Breakfast Muffin at Home (McDonald's-Style)

Name: Breakfast Muffin at Home (McDonald's-Style)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 400g pork mince, not too lean; 1 tsp dried sage; 3/4 tsp fine salt; 3/4 tsp ground white pepper; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 1 tsp maple syrup; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 4 English muffins, split; 4 large eggs; 4 slices mild cheese, such as Red Leicester or a processed slice; Butter, for the muffins; Salt and pepper

A toasted muffin with a ring-set egg, a seasoned pork patty and a slice of melting cheese.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 12 min
Serves: 4

Easy · Total 22 min · Updated 12 September 2026

Why This Recipe Works

The egg is cooked in a ring so it matches the muffin rather than hanging over the edges. A crumpet ring, a metal cookie cutter or a jam jar lid all work.
Sage, white pepper and a little maple in the patty is what makes it taste like a breakfast sausage patty instead of a small burger.
Toasting the cut faces in the pan, in the fat left from the patties, does more for the finished muffin than anything else in the method.

How to Make It

Season and shape thin pork patties and fry them hard, then toast the muffin halves in the same pan. Cook the eggs in rings with a splash of water and a lid so the tops set without flipping. Stack muffin, patty, cheese, egg, lid, and eat it immediately.

Ingredients

For the patties

400g pork mince, not too lean
1 tsp dried sage
3/4 tsp fine salt
3/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp vegetable oil

To assemble

4 English muffins, split
4 large eggs
4 slices mild cheese, such as Red Leicester or a processed slice
Butter, for the muffins
Salt and pepper

Instructions

1
Mix the pork with the sage, salt, white pepper, nutmeg and maple syrup. Divide into 4 and press each into a thin patty slightly wider than a muffin. They shrink.
2
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the patties for 3 minutes a side, until well browned and cooked through. Lift out and keep warm.
3
Put the muffin halves cut side down in the same pan and toast for a minute, until golden. Butter them lightly.
4
Set the rings in the pan over medium-low heat and grease them. Crack an egg into each, season, add a tablespoon of water to the pan and cover with a lid.
5
Cook for 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft. Run a knife round the inside of each ring to release.
6
Build each muffin: base, patty, cheese slice on the hot patty so it melts, then the egg, then the lid.
7
Press gently, wrap in paper for a minute if you want the cheese fully molten, and eat straight away.

Tips for the Best Results

Do not use lean mince. Pork at around 20% fat is what keeps a thin patty from going dry in six minutes.

No egg rings? Cut the top and bottom from a tuna tin, or use a wide metal cutter. A silicone ring will float.

Make the patties the night before and keep them between sheets of paper in the fridge. It turns this into a ten-minute breakfast.

For a vegetarian version, use a seasoned potato rosti or a halloumi slice in place of the patty.

Make Ahead & Storage

Raw patties keep two days in the fridge and three months frozen, interleaved with paper. Assembled muffins do not keep, the muffin goes soggy under the egg within minutes, so build them to order.

What to Serve It With

Hash browns, shop-bought and oven-baked without shame
Brown sauce or ketchup
Black coffee
A grilled tomato, if you want to pretend it is a fry-up

Nutrition (Estimated, per serving)

Nutrient	Per serving
Energy	520 kcal
Fat	29g
of which saturates	11g
Carbohydrate	33g
of which sugars	3g
Fibre	2g
Protein	30g
Salt	1.9g

These are our own estimates, calculated from the ingredient quantities above and divided by 4 servings. They are not laboratory figures, and yours will differ with the cut of meat, the brand of each ingredient and how generously you serve it. Treat them as a guide, not a measurement.

Frequently Asked Questions About Breakfast Muffin at Home

Can I bake the eggs instead?

Yes, crack them into a greased muffin tin and bake at 180C fan for 10 to 12 minutes. Useful if you are making eight at once.

What cheese melts best?

A processed slice melts most evenly, which is exactly why fast-food muffins use one. Mild Red Leicester or a young Gouda are the best real-cheese options.

Can I use sausages instead of mince?

Yes. Squeeze the meat from four good pork sausages and skip the added salt, since sausagemeat is already seasoned.

Is this McDonald's recipe?

No. McDonald's has not published it, and this is our own patty seasoning and method for the same kind of breakfast muffin.

Curious what it costs to buy instead of make? The McDonald's menu prices are here, with calories beside every item.