Not Fried: Here's How McMuffin Eggs Are Actually Prepared

McDonald's Egg McMuffin is one of the most popular fast food breakfast sandwiches of all time. Its components are simple: a toasted and buttered English muffin, Canadian bacon, American cheese, and an egg. But as no-frills as this handheld is, the egg's preparation is quite specific to the chain.

Instead of heat-and-eat patties, McDonald's uses fresh, Grade A eggs on its McMuffins. They're cracked directly into rings to create a round shape and cooked on the grill. McDonald's notes that it uses "liquid real butter," but they're not exactly fried. Once employees place the eggs and delicately pierce the yolks for even spreading, they add water to the grill and cover the eggs to steam-poach them. In two and a half minutes, they remove the rings, and the rounds are kept warm for future use.

So, the cooking process is simple. What you might not know about McDonald's famous Egg McMuffin, however, is that it was invented as a portable riff on eggs Benedict, just with American cheese in place of rich hollandaise sauce. Herb Peterson, creator of the McMuffin and a California-based owner and operator, developed special Teflon rings, ensuring a uniform, circular shape every time. The original McMuffin looked a bit different than it does today, though, as it was initially served open-faced with honey or jam.

Many McDonald's diners prefer the McMuffin's round egg to the McGriddle's folded version. "The round egg tastes like an actual egg, with the yolks having a nice, rich eggy taste and texture. The folded egg is watery and bland, like a cheap scrambled egg," one Reddit user wrote. "Why would anyone sub [folded] for a real, whole egg cracked from a shell?" another Reddit user asked. "I order McGriddles sub round egg," offered a third.

Still, some prefer alternate eggs for the handheld. A simple request for a better McDonald's McMuffin is swapping in a folded egg. While not as fresh — these are pre-cooked liquid eggs that are folded and flash frozen before they're grilled in butter for serving — some customers prefer their thicker, fluffier texture. Their look and consistency are uniform, and there's no risk of an overcooked yolk, like with the round version. Still not satisfied? You can instead substitute scrambled eggs, also cooked in butter.

To make a McMuffin-like egg at home, use a specialized ring (or mason jar ring) to replace the McDonald's mold. Add butter or oil to the pan, place the ring, crack the egg inside, break the yolk, add some water to the pan, and cover until it's cooked. The rest is as simple as following this five-ingredient copycat McDonald's Sausage & Egg McMuffin recipe — simply substitute Canadian bacon for sausage to dupe the original.