Chef Kwame Onwuachi's Go-To Breakfast Order At McDonald's

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with celebrity chef Kwame Onwuachi for an exclusive one-on-one conversation. He was in Chicago as part of McDonald's "1 in 8" employee celebration campaign, which is a nod to current and former McDonald's employees as part of the American workforce. Onwuachi is a former McDonald's employee, and despite what you may think, even fine-dining chefs hit the drive-thru every once in a while.

Considering my favorite meal at McDonald's is always breakfast, I had to ask Onwuachi what his personal go-to order is in the morning (It's hard not