McDonald’s introduced the Egg McMuffin in 1972. The sandwich was created by Herb Peterson, a McDonald’s franchisee and former corporate executive in Southern California, who wanted to develop a breakfast item inspired by eggs Benedict.
Peterson’s version replaced the traditional English muffin and poached egg arrangement with a toasted English muffin, a round griddle-cooked egg, Canadian bacon, and American cheese. Hollandaise sauce was considered impractical for fast service, so cheese supplied a simpler creamy element.
The Egg McMuffin was initially tested and sold at select restaurants before becoming part of McDonald’s broader breakfast strategy. It helped prove that customers would buy fast food in the morning. McDonald’s breakfast menu expanded nationally in 1977, five years after the sandwich first appeared. The Egg McMuffin is also commonly confused with the later Sausage McMuffin, which uses sausage instead of Canadian bacon.