How To Hack Your Own McDonald's McGriddle Breakfast At Home

Since 2003, the McGriddle has been a mainstay on McDonald's iconic breakfast menu. This all-in-one sandwich — with two maple-syrup-infused griddle cakes with egg, cheese, and bacon or sausage between them — is one of the Golden Arches' most popular breakfast options for customers on the go. But for those who don't like waiting in long morning drive-thru lines, there's an easy way to make copycat McGriddles in the comfort of your own kitchen. All you need is a mason jar lid, which may already be in your pantry.

Simply set the lid in your frying pan and pour your pancake batter into it to cook — you can add a splash of maple syrup as it cooks to make your copycat cakes the same as a McGriddle. The mason jar lid gives the pancakes the uniform round shape breakfast sandwiches are known for and you can also use it to cook both your eggs and sausage so you've got a stackable breakfast sandwich at the end. This hack allows for customization by using different varieties of sausage or bacon and cheeses and allows the sandwiches to be made quickly.

For fast food enthusiasts in the know, copycat McGriddles aren't the only hack you can do with McDonald's breakfast items, or the rest of the McDonald's menu for that matter. Even chefs who have worked at McDonald's have their favorite menu hacks.

Mike Haracz, a former corporate chef for the Golden Arches, recommends a simple upgrade for bagel sandwiches. By asking for the scrambled eggs that come with McDonald's Big Breakfast in place of the standard folded egg that comes on a bagel sandwich, you get fresh eggs instead of frozen, precooked ones. Haracz also offers a simple upgrade for a standard McGriddle: Throw in a deep fryer. Deep frying it for about 45 seconds, Haracz says, gives foodies all the flavors of a McGriddle on the inside with a crispy, crunchy outer layer that pairs well with a packet of maple syrup.

Simple hacks can also be done with bigger McDonald's breakfast meals. Ordering a McDonald's Big Breakfast with hotcakes offers fans of breakfast burritos and tacos the chance to make a McDonald's-inspired creation using the hotcakes as taco shells and the rest of the ingredients as taco filling. This allows for easy customization and a chance to mix both sweet and savory flavors from a classic breakfast menu.