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Sausage Egg and Cheese McMuffin 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 and Cheese McMuffin 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
Quick Answer
Preheat the broiler on high. Form breakfast sausage into 6 thin patties, using your thumb to make a small indent in the center so they cook flat. Brown both sides in a large skillet over medium heat until 165 degrees internal, about 8 to 10 minutes total, then drain on a paper towel. Wipe the skillet, place over medium-low heat, spray a 3-inch metal biscuit cutter (the mold) with cooking spray, drop in an egg, break the yolk, add 2 tablespoons water around the mold, and cover for 4 minutes until set. While the egg cooks, butter and broil English muffins until toasted. Layer cheese, sausage, and egg on the bottom muffin, cap with the top, and serve. The mold-formed egg is the McDonald’s signature.
Jump to:
- Sausage Egg and Cheese McMuffin Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Sausage Egg and Cheese McMuffin
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Sausage Egg and Cheese McMuffin FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Sausage Egg and Cheese McMuffin Recipe (Homemade)
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Homemade sausage patties are the real difference. McDonald’s uses a pre-made sausage patty with a specific blend of pork, sage, and spices. Store-bought frozen patties get close, but making the sausage from scratch using ground pork with sage, thyme, garlic powder, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper is what makes this copycat taste like the real thing. The key is pressing the patties thin, about 1/4 inch thick and slightly wider than the English muffin, because they shrink as they cook. A thin patty browns evenly on both sides and fits the muffin perfectly.
- Metal biscuit cutter as egg mold. Free-pouring an egg gives you a flat round disc that does not match the McDonald’s round-tower shape. A 3-inch metal mold contains the egg into the iconic puck shape that matches the cheese and muffin perimeter.
- Break the yolk on purpose. McDonald’s eggs are not over-easy, they are fully set tender yolks. Breaking the yolk immediately ensures even cooking across the whole egg surface, matching the drive thru version exactly.
- Butter then broil the muffins. Toasting muffins in a toaster gives you crunchy crisp toast. Buttering and broiling gives you golden-brown crispy edges with a tender bite-able center, which is the McDonald’s signature muffin texture.
- American cheese at the bottom. Cheese on TOP of the sausage gets cold while the muffin toasts. Placing the cheese directly on the warm bottom muffin lets the heat melt it slightly before the other layers go on, which gives every bite a gooey cheese pull.
- Freezer friendly is the whole point. Nobody makes a single McMuffin at home. The entire reason to make these is batch cooking: assemble 6 to 12 sandwiches, wrap each one individually in parchment paper and then foil, stack in a freezer bag, and pull one out every morning. From frozen, 60 to 90 seconds in the microwave brings it back. The English muffin stays intact, the cheese melts again, and the sausage and egg reheat evenly. This is the breakfast that gets Maddie out the door on school mornings without a single complaint.
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 and Cheese McMuffin
- 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 and Cheese McMuffin FAQs
The two details that bring this Sausage Egg and Cheese McMuffin 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 and Cheese McMuffin 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 and Cheese McMuffin. 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 and Cheese McMuffin 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 and Cheese McMuffin 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 and Cheese McMuffin. A quick spray of nonstick spray or a small teaspoon of butter melted in the mold first solves the sticking.
You can reheat assembled frozen McMuffins in the air fryer at 325 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes. Wrap in foil first so the muffin does not dry out. For cooking the sausage patties from scratch, air fry at 375 degrees F for 8 minutes, flipping halfway. The eggs still need to be cooked on the stovetop since they cannot be air fried in a ring.
McDonald’s uses processed American cheese slices. That specific cheese melts into a gooey, creamy layer that is hard to replicate with other cheeses. For the closest copycat result, use individually wrapped American cheese slices (Kraft Singles work well). Cheddar, provolone, and Swiss all work as substitutes but will not melt the same way. Place the cheese on the bottom muffin while it is still warm, so it starts melting before assembly.
Other Recommended Easy Breakfast Recipes
If you loved this Sausage Egg and Cheese McMuffin, 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.
For the dinner side of the breakfast sausage spectrum, check out our Air Fryer Cheddar Brats, ready in 13 minutes with one ingredient and a hot dog bun.
When the breakfast sausage shift ends, try our polish sausage sandwich recipe for a Chicago-style dinner with caramelized onions and a grilled kielbasa kick.
Switch from breakfast to a warming dinner with our Easy Homemade Wonton Soup Recipe (Chinese Takeout Style).
Sausage Egg and Cheese McMuffin Recipe (Homemade)
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.
- 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!