Review: Spicy Egg McMuffin and Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg from McDonald’s

Bottom Line: The Spicy Egg McMuffin and Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg from McDonald’s add some heat to a couple of classic breakfast sandwiches.

I’m not a big fan of really spicy food for breakfast because I’m usually looking for a jolt of caffeine, not necessarily heat, first thing in the morning. That said, I’m still amenable to a little bit of burn to start the day because it does help wake you up along with that java. And fast-food joints and casual restaurants have taken notice that people are looking for some spice in the morning, adding several options to their morning menus. McDonald’s recently joined in by kicking up two of its all-time classics: the Egg McMuffin and the Sausage McMuffin with Egg.

The Egg McMuffin is a fast-food hall-of-famer, and it was the first breakfast sandwich offered by a major chain. It comes with a fresh-cracked egg (cooked into a perfect circle using a custom-made ring mold), a slice of Canadian bacon (does that cost 25% more now due to tariffs?), and American cheese (does that fight with the Canadian bacon these days?), all loaded into a buttered and toasted English muffin. (Canadian, American, and English? Are we headed for an international incident?) The sausage version is basically the same, but swaps the Canadian bacon for a savory breakfast sausage patty (no nationality indicated). For the spicy versions, McDonald’s adds the same Spicy Pepper Sauce used on their Spicy McCrispy Chicken Sandwich.

The Egg McMuffin is one of my all-time favorites and a go-to item for breakfast on the run. The egg is almost always perfectly cooked, the Canadian bacon adds just the right amount of saltiness with a touch of smoke, and the cheese brings creaminess with a hint of sharpness. The muffin adds a nice, toasty flavor, and the whole thing is a compact little meal you can easily eat while driving. As for the spicy sauce addition, that has a mayo tang with a peppery kick, and it definitely wakes things up on the McMuffin.  In fact, it almost overpowers since the other ingredients tend to the mild side in flavor.

Still, I enjoyed the spicy Egg McMuffin, and it delivered a notable kick. That sauce is pretty hot (especially for McDonald’s), landing the sandwich close to Medium heat on my scale. That’s a little higher than I prefer first thing in the morning, but I adjusted to it quickly. If you add hash browns, they can help offset the heat between bites of the sandwich and sips of coffee.

After trying the Egg McMuffin, I suspected the sauce might pair better with the sausage version, so I gave that one a try. I was right: the spicy condiment complemented the savory sausage instead of taking over the flavor. I’d still order the Egg McMuffin version again, but my preference leans toward the Sausage McMuffin with Egg because everything comes together quite well.

As for heat, the sausage sandwich actually comes in a little higher than Medium on my scale. The sausage itself has just a touch of kick, and when paired with the spicy sauce, it pushes past the heat level of the Egg McMuffin. And actually, an orange juice would go well with it to cool down your mouth once you have scarfed down the sandwich.

Calorie-wise, the Spicy Egg McMuffin totals 360, while the sausage version tops out at 530 (the sauce adds about 50 calories). The former is not bad for the start of the day, and you can even add a hash brown patty (147 calories) without overdoing it. But if you opt for the Sausage McMuffin with Egg, you may want to plan a 30-minute walk at lunchtime to compensate for the extra calories it brings.

McDonald’s doesn’t gig you too much on the sauce upgrade as it only raises the price by 20 cents ($4.49 each in my area vs. $4.29 for the regular versions). However, if you’re trying to use that $2 breakfast sandwich deal in the app, these don’t qualify. But if you get the meal with hash browns and a drink ($7.19 in my area), it’s still a better value than what some coffee shops charge for breakfast these days. These spicy sandwiches appear to be limited-time-only, but since the sauce is a standard menu item, you can always ask them to add it. Expect an upcharge of more than 20 cents, though.

Nutrition Information:

Spicy Egg McMuffin

Calories: 360
Fat: 19g (7g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 17g
Carbs: 30g
Sodium: 870mg

Spicy Sausage McMuffin with Egg

Calories: 530
Fat: 37g (13g Sat/0.5 Trans)
Protein: 20g
Carbs: 31g
Sodium: 930mg