McMuffin is a family of
breakfast sandwich
A breakfast sandwich is any sandwich filled with foods associated with breakfast. Breakfast sandwiches are served at fast food restaurants and delicatessens, sold in supermarkets, and commonly made at home. Different types of breakfast sandwich i ...
es sold by the international
fast food
Fast food is a type of Mass production, mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. ''Fast food'' is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheat ...
restaurant chain
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
. The Egg McMuffin is the signature sandwich, which was invented in 1972 by
Herb Peterson to resemble
eggs benedict
Eggs Benedict is a common American breakfast or brunch dish, consisting of two halves of an English muffin, each topped with Canadian bacon or sliced ham, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce. The dish is believed to have originated in New Y ...
, a traditional American breakfast dish with
English muffins, ham, eggs and
hollandaise sauce
Hollandaise sauce ( or ; from French meaning "Dutch sauce") is a mixture of egg yolk, melted butter, and lemon juice (or a white wine or vinegar reduction). It is usually seasoned with salt, and either white pepper or cayenne pepper.
It is ...
.
Product description
In the US and Canada the standard McMuffin consists of a slice of
Canadian bacon, a
griddle-fried egg, and a slice of
American cheese
American cheese is a type of processed cheese made from Cheddar cheese, cheddar, Colby cheese, Colby, or similar cheeses, in conjunction with sodium citrate, which permits the cheese to be pasteurized without its components separating. It is mi ...
on a toasted and buttered
English muffin. The round shape of the egg is made by cooking it in a white plastic ring surrounded by an outer metal structure.
[, p. 174]
Versions with
sausage
A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs, may be included as fillers or extenders.
...
and chicken instead of Canadian bacon and egg, named respectively Sausage McMuffin and Chicken McMuffin, were released alongside the original. The Sausage and Egg McMuffin, a version of the Sausage McMuffin with an egg, is considered to be more popular than its bacon counterpart. The
McGriddles are a variant of the McMuffin with a
scrambled egg flap and
American cheese
American cheese is a type of processed cheese made from Cheddar cheese, cheddar, Colby cheese, Colby, or similar cheeses, in conjunction with sodium citrate, which permits the cheese to be pasteurized without its components separating. It is mi ...
between two
maple
''Acer'' is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated si ...
-flavored
griddle pancakes
A pancake, also known as a hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack, is a flat type of batter bread like cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based Batter (cooking), batter that may contain eggs, milk, and butter, and then cooked on a ...
, with the same variants as the McMuffin.
There is also a vegetarian version named "McMuffin Egg & Cheese", in countries like France and Germany. Since 2019, it is available all day long in France.
History
The sandwich was invented in 1972.
Former McDonald's President
Ray Kroc
Raymond Albert Kroc (October 5, 1902 – January 14, 1984) was an American businessman who was instrumental in turning McDonald's into the most successful global fast food corporation by revenue. He purchased it from the McDonald Brothers in ...
wrote that
Herb Peterson and his assistant, Donald Greadel, the operator of a McDonald's Santa Barbara franchise in
Goleta, California
Goleta ( ; ; Spanish for "schooner") is a city in southern Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It was incorporated as a city in 2002, after a long period as the largest unincorporated populated area in the county. As of the 200 ...
,
asked Kroc to look at something, without giving details because it was:
One reason the sandwich was served open-faced was that a small tub of strawberry preserves was provided, along with a knife. The sweet and savory approach did not catch on (at least in the US), although a packet of strawberry preserves will still be provided upon request.
The first McDonald's corporate-authorized Egg McMuffin was served at the
Belleville, New Jersey
Belleville (French: "Belle ville" meaning "beautiful town") is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 38,222. an increase of 2,296 (+6.4%) from the 2010 ...
, McDonald's in 1972.
See also
*
Croissan'wich
International fast-food restaurant chain Burger King and its Australian franchise Hungry Jack's have had a variety of breakfast sandwiches in their product portfolio since 1978. The Croissan'wich was the first major breakfast sandwich product intr ...
*
List of sandwiches
Sandwiches are a common type of lunch food often eaten as part of a packed lunch. There are many types of sandwiches, made from a diverse variety of ingredients. The sandwich is the namesake of John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, a British statesman ...
References
{{McDonald's
McDonald's foods
American sandwiches
Products introduced in 1972
Breakfast sandwiches