The Hands-Down Best McDonald's Breakfast Sandwich Has The Perfect Mix Of Sweet And Savory Flavors

Have you ever wondered why McDonald's breakfast sandwiches are so delicious? In addition to benefitting from expert development by professional chefs, the sammies are packed with fat and salt for maximum savory flavor. The chain offers over a dozen options, most of which will keep you full until lunch without bogging you down, and some are made with fresh egg to boot. In a ranking of McDonald's breakfast sandwiches, we felt one handheld was tastier than the rest: the bacon, egg, and cheese McGriddles.

The key to its greatness is its contrast of sweet and savory components — the fatty saltiness of hot, crispy bacon meets the sweet syrupy warmth of pancake-like griddle cakes. However, it was the sandwich's texture that truly won us over, with a satisfying crunch and accompanying softness. Every bite was a perfect balance of taste and texture.

McGriddles launched in 2003 to rave reviews. It was invented by Tom Ryan, an expert in flavor and fragrance chemistry famous for creating Pizza Hut's stuffed crust. According to him, the toughest part was keeping the syrup inside the cakes for mess-free portability while maintaining a strong maple taste. Based on our experience with the bacon, egg, and cheese McGriddles, Ryan and his team more than succeeded.

McDonald's bacon, egg, and cheese McGriddles have thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon, folded egg, and American cheese between two maple-flavored griddle cakes. The sandwich contains 430 calories, 21 grams of fat, 44 grams of carbs, 17 grams of protein, and 15 grams of sugar. It costs around $5 to $6 solo or $9 to $10 as a combo, which comes with a hash brown and coffee (prices vary by location).

Fans swear by the handheld. "The McGriddle is the best breakfast sandwich ever crafted," one Reddit user attested. "I am very critical of McDonald's, but the one thing I will always give [it] credit for is [its] breakfast," added another, saying they used to order the McGriddles all the time when breakfast was available there 24/7. "Fast food egg is not my thing, but I love a bacon and cheese McGriddle," admitted another Redditor. "I like to get a syrup cup on the side and dip [it] in to ensure maximal syrup coverage," shared a fourth.

Most McDonald's locations now only serve breakfast until 10:30 or 11 a.m. If you miss your window but still want McGriddles, make some at home. Turn to this copycat McDonald's sausage, egg, and cheese McGriddles recipe and simply substitute bacon for sausage; it calls for store-bought pancake mix, and the batter is sprinkled with shards of frozen reduced maple syrup to infuse each griddle cake with sweetness. (Who knew your favorite fast food breakfast was only a handful of ingredients away?)