Erin Elizabeth
McDonald’s might have started life as a hamburger restaurant in California in 1940, but now it’s one of the most prominent restaurants in the entire world.
No matter where you go, chances are that there’s a McDonald’s close by. The convenience and consistency keep diners coming back. If you’re on the go on your morning commute, McDonald’s breakfast menu has plenty of options to start your day!
The chain initially gained popularity for its burgers, fries, and shakes. However, today, McDonald’s is nearly as famous because of its breakfast. Originally a morning-only offering, breakfast got so popular that many locations now offer breakfast all day long.
The breakfast menu at McDonald’s is enormous and mixed with classics as well as new hits. From McMuffins to McGriddles and everywhere in between, McDonald’s has a little something for everyone. So what are the best McDonald’s breakfast menu items you should try? Read on for my ranking.
Best Food on McDonald’s Breakfast Menu
- Egg McMuffin
- Sausage Burrito
- Fruit & Maple Oatmeal
- Hotcakes
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bagel
- Hash Browns
- Sausage McMuffin with Egg
- Sausage Biscuit with Egg
- Sausage McGriddle
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddle
- Big Breakfast with Hotcakes
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
Egg McMuffin
The Egg McMuffin is the one that started it all for McDonald’s breakfast.
If you’ve ever had McDonald’s breakfast, chances are good that you’ve tried one (or many!). The Egg McMuffin is so popular that it spawned a whole wave of spinoffs, some of which we’ll discuss in a bit.
McDonald’s freshly cracks their eggs, meaning yours is coming out nice and fresh. The egg’s combined with lean Canadian bacon and melted American cheese before being placed on a toasted, buttered English muffin. It’s the perfect breakfast sandwich.
At only 310 calories, it’s healthy and a great source of protein as well.
Sausage Burrito
Okay, so a burrito might not pop to mind as a McDonald’s item. However, the Sausage Burrito is a great breakfast offering.
It’s a winner because it’s so simple. Scrambled eggs, cheese, green chiles, onion, and McDonald’s excellent breakfast sausage come together perfectly inside a flour tortilla. The eggs taste great, and the tortilla avoids being gummy.
Unlike some other offerings, this burrito is really easy to eat without making a mess, making it the ideal grab-and-go option. Plus, the Sausage Burrito is only 310 total calories. So, you can get a great meal and still feel good about the rest of your day.
Fruit & Maple Oatmeal
Breakfast sandwiches and hash browns are great, but sometimes you want something a little bit different at McDonald’s. Fortunately, that’s why they serve their Fruit & Maple Oatmeal.
You get two servings of whole-grain oats, which cook to perfection with a little bit of cream and brown sugar. To make things even better, McDonald’s adds red apples, green apples, cranberries, and two kinds of raisins to make things even better!
The final dish is warming, hearty, and wholesome. The fruit adds a wonderful taste and texture to the oats. And, at just 320 calories, this healthy McDonald’s meal is the perfect way to start a cold day.
Hotcakes
Hotcakes are McDonald’s answer to traditional buttermilk pancakes. The good news for you is that the Hotcakes are fantastic and way faster than whipping up a batch at home.
You get three golden brown cakes with each order. They’re hot, dense, and tasty. The Hotcakes are also the perfect base for the salted, whipped butter, as well as McDonald’s maple-flavored syrup. Get a side hash brown or sausage, and pair it with some orange juice or McCafe coffee, and you’re in business.
Hotcakes are definitely not one to eat on the train or in your car, but eat in the restaurant or at home, and you’ll be happy.
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bagel
If you’re really hungry, the Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Bagel is a great sandwich option at McDonald’s.
They start with a buttered, toasted bagel, then cover it with thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, a folded egg, and not one, but two, pieces of American cheese. It’s substantial, but it packs a ton of flavor. I like to get it with a Hash Brown and some orange juice when I know I’ve got a long day ahead.
McDonald’s offers a great variation for anyone counting calories as well. You can replace the egg with egg whites to save some calories but keep the protein content high.
Hash Browns
When you think of McDonald’s breakfast, it’s almost impossible to think of anything but the Hash Browns. Often imitated but never duplicated, the Hash Browns are a must-try with almost any breakfast.
