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Homemade Egg McMuffins | Healthier Than McDonald’s

Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwiches from McDonald’s are one of the simplest fast food breakfast options out there, making it the perfect recipe to make for yourself at home.

With minimal cook time, we can have a homemade egg McMuffin ready to eat in under 20 minutes!

Healthier Egg McMuffins

Whether you prefer a bacon egg & cheese or sausage McMuffin, this copycat egg McMuffin will not disappoint.

Plus, by making a few tiny changes, we’re going to make our homemade egg McMuffin slightly healthier than McDonald’s.

With slightly lower calories and a bit more protein, this is a very macro-balanced breakfast that can surely fit into any diet.

 

What makes homemade egg McMuffins healthier?

There’s absolutely nothing from with McDonalds Egg McMuffin. In fact, with only 300 calories and 17g of protein, it’s a solid option compared to many others out there.

However, I wanted to improve on that a bit, so our version is slightly lower in calories and higher in protein.

Mcmuffin nutrition comparison

McDonald’s uses Canadian bacon in their McMuffins, but we’re going to use center-cut bacon here instead. Canadian bacon is pretty lean, but in my opinion, the taste is nowhere close to real bacon.

Center-cut bacon is a lean cut of bacon that still becomes beautifully crispy, so that is always my choice for breakfast recipes.

If you prefer to make a sausage McMuffin, we’ll be using turkey breakfast sausage to make our own sausage patty for each breakfast sandwich.

For this copycat recipe, we’re also going to use light English muffins.

Light English muffins

Any regular English muffin will work great, but this light version contains fewer calories and is still the same size, so they make for the perfect egg sandwich. You can use any type or brand of English muffin you prefer, however.

The other change we’re making in our egg McMuffin recipe is leaving out the butter. While butter does add flavor, I don’t find it necessary to make a delicious egg McMuffin, so I left it out of this homemade egg McMuffin recipe.

 

Ingredients needed for homemade egg McMuffins

McDonald's Egg McMuffin Recipe

These breakfast sandwiches come together quickly, but the breakfast meat will be the most time-consuming portion, so I like to take care of that part first.

You can choose to either make a Sausage McMuffin or classic Egg McMuffin for this homemade version, so you’ll prep either the breakfast sausage or bacon first.

 

How to make bacon for an egg McMuffin

For each egg McMuffin, I use 2 strips of center-cut bacon. Since this recipe makes 2 sandwiches, I like to cook 4 strips of bacon in total.

To make crispy bacon, I love to use the air fryer. Lay your strips of bacon in the air fryer, and air fry them at 400 degrees F for 7 minutes. Unlike pan frying, when you use the air fryer, you don’t even need to flip your bacon.

If you prefer to pan-fry your bacon, you can fry the strips over medium-high heat for a few minutes per side until cooked to your liking.

And of course, if you prefer Canadian bacon, you can just throw a slice right onto your sandwich, but crispy bacon is much more preferred here.

 

How to make sausage for a sausage egg McMuffin

To make your own sausage patty, I recommend buying some lean turkey breakfast sausage.

If your store sells pre-formed patties, you can go that route, but I don’t mind the extra step of forming my own sausage patties to fit perfectly atop my English muffin.

I formed this turkey sausage into 6 patties, then pan-fried over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side. If you use pre-formed patties, you can follow these same cooking instructions.

Turkey sausage and bacon on plate

As you can see by this photo, I like to prep more sausage and bacon than I need for my breakfast sandwich, that way I can easily throw together more sandwiches throughout the week.

While you’re at it, you might as well make some homemade McGriddles, too!

 

The best way to cook your eggs for McMuffins

If you want a perfectly round egg to fit snuggly within your English muffin, you can’t just rely on pan-frying.

When you crack an egg into a pan, it spreads out quite a bit; this is where an egg ring will come into play. An egg ring allows you to cook a perfectly round egg within your pan, so I highly recommend grabbing one if you want to go the fried egg route.

If you’re in a pinch, you can also use the lid ring from a mason jar, or even a cookie cutter, to make your own egg ring at home.

Another option (the one I use) is a DASH mini skillet. I use this little machine to make the fluffy pancakes for my McGriddles recipe, and it works perfectly for making round eggs, too.

Egg in mini skillet

Simply crack an egg into the skillet, close the lid, and let it cook. You’ll be left with a fried egg that is nice and round. Right before pulling the egg from the griddle, I like to sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper over top of the egg.

You can achieve a cooked egg using any method you prefer. While frying your egg will give you the most authentic McDonald’s McMuffin, you can also use a poached egg, scrambled egg, baked egg, or any other method you prefer.

 

Assembling your Egg McMuffin

You have all the components for this egg McMuffin recipe, now it’s time to put it all together!

Split your English muffin and lightly toast it to your desired doneness. I like to spray the insides of the muffins with cooking spray, then lay them face down in a hot pan to lightly toast the insides. You can also pop the English muffins in a toaster to keep things simple.

Once you have your toasted English muffin, you’ll lay one slice of American cheese on top of the bottom portion. I use fat-free American cheese because I truly cannot taste the difference, but any sliced cheese will work here.

If you want the cheese to become super melty, you can toss just the bottom of the English muffin with the cheese slice into the microwave for just a few seconds, but that’s an optional step.

Melty cheese and bacon

Add your cooked sausage patty or crispy bacon on top of the cheese, then add your cooked egg.

Top with the other half of your English muffin, and you’re ready to go!

If you want to save these McMuffins for later in the week, I recommend wrapping them in plastic wrap and foil to keep them as fresh as possible. These egg McMuffins can also be frozen, then quickly reheated in the microwave or air fryer for a quick breakfast at any time.

Bacon egg and cheese mcmuffins

Pair your breakfast sandwich with a crispy air fryer hash brown patty, and you’ll have your very own homemade McDonald’s breakfast at home!

 

McDonald's Egg McMuffin Recipe

Egg McMuffin Healthier Than McDonald's

Yield: 2 Egg McMuffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Not only is it incredibly easy to make your own McDonald's Egg McMuffins at home, but they can be made super healthy with just a few simple ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 2 Light English Muffins
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 Slice Fat Free American Cheese (can use any cheese you prefer)
  • Butter Spray
  • 4 Strips Center Cut Bacon OR 2 Turkey Sausage Patties (I use Jennie-O turkey sausage to make my own patties)

Instructions

  1. Prep the bacon or sausage depending on which type of Egg McMuffin you'd like to make. For bacon, I like to air fry at 400 degrees F for about 7 minutes. To make homemade turkey sausage patties, take a tube of Jennie-O turkey breakfast sausage and form it into 6 sausage patties (you won't use all 6 for this recipe, but it's easiest to make them all at once). Pan fry over medium-high heat for 5 minutes per side until cooked through.
  2. Open up two English muffins and spray the insides with butter spray. Lay them face down in the pan until lightly toasted, then remove from heat.
  3. Make the eggs by cracking them one a time either into a DASH mini griddle (this is what I use) or into a pan. If you want a perfectly round egg using a pan, use an egg ring or round cookie cutter to keep the egg circular (just make sure to spray with cooking spray to make sure the egg doesn't stick).
  4. Cook the egg to your desired level of doneness, either fully cooking through or leaving the yolk slightly runny. To make an authentic Egg McMuffin, fry the egg completely, then repeat for the second egg.
  5. Add a slice of American cheese to your English muffins, then top with your egg. Add bacon or turkey sausage on top of the egg, then enjoy!

Notes

  • I use center cut bacon because it's very lean and still crispy. You can also use turkey bacon if you prefer.
  • If you want the cheese to get nice and melty, you can add a slice to the bottom of your English muffin and microwave for a couple of seconds to melt it. But be careful because it melts quickly!
  • This recipe is incredibly forgiving, so feel free to get creative with it. You can use scrambled eggs, bagels, a different type of cheese, or any other swap you can think up.
  • To lower the calories even more, you can use egg whites instead of whole egg, but I find the whole egg to have much more flavor overall.

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Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1 Egg McMuffin
Amount Per Serving Calories 250Total Fat 10gCarbohydrates 28gProtein 21g

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About Matt Rosenman

With over 15 years of experience in health and fitness, Matt Rosenman is the expert voice behind Cheatdaydesign.com. Matt’s philosophy is simple: no foods are off-limits, and a healthy lifestyle shouldn't be complicated or restrictive. As a former certified personal trainer with a bachelor’s degree in Health Behavioral Sciences, Matt brings well-rounded expertise to his blog. From revamping classic recipes with a nutritious twist to breaking down fast food menus, his goal is make healthy living less confusing for everyone. Featured in major publications and with a strong following on social media, Matt is committed to making “healthy” uncomplicated—no matter where you are in your health journey. Join Matt on his mission to simplify health without sacrificing flavor. Learn More

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