This Paleo Sausage Egg McMuffin is perfect for fans of eating sausage ’n eggs with their hands. It’s a healthier version of McDonald’s Sausage Egg McMuffin that’s protein packed, keto, and Whole30-compatible!

A white plate topped with a paleo egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich made with two fried egg buns and a sausage patty filling and guacamole.

I created this recipe for my dad, who’s a lifelong fan of breakfast sausage, eggs, and…um, English muffins. But we’re gonna skip the bread part!

A paleo version of a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin

For those of you who live under a rock, a Sausage Egg McMuffin is a popular breakfast sandwich served at the McDonald’s fast food chains. You know the one—it’s the portable breakfast sandwich that consists of a toasted English muffin, a seasoned sausage patty, a fried egg, and a slice of American cheese. Inspired by this classic dish, I created a homemade egg McMuffin recipe that’s delicious, healthy, and gluten free!

A smiling Asian woman is holding a paleo egg McMuffin.

Everyone knows the best part of a Sausage Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich isn’t the bread—it’s the filling! In my copycat version, the English muffin is subbed out for two steam-fried eggs and the filling is a golden brown pork sausage topped with a dollop of guacamole! Yes, it’s a little messier to eat but just grab some extra napkins!

Tips for making the perfect paleo breakfast sandwich

To make this breakfast sandwich resemble one from McDonald’s, you’ll need some special equipment:

Stainless steel biscuit cutters or egg rings: I use two stainless steel 3½-inch biscuit cutters to ensure that the sausage and the fried eggs are the same size and stack up perfectly. Some Nomsters have recommended using the metal ring on the lid of mason jars, too.
A medium skillet with a lid: A cast iron skillet or a heavy duty pan with a tight fitting lid works best. You’ll be frying the eggs and then steaming them, so you’ll need a lid!
Fish spatula: This indispensable tool is perfect for transferring the delicate fried eggs and sausage from the skillet.

Ingredients

Eggs: I use 2 large eggs in this recipe to replace the “bread.”
Bulk pork sausage: To keep things Whole30-compatible, use a bulk sausage that doesn’t contain sugar and other verboten ingredients. I have a homemade Whole30 Italian Sausage recipe that works great. Yes, turkey or chicken sausage will also work. Not into sausage? You can substitute bacon, ham, or Canadian bacon.
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Ghee or avocado oil cooking spray: For greasing the egg rings and for frying the eggs and sausage.
Water: You’ll need about a quarter cup of water to help steam-fry the eggs properly.
Guacamole (optional): To replace the richness of a slice of cheese, dollop on some guacamole.

How to make a paleo sausage egg McMuffin

Make the sausage patty

Grab two stainless steel 3½-inch biscuit cutters, and grease the insides well with melted ghee of avocado oil spray.

Greasing the inside of a metal biscuit cutter with a paper towel and ghee.

Place one cutter on a plate and fill it with the sausage meat.

Two hands are adding raw bulk sausage into a round metal biscuit cutter on a white plate.

Gently press the meat down to uniformly shape a sausage patty.

A red spatula is pressing raw bulk sausage into a stainless steel round biscuit mold.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add some ghee or avocado oil. When the fat is shimmering, add the patty to the pan.

Adding a biscuit cutter filled with raw sausage into a frying pan.

If you really want the patty to keep its perfectly round shape, keep the mold on until the cooked patty shrinks away from the sides. Then, lift it off and away. (Wash and grease the inside of the biscuit mold and set aside.)

Removing the biscuit cutter to reveal a round sausage patty on a skillet.

Fry the sausage for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. If your patty’s thick, you may need to cover the pan to make sure it’s cooked through. Once the patty’s ready, transfer it to a plate.

A fish spatula is removing a golden brown round sausage patty off of a frying pan.

Make the egg buns

Now, onward to the eggy “buns.” Grab two small bowls and crack one egg into each.

A person is cracking an egg into a white ramekin next to a ramekin containing a raw egg.

Pierce the yolks with a fork.

A closeup of a fork piercing the yolk of a raw egg in a white ramekin.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add some ghee when the pan is hot. (Make sure you’ve got a tight-fitting lid for this skillet.) When the ghee’s shimmering, place the two greased biscuit cutters in the pan, and pour an egg into each mold.

Pouring a raw egg from a white ramekin into a biscuit cutter in a frying pan.

Season the eggs with salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkling salt on eggs frying in a biscuit cutter in a frying pan.

Then, add ¼ cup water to the skillet (outside of the egg molds), making sure not to splash the eggs.

Pouring water into a skillet with two biscuit cutters filled with eggs.

Turn down the heat to low, and cover the pan with the lid.

Putting a lid on a skillet filled with steaming water and eggs.

Cook the eggs, covered, for about 3 minutes or until cooked through.

Removing the lid on a skillet filled with biscuit cutters and cooked eggs.

Carefully transfer the eggs to a paper towel lined plate with a fish spatula.

Two round fried eggs are on a paper towel lined plate.

Assemble the sausage egg McMuffin

Assemble the faux-“McMuffin” by sandwiching the sausage patty between the two egg rounds and adding a generous dollop of guacamole, if desired!

A hand is placing a fried egg on top of a sausage patty with guacamole.

Once you’ve gussied up your “McMuffin,” pick it up and chow down!

Make ahead instructions

You can fry up the eggs and sausage ahead of time and store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to four days. When you’re ready to eat the egg sandwich, you can microwave the components for about a minute and assemble the sausage mcmuffin!

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022)

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