Sausage McMuffin
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My copycat sausage McMuffin recipe features a toasted English muffin topped with a perfectly cooked egg, savory breakfast sausage, and melty cheese. Only 4 ingredients needed.
Unpopular opinion: McDonald’s breakfast menu is far superior to the regular McDonald’s menu, and their sausage McMuffin is the standout.
Well, that is, until you make my healthier version. It has all the same components, except it’s made with better ingredients and about half the calories.
The tricky part was replicating the sausage patty, and although I tested multiple variations, I kept going back to my homemade sausage recipes (turkey and chicken), which taste almost identical. In the end, I just used my version, but I’ll include a couple of store-bought ones I tried so you have options.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Reader approved. Alexandra called these ‘the real deal, except not junk-like’, which is exactly what I was going for (see her review below).
- Only 4 ingredients. English muffin, egg, sausage, and cheese. That’s it. No mystery ingredients or additives.
- Works as meal prep. I make a batch of 8 on Sunday, and have breakfast for my partner and me sorted for the week. They reheat perfectly in the microwave (seriously).
- Cheaper. Is it just me, or is fast food no longer the cheaper option? The last time I went, I spent upwards of 20 bucks for a couple of sandwiches. My recipe is pennies on the dollar.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Omg, thank you for the recipe! These smell and taste like the real deal, except not junk-like. I don’t know if that makes sense, but as a huge fan of the sausage and egg McMuffin, these are a dream!” – Alexandra
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into homemade McMuffins, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Sausage. I use turkey or chicken sausage, but you can use any sausage, including frozen breakfast sausage. I’ve found that Jimmy Dean Original breakfast patties and Bob Evans ground pork sausage taste exactly like the ones used at McDonald’s.
- Eggs. Use room temperature eggs. If you forget them in the fridge, carefully place them in a bowl of lukewarm water for 5 minutes before cooking them.
- American cheese. For authentic flavor, use Kraft American cheese singles or a similar brand (there are tons of cheaper options). It also melts more evenly than cheddar.
- English muffins. I used whole wheat English muffins for a fiber boost, but any will work, including microwavable English muffins. For the recipe video and pictures, I used classic buns, which work well too.
How to make a McDonald’s sausage McMuffin
Step 1- Cook the sausages. Prepare the sausage patties as instructed (frozen, homemade turkey sausage, or chicken sausage).
Step 2- Cook the eggs. Add oil to a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add four egg rings and crack an egg into each one. Break the yolks with a fork, then fry for 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the eggs from the heat.
Step 3- Toast and assemble. Toast the English muffins in a toaster. Place each egg on top of the sausage. Top each egg with a slice of American cheese and place it on the English muffin.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Swap the cheese. I love pepper jack for a spicy kick, and my partner prefers goat cheese, which sounds odd but works surprisingly well.
- Add some veggies. I add spinach and mushrooms to mine almost every time. It adds volume without significantly changing the flavor.
- Use different meat. Canadian bacon is my favorite swap- it’s what McDonald’s uses in their Egg McMuffin, and it’s leaner than sausage.
- Season the eggs. Add a little salt, black pepper, and onion powder for a flavor boost. For a more authentic McDonald’s flavor, you can even add a tiny pinch of sugar (they sweeten the sausage, but this would have the same effect).
Make ahead and storage
These breakfast sandwiches make excellent meal prep. Here’s how it’s done:
Up to one week: Wrap each breakfast sandwich in parchment paper, place them in individual ziplock bags, and then store them in the refrigerator.
One week or more: Wrap each breakfast sandwich in parchment paper and plastic wrap. Store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Reheating: I prefer microwaving the sandwiches because it softens the bun and takes less than a minute. If you want to use the oven, place the sandwich on a baking sheet and heat in the oven at 350F for 8-10 minutes or until warm.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the country. In the US and Canada, the sausage patties are made with pork, which is what I grew up eating. In Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, beef is used. Parts of the Middle East, like the UAE, use chicken instead. I’ve been fortunate to try all three kinds, and because they all use the same spice mix, they all taste almost identical.
The original McMuffin has 383 calories. The sausage patty has 145 calories, the English muffin has 175 calories, the cheese has 55 calories, and the pat of butter on each muffin has 8 calories. Add the egg, and it brings the calories up to 452.
Sausage McMuffins
Video
Ingredients
- 4 English muffins
- 4 breakfast sausage patties * See notes
- 4 large eggs
- 4 slices American cheese
Instructions
- Prepare your sausage breakfast patties as instructed.
- Add some oil to a non-stick pan. Once hot, add four egg rings on top and add an egg to each one. Let it fry for 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the eggs off the heat.
- Toast the English muffins. On one half, add the cheese, followed by a sausage patty, and an egg. Top with the other half of the muffin and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
More McDonald’s copycat recipes
- Big Mac sauce– I went through at least 20 packets of the sauce to replicate it to a T.
- Big Mac salad– This is pretty much a Big Mac burger in salad form.
- Spicy chicken sandwich– I developed this recipe when McDonald’s made it a seasonal item!
- Hash browns– Crispy hash browns that are crispy, golden, and freeze really well.
Originally published March 2015
the list is missing what spices to put in the sauage mix. the main unknown WE all know it has an egg and slice of cheese and a roll. I~ notice someone said you did have a good receipe for the sausage but removed /why its the main ingreient of the receipe
Hi Gordon- thanks for that. I actually made the sausage recipe its own dedicated post, because so many readers requested it. I linked both the ones I made for this (chicken and turkey) which includes the spice mix 🙂
Since Venison is plentiful and cheap, we make our sausage from venison. with the correct spices, one cannot tell the difference between beef except for the lack of fat which is a good thing. Gotta keep those arteries plaque-free.
Wow, Sylvia- you’ve inspired me to try this with venison. You are right about the spice mix- I’ve enjoyed this muffin in different countries where they use different meat, and it tastes the same!
Sausage patties I never know how to make. I need to buy them…
This looks delicious, but the “English Muffin” looks more like a hamburger bun!
Correct! We used that for some of the photos and video 🙂
I made this for my friend today. He said its the same as Mcdonals-the best one!
I love to hear that, Mario!
Looks so artistic. I tried egg muffin in Mcdonalds and was amazed. So this recipe I muwt try!
Very good we are big FANS
hello! why has this page changed? i was looking at it two weeks ago and it still had the sausage patty recipe, but now it’s changed to a mcmuffin assembly recipe! the wayback machine has saved my day (and my breakfast), but i was super bummed for a minute.
Hi Kirby- I hear you! We actually made the sausage its own dedicated post, because so many readers loved it on its own 🙂
I broke down and stopped by and got a sausage McMuffin the other day
they’ve done something to the sausage patty it’s not like it used to be. So in searching I came upon your recipe, absolutely perfect to the original sausage patty that they used to use, I used half pork half turkey. Thank you
I am questioning this recipe also, American Sausage McMuffins are made with pork not beef. Is this recipe a typo? Sausage is definitely pork,
Hi! I based it off Australia’s ones 🙂
Great idea! The different taste of the Sausage McMuffins in the US & Canada is because they use pork sausage, unlike the beef they use here in Oz. They also use pork in some European countries, and they actually use chicken in parts of the Middle East (such as UAE).