pre-toast the Muffins: This gives them that signature crispness.
- Don’t Overcook the Eggs: Keep them a bit soft for the best texture.
- Cook Sausage Patties Evenly: Flatten them a bit for even cooking.
- Add Water When Cooking Eggs: A little water in the skillet helps cook the eggs evenly.
- Reheat Properly: For leftovers, reheat in a toaster oven or regular oven for the best results.
Nutrition
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12/18/24 5:00 pm THIS SILLY GIRLS KITCHEN– ENGLISH MUFFIN WITH AN OVER EASY FRIED EGG -JUICY SAUSAGE PATTY–CHEDDAR CHEESE! — YOU CAN’T MESS THIS UP!