The Egg McMuffin Hack A McDonald's Chef Loves

If you love starting your morning with a McDonald's Egg McMuffin, you aren't alone. The popular breakfast menu item is one of the most-ordered foods at the global burger chain, and perhaps part of its appeal is how versatile it is. As an example, you might order it cordon bleu-style for a heftier dose of protein, or follow the popular trend of adding a crunchy Hash Brown somewhere in between those English muffin halves. These are all well and good, but if you like a little sweetness with your savory, try the hack given to Food Republic by Wayne Kuhl, director of culinary for McDonald's: "Use the jellies, strawberry or grape jelly."

If you haven't ventured too far into the app beyond the sandwiches or the sides, you could have missed the Condiments section, and when you scroll nearly to the end, you'll find the Grape Jam and Strawberry Preserve of which Kuhl speaks. Spread onto the insides of a toasted English muffin, the bright fruit notes break up the heavy, salty bites of meat, egg, and melted cheese, striking that classic savory-sweet balance we're biologically hardwired to crave.

And Kuhl isn't alone in appreciating this creation. On Reddit, commenters shared their own love of this hack, with one person saying the McMuffin "just doesn't hit the same without the strawberry [jam]."

Just as a drizzle of hot honey elevates grilled cheese, turning it into a multidimensional feast, Wayne Kuhl's hack uses sweet jam to cut through the heavy, savory layers of the McMuffin. But there are actually quite a few options on McDonald's condiment menu if you don't go for fruity jelly.

You can also order packets of honey and drizzle that sweet nectar of the bees onto your McMuffin for a mild sweetness that might leave your hands a little sticky (totally worth it, though). Another sticky option is to pour on some of the syrup that more commonly accompanies the Big Breakfast. While it's not pure maple syrup, this addition nonetheless gives your breakfast sandwich a tasty new dimension, as the caramel-colored liquid at least mimics maple flavor.

Finally, you don't have to stick to typical breakfast condiments. McDonald's sauces are available all day, and there are some options that already blend the salty with the sweet, like the Sweet 'N Sour Dipping Sauce (which was semi-famously poured onto a McMuffin during a 1992 "SNL" skit). The Tangy Barbecue Sauce is another option that would taste great on the sandwich, as well as the Honey Mustard.