At their core, the Hash Browns are shredded potato patties fried until they’re golden brown. They’re crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. They’re a little salty, a little greasy, and all delicious. It’s also tough to resist eating more than one.
For an extra treat, try putting your Hash Browns into any of the sandwiches instead of as a side. Your stomach will thank you.
Sausage McMuffin with Egg
The Egg McMuffin is a classic, but not everyone is a fan of Canadian bacon. McDonald’s also offers the Sausage McMuffin with Egg to respond to that. In my opinion, it’s at least as good as, if not better than, the original McMuffin.
It’s still a freshly cracked egg and melted American cheese on a toasted and buttered English muffin. The critical difference is that now you also have a savory sausage patty. It’s a little thicker than the Canadian bacon and comes packed with flavor.
The Sausage McMuffin with Egg is a more substantial meal than its cousin, but it’s just as delicious.
Sausage Biscuit with Egg
For another McDonald’s breakfast sandwich option, try the Sausage Biscuit with Egg.
This delight doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of some other offerings, but it’s delicious no matter how you look at it.
The key to the Sausage Biscuit with Egg is its simplicity. A classic McDonald’s folded egg, a yummy sausage patty, and a warm, buttered biscuit. That’s it! When you only have three ingredients, they all need to work together perfectly, and that’s definitely the case here.
The egg is fluffy and delicious, the sausage adds a great flavor, and the biscuit is flaky and flavorful.
Sausage McGriddles
When you’re in a mood for a breakfast sandwich, but the regular McDonald’s options aren’t what you need, you can get yourself a Sausage McGriddles sandwich.
It’s one of the most indulgent items McDonald’s has.
Instead of an English muffin, a bagel, a bun, or a biscuit, the bread part of the Sausage McGriddles is small pancakes. They’re bun-sized, have a maple flavor, and are griddled to perfection. In the middle is a sausage patty.
The result is a sandwich with all the flavors of a pancake breakfast right in the palm of your hand.
Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles
Do you like the idea of a McGriddles sandwich, but sausage isn’t your thing? Take a look at the Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles.
You still get the hand-sized pancakes. Instead of sausage, though, you’re getting a folded egg, two slices of thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, and melted American cheese. If you’re thinking “cheese and pancake” sounds a little weird, don’t worry! This sandwich is sweet and savory, and the cheese brings a creamy quality that pulls it all together.
The beauty of the Bacon, Egg, & Cheese McGriddles is that it takes all the classic breakfast flavors and brings them together in a single bite.
Big Breakfast with Hotcakes
If you have trouble deciding on a breakfast, or if you’re someone who’s really, really hungry, McDonald’s Big Breakfast with Hotcakes is a great option.
Do you like biscuits? Scrambled eggs? Hash browns? Hotcakes? Sausage? The Big Breakfast brings you all of those things on a single platter. You can make your own sandwiches, eat everything alone, or mix it all together.
The Big Breakfast with Hotcakes takes a lot of McDonald’s favorites and brings them together. It’s a fabulous dish, but make sure you bring your appetite. If you’re not a big eater, you might try something a little different.
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
We’re wrapping up with one of my favorites: the Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit.
Here, you’re getting the same fluffy folded egg, American cheese, and thick-cut bacon you’ll see on some other sandwiches. This time, though, you’ll get in on one of McDonald’s warm and flaky buttermilk biscuits. The biscuit doesn’t get discussed as much as some other bread options, but it might be my favorite.
The cheese and egg bring just the right amount of moisture to the biscuit. This is a sandwich you’ll think about long after breakfast and will have you coming back for more.
Final Thoughts
Let’s be honest. McDonald’s breakfast is simply fantastic. There’s a reason McDonald’s is one of the most popular restaurant meals in the world. They spend time perfecting their recipes until it’s food you love and want to keep ordering over and over.
The breakfast menu at McDonald’s is excellent, with a lot of options. Check out any of these and you’re setting yourself up for a great meal, whether it’s early in the morning or late at night.
Are you interested in some of McDonald’s other options? Take a look at our favorite McDonald’s items.
Did we leave any of your favorites off this list? Let us know!
