McDonald's Breakfast Steak Has Fewer Ingredients Than You Might Expect. Here's What's In It

What's more nostalgic, more satisfying, and more reliable than grabbing breakfast at McDonald's? With the Egg McMuffin turning 50 in 2025, we wanted to give some love to a less iconic (but in no way less delicious) breakfast sandwich: the McDonald's Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel. For anyone who has ever sunk their teeth into one of these beauties and wondered what's actually in the steak patty, the answer may surprise you. Despite your preconceptions about McDonald's, it's not a load of mystery meat and unpronounceable E numbers. In fact, for a fast food item, the ingredient list is shockingly short. 

The base of the patty is just beef and water — pretty standard stuff — with some salt, sodium phosphate (which is there to help retain moisture), and natural flavor. Nothing scary at all. After that, the patty is seasoned with more salt, some spices, dried garlic, soybean oil, and some more natural flavoring. And that's it. No artificial colors, no long chemical names, and nothing that sounds like it belongs in a stick of glue instead of your breakfast.

Of course, "natural flavor" is a pretty vague term and could mean anything from spices to another meat product, and it's used twice so yeah that raises a brow, but compared to other processed foods, it feels pretty minimalist. If you were expecting a label packed with preservatives, the McDonald's breakfast steak patty is surprisingly straightforward, with mostly just beef doing the heavy lifting.

Obviously no one is expecting one of the best cuts of steak when they're grabbing breakfast at McDonald's. This is steak, sure, but it's still a fast-food breakfast item at the end of the day. However, what the McDonald's patty lacks in fanciness, it makes up for in consistency. It's mildly seasoned and tastes like steak and, while you won't forget it came off a flat-top grill anytime soon, when it's paired with folded egg and melted cheese, it gets the job done. 

Of course, the steak biscuit isn't McDonald's only breakfast MVP. In addition to the Egg McMuffin, the Sausage McGriddle basically has its own fanbase thanks to the uniquely addictive pancake-and-meat combination. Even the humble McDonald's hash brown, golden and perfectly crisp, has earned itself a bit of a cult following. McDonald's breakfast has always thrived by keeping things predictable and satisfying — and the steak patty on a sandwich, while definitely a quieter option, fits right in with the rest of the menu. Just make sure you put your order in before McDonald's breakfast ends and lunch begins.