7 Fast-Food Chains Using 100% Real Eggs

Eggs are a superfood—each one contains an impressive variety of nutrients and healthy fats, crucial for health and fitness. It doesn’t hurt that eggs are also delicious, and a staple breakfast item, but is that egg in your fast food order a real whole egg, or some powdered, liquid substitute? While some chains give customers the real deal, others use precooked or powdered versions while still calling it an egg (no thank you). So which fast-food chains use an actual egg in certain menu items? Read on to find out which restaurants get top marks.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s uses a real, whole egg cooked in butter for its Egg McMuffins. “We use a USDA Grade A cracked into an ‘egg ring’ to get that iconic round shape for our Egg McMuffin®,” the company says, pointing out that other items such as folded eggs are made with “liquid eggs that are pre-cooked and folded before being flash frozen by our suppliers.”

Taco Bell

Taco Bell uses 100% real cage-free eggs for its breakfast items. “When we committed to serving 100 percent whole cage-free eggs in all U.S. Taco Bell restaurants, we said we’d do it by the end of 2016. And we did, at record pace,” the company says. “Our avocado ranch sauce, creamy jalapeno sauce, spicy ranch sauce, creamy chipotle sauce and even Cinnabon Delights are made using cage-free egg ingredients.”

Tim Horton’s

Tim Horton’s now uses real eggs for its breakfast items. “We’re so excited to be introducing this latest evolution for our morning menu – our new soft, fluffy scrambled eggs that are made fresh daily in our kitchens throughout the morning with 100 per cent Canadian freshly cracked eggs.” This is a positive move away from egg products the chain used before 2021.

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Wendy’s

Wendy’s is proud to offer real whole eggs for its breakfast items (except the Sausage & Egg Burrito). “For our breakfast sandwiches, we start with a freshly-cracked, grade A egg,” the company says. “Once it’s on the grill, we break the yolk and fry, flip, and fry some more until the yolk is fully cooked and ready for a sandwich.”

White Castle

White Castle uses a freshly-cracked egg on menu items like the Breakfast Slider and Breakfast Toast Sandwich. “White Castle System, Inc. prides itself on serving high quality food and products to our customers,” the company says. The best part? White Castle serves breakfast all day!

Jack In the Box

Jack In the Box uses a real cracked egg on menu items such as the Supreme Croissant and Extreme Sausage Sandwich, and Breakfast Jack. “Breakfast Jacks are great. I think it’s about the actual fried egg,” one Redditor said. “Love JITB. Sourdough Jack, tacos, Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger, curly fries, and real fried eggs. They lean into what they are, pure fast food,” another agreed.

Cracker Barrel

While technically more fast-casual than fast-food, Cracker Barrel prides itself on offering real, whole, Grade A farm fresh eggs on the menu. “We’re committed to transitioning 100% of our egg supply to be cage-free by the end of calendar year 2026,” the company says. Cracker Barrel also made a point of not hitting customers with an egg surcharge during the recent nationwide egg shortage.