The Only McDonald's Breakfast Sandwich That Includes A Fresh-Cracked Egg

We accept certain realities when we grab breakfast at a fast-food restaurant. Sausage and hash brown patties are pre-formed and frozen at some production center, and the maple syrup is most likely maple-flavored corn syrup. That's okay; we're there for convenience, not grandma's cooking. So, we often accept that most egg products are pre-made or use liquid egg. However, there's one breakfast sandwich recipe at McDonald's where you'll actually be biting into a real, fresh-cracked egg: the classic Egg McMuffin.

It may sound too good to be true, but it is. Not long before you got to the counter, a McDonald's employee cracked a real, fresh egg, and placed it in one of several egg rings on equipment that bastes the eggs (that is, fries the bottom and steams the top). You can watch the whole process on TikTok.

It's worth knowing the fresh-cracked egg is only used for the Egg McMuffin and its iterations, such as the Sausage McMuffin with Egg, or the Triple Breakfast Stacks McMuffin (featuring double the sausage, double the cheese, and bacon along with that egg). Other eggy breakfast items on the menu are prepared in different ways.

There is no shortage of rumors about inauthentic ingredients in fast food meals, like Subway being accused of not including much tuna in their tuna fish. In response, some restaurants work to explain their ingredients and processes in more detail. McDonald's does this via an FAQ section on the website. For example, you'll learn that the Quarter Pounder and protein-packed Double Quarter Pounder is the only burger that uses fresh (not frozen) beef.

According to the website, McDonald's has four different techniques for getting eggs into its breakfast meals. There, the company explains, "our breakfast menu items are all made with real eggs–they're just prepared a little differently for each sandwich." As we mentioned, the round egg for the Egg McMuffin is fresh, and cracked into an egg ring. For meals that include scrambled eggs, liquid egg is poured onto the flat top griddle and cooked with butter. Other sandwiches, like the bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, feature a folded egg that is cooked and folded offsite, then flash frozen (it's reheated on the griddle). The filling for McDonald's sausage burrito is also prepared and flash frozen offsite, using liquid egg and ingredients like sausage, tomatoes, and green chilis.

Craving an Egg McMuffin, and want to make your own? Check out this easy hack to make the perfect round egg for your McMuffin-style breakfast sandwich. A simple Mason jar ring and a saucepan lid will give you the look and texture you seek.