This Meal Prep Sausage Egg McMuffin is a healthier copycat version of the McDonald's breakfast favourite with fewer calories!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Ground turkey – ground chicken would also be good. You could also make your McMuffin with bacon instead of sausage.
- Fennel seeds – anise is the best substitute here.
- Paprika – you can use cayenne, but it’ll have more of a kick.
- Garlic powder – onion powder is the best substitute here.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Eggs – feel free to use egg whites if desired.
- Cheddar cheese slices – for an even healthier option, use a lower fat cheese like provolone.
- English muffins – whole wheat English muffins or lettuce wraps can also be used.
How to make an egg McMuffin
Step 1: Assemble your ingredients.
Gather all your ingredients and preheat olive oil over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Make the sausage patties.
In a large bowl, mix together ground turkey, fennel, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Form the sausage patties, add them to the skillet and cook until cooked through.
Step 3: Crack the eggs into the egg rings.
Turn down the heat to medium-high and wipe the pan clean. Crack the eggs into the egg rings, then break the yolk.
Step 4: Cook the eggs.
Cover the skillet with a lid and cook until the eggs are firm.
Step 5: Toast the English muffins.
Lightly toast the English muffins in a toaster.
Step 6: Assemble your McMuffin.
Add a slice of cheese to half of your freshly toasted English muffin, then add sausage and egg before topping with the second half of the English muffin. Serve and enjoy!
Egg McMuffin tips & variations
This copycat McDonald's sausage egg McMuffin recipe is an easy grab-and-go recipe. You can even switch things up to make the sandwich your own! Here are some of my top tips and tricks for making and prepping this recipe:
- Ingredient prep: You can cook and store or freeze the sausage patties and fried eggs ahead of time – yes, you can freeze cooked eggs! You can also pre-slice the English muffins and cut up the cheese slices.
- Freeze the McMuffins: This recipe is definitely freezer-friendly. Wrap the sandwich in tinfoil or double wrap it in saran wrap, then freeze it in a Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
- Use a different protein: While sausage is delicious, you could also make these McMuffins with bacon or turkey bacon.
- Swap out the cheese: McDonald's uses American cheese slices. I prefer cheddar cheese because it's healthier, but feel free to use any cheese of your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
The egg rings help the egg keep their shape, which makes them easier to prep as they'll fit perfectly in the sandwich. You don't have to use them though, you just might need to fold up the fried egg to make it fit in the sandwich.
Yes! To make this recipe with bacon, fry it in a pan and cook to your desired crispiness, then add it to your sandwich. You can even make the eggs in the bacon grease after cooking the bacon.
The McDonald’s sausage McMuffin with egg has 480 calories, according to the McDonald’s website. My recipe has 408 calories, so you’re saving about 70 calories by making your McMuffin at home.
This egg McMuffin meal prep recipe is definitely healthier than the McDonald’s version. There are less calories and way less sodium. If you want an even healthier breakfast, use a low-fat cheese like provolone and swap out the regular English muffins for whole wheat English muffins or even lettuce wraps.
McDonald's sausage patty is made with pork, salt, sugar (Dextrose), “spices” and rosemary extract. To make this copycat sausage egg McMuffin healthier, I used homemade sausage patties made with either lean ground turkey or chicken. There also isn't any added sugar in the homemade sausage patties, so they’re a lot healthier.
Storing and reheating
You can store these breakfast sandwiches in the fridge for up to 5 days in airtight glass containers or wrapped in tinfoil. When you’re ready to enjoy, reheat them in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or toast them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit.
Freezing this recipe
You can freeze this sausage egg McMuffin recipe for up to 3 months. Wrap the sandwiches in aluminum foil or double-wrap them in plastic wrap, then store them in a Ziploc bag.
Reheat them right from frozen in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit. You can also let them defrost in the fridge overnight and then reheat them following the instructions above.
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More meal prep breakfast ideas
Meal Prep Tools
- These Non-Stick Egg Rings are perfect for making these Sausage Egg McMuffins.
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on packing these Egg McMuffins up for grab & go breakfasts.
- And of course, I get all my free-range ground chicken from Butcher Box!
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Meal Prep Sausage Egg McMuffin {Copycat}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 lb Ground turkey or chicken
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 6 eggs
- 6 cheddar cheese slices
- 6 English muffins
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together ground turkey, fennel, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Form 6 patties.
- Preheat 1 tbsp olive oil over med-high heat and then add patties to skillet, cooking for 5 minutes per side until sausage patties are cooked all the way through. Remove sausages from heat.
- Wipe frying pan clean with a paper towel, then spray with cooking spray and turn heat to med-low. Crack eggs into egg rings, ensuring that the rings are firmly touching bottom of skillet so eggs maintain a round shape (see link above for egg rings), then break yolk.
- Cover skillet with lid and cook eggs for about 4-5 minutes or until eggs are firm.
- Lightly toast English muffins in a toaster, then add cheese slices to bottom of muffins. Add sausages and eggs on top of cheese slices and and top with remaining English muffin buns. Serve and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Watermelon Spice says
I have a question rather than a comment. Would adding just a bit of maple syrup to the raw sausage mixture work? I’m planning on using this recipe for my s.o and I, and we both love maple syrup, it usually goes pretty well with almost anything. I hope to see your response, thank you in advance!
Taylor Stinson says
I’ve never tried it before but I’d imagine it would work!
Steve says
Actually, switching to a whole wheat English muffin (say, by Thomas’s) from white will save you 50 calories…
Daphne says
Is it 406cal for all 6 or only for 1
Taylor Stinson says
It is for each sandwich.
Borg Kimberly says
Hi, thanks for sharing this great recipe!! May I ask if everything can be freezed all together or all the items should be freezed separately please? And also can you advise in what these are best freezed? Thanks again 🙂
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Borg! You can freeze the Mcmuffins in one freezer bag together – hope that helps!
Whitney says
Can you heat these up in the oven? I live in a small apartment and we don’t have room for a microwave. If I heated it up in an oven how long would it take?
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Whitney! You can reheat them in a 350 F oven for about 10-15 minutes, that should do the trick.
Reena Bansal says
I often have to eat lunch in my car between appointments. This sounds like a great grab and go option for me. What would happen if the muffins were toasted before freezing? I love the toasted part of the muffin and don’t want to miss that
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Reena – you could definitely do a light toast on the muffins before freezing if you’d like 🙂
Debriana Brazzanovich says
This sounds awesome! Just wandering how you heat it up in the morn if it’s refrigerated or frozen? I’ve bought the store made version of these can I microwave these the same or should I leave the muffin out? Or can I freeze the whole sandwich then reheat?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Debriana thank you so much! I’m not familiar with the store bought version so would be unable to advise there, but my version can be microwaved for 2 minutes or so. Frozen, you should be able to microwave for 5-6 minutes. You may lose some crunch but the flavour will be there 🙂
Wendy says
I used fresh minced garlic and fresh minced sage leaves and thyme from my garden, sent the sausage OVER the top. I grow a ridiculous amount of every fresh herbs imaginable, and use them in literally everything! Thank you Taylor for your time and efforts here!
Taylor Stinson says
Ooooooh sage is such a great addition! So happy you are loving all the recipes Wendy, it really makes my day! 🙂