The Best McDonald's Breakfast Sandwich Is Still The One You Grew Up With

When it comes to fast food breakfast, no matter how many options exist, you can't have this conversation without including McDonald's legendary Egg McMuffin. This simple sandwich set the standard for fast food breakfast. Over the years, people have debated whether it's a real egg (it is), called into question the nutritional value (it's fast food, so come on), and suggested far more elaborate items. Still, the Egg McMuffin is a classic for a reason, and the best version is the humble Sausage McMuffin with Egg. You just can't beat it.

Sure, McDonald's Bacon McMuffin is solid; there's nothing wrong with it. But between a Sausage McMuffin with Egg and a Bacon McMuffin, the sausage clearly comes out on top. When Tasting Table broke down the best McDonald's breakfast items, the Sausage McMuffin was our hands-down winner. As our taste tester says, "The combination of sweet, savory, and subtly smoky flavors makes it undeniably crave-worthy." It just hits all the right notes you want in a breakfast sandwich.

It's not just flavor, either. "This sandwich feels hearty without weighing you down," our tester explained. The sausage and English muffin together strike "the perfect balance between soft and sturdy." So you're getting taste, texture, and heartiness. It's a meal that fires on all cylinders, leaving you satisfied without feeling overstuffed or like something is missing. McDonald's nailed this one.

We are far from the only ones who think the Sausage McMuffin with Egg is the best breakfast offering at McDonald's. Thrillist even wrote an article defending the Sausage McMuffin with Egg as superior to the Bacon McMuffin, detailing how the sausage fits better than bacon on the muffin, has more consistent flavor, and holds heat more effectively.

Brand Eating, Business Insider, Gourmet Gorro, and plenty of Redditors agree that the Sausage McMuffin with Egg is the best breakfast sandwich McDonald's offers. Some rank it best out of over 40 items reviewed. And many of these rankings go beyond McDonald's items; they mean the best breakfast sandwich across any fast food chain.

The sausage is clearly the element that puts this particular breakfast sandwich over the top. Because you can get several different kinds of Egg McMuffins from McDonald's, including ham, bacon, and even steak, it's the protein that ultimately makes or breaks the sandwich. For our taste tester, the sausage was "perfectly seasoned, juicy, and flavorful." The sausage patties by themselves have plenty of ardent fans you can find online.

Alongside the soft yet crispy English muffin, the firm, filling egg patty contrasts the salty, savory punch of the sausage, while the cheese binds everything together for a perfect mouthful in every bite. It's incredibly simple because it doesn't need to be complicated. McDonald's has breakfast down, and the Sausage McMuffin with Egg is the best example of why the chain has been at the top of the breakfast game for decades.