There’s no denying it: a round egg is perfect for breakfast sandwiches (and so much more!).

For some reason all the best breakfast sandwich breads are round: English muffins, bagels, soft and fluffy brioche buns, waffles, donuts, wonuts, the list goes on. Sure, you can make sunny side up eggs the regular way with a little bit of the whites hanging out. But if you want a perfect McDonald’s-esque round egg, I’ve got you!

One time, when Mike were on a road trip, we stopped in to McDonald’s for breakfast. The person in front of us ordered a sausage and egg mcmuffin with an extra round egg. I was intrigued. “What is an extra round egg?” I whispered to Mike, “is it like a super special super round egg?!” He shrugged, so I worked up my confidence and asked the person at the counter.

They said to me, in a very matter of fact tone, “it’s an egg. It’s what we call our eggs.” Turns out an extra round egg isn’t an egg that’s extra round, the person just wanted two eggs on their egg mcmuffin. Ever since then, I love calling round eggs “extra round eggs.”

What is a round egg?

Just like the McDonald’s person said, it’s an egg that’s cooked in a round shape. McDonald’s uses egg rings to cook their eggs in a round circle that’s just the right size for english muffins.

How to make a round egg

1. Heat up a bit of butter in non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add your egg ring and let it get hot. Make sure you lightly butter the ring so the egg doesn’t get stuck.
3. Crack an egg into the egg ring and let it cook. If you want a classic McDonald’s egg, break the yolk.
4. Add a bit of water to the pan and cover the egg to steam it a bit.
5. When it’s done to your liking, remove from the pan and use a offset spatula or butter knife to release it from the ring.
6. Enjoy your round egg!

Add a little bit of steam

When they’re cooking round eggs at McDonald’s they add a little bit of water to the griddle and cover it so the eggs steam to perfection. That’s why they’re soft and tender and not as crispy as regular fried eggs. They also break their yolks so they cook evenly.

What is an egg ring?

An egg ring is a ring that will hold your egg yolks in place while they cook. You can buy them online, either in silicone or metal. I have the metal ones and they work great. I’m pretty sure McDonald’s uses special silicone ones that they have custom made for them.

What if I don’t want to buy an egg ring?

If you don’t want to buy an egg ring, you can use the lid of a mason jar, just make sure that you butter/oil it really well so the egg doesn’t stick. You can also use a round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter.

Baked round eggs

If you have small ramekins at home you can also make baked round eggs. Make sure to generously butter the bottoms and sides and bake the eggs, uncovered, in a 400°F oven for 10-15 minutes, the run a knife around the outside and tip them out. Or, if you have a large muffin top pan or large muffin pan, you can butter and bake in those as well.

Happy round egging!
xoxo steph