Copycat McDonald's Breakfast Sandwiches Aren't Complete Without One Frozen Sausage
There's something nostalgic about McDonald's breakfast sausage patties. Salty, savory, and a little bit sweet with hints of rosemary and sage, the patty is what makes McDonald's Sausage and Egg McMuffin and McGriddles so irresistible. If you're looking to recreate your favorite breakfast sandwich at home — perhaps because you missed the cut-off for when McDonald's changes over from breakfast to lunch — you are in luck. Mike Haracz, a former McDonald's corporate chef, says you can find a dupe for McDonald's iconic sausage patty right in the frozen food aisle at Walmart.
In a TikTok, he explains that after consulting the McDonald's website and comparing ingredients and nutritional information from other grocery store breakfast patties, Walmart's Great Value pork breakfast sausage patties are the best dupe. Like the McDonald's sausage patties, the Great Value version is made with pork, water, and salt. Haracz says the natural flavors and sweeteners are also similar. The only notable difference is that the Great Value pork sausage patty has slightly more fat and different preservatives. However, he said it was close to the McDonald's breakfast sausage patty when cooked.
@chefmikeharacz Former #McDonalds corporate chef tells you where to buy their breakfast sausage. #mcdonaldssecrets #mcdonaldssecret #mcdonaldshack #McDonaldsHacks #McDonaldsMenu #McDonaldsTikTok #McDonaldsLife #fastFood #FastFoodSecrets #FastFoodLife #FastFoodTikTok #mcdonaldsbreakfastsandwich #SausageMcMuffin #sausagemcmuffinwithegg #sausagemcgriddles #sausagemcgriddle #sausageeggandcheese #sausageeggandcheesemcgriddle #sausageeggandcheesebiscuit
While the Great Value version may not be the best breakfast sausage from the grocery store (our testers found it tastes a bit generic and greasy), this might work in its favor when recreating a McDonald's breakfast sandwich like the Sausage and Egg McMuffin at home. When paired with a toasted, buttered English muffin and a slice of American cheese on the bottom, the patty's greasiness helps balance the bread's chewiness.
Other McDonalds dupes you can find at the grocery store
Whether you're not able to make it to your local McDonald's or you're just trying to cut costs, these at-home dupes are having a moment. In 2022, Haracz went viral on TikTok for sharing his recipe for replicating Big Mac Sauce at home, which he makes by combining mayo, sweet pickle relish, Dusseldorf mustard, white vinegar, paprika, onion powder, granulated garlic, and white pepper. However, he also points out that the Great Value pork breakfast sausage patties aren't the only McDonald's dupes you can find at the grocery store.
If you're craving Chicken McNuggets or a Crunchy Double — the McDonald's secret menu item that tops a McDouble with McNuggets — you can get your fix with Pilgrim's Pride Tempura Style Chicken Breast Nuggets. While you can cook them in the oven, you'll want to deep fry or pop them in the air fryer to get them nice and crispy. If you're feeling creative, you could even use the Pilgrim's nuggets atop your breakfast sandwich for a spin on the Chicken Cordon Bleu McMuffin — an Egg McMuffin paired with a McChicken patty. To top your sandwich, consider using Great Value American cheese, which Horacz also suggests as a McDonald's dupe.
Lastly, what would McDonalds be without hashbrowns? Recreate McDonald's beloved side with Aldi Season's Choice hash browns. While McDonald's fries theirs in a beef-flavored oil — something that might be difficult to replicate at home — frying them in regular vegetable oil will create a nearly identical taste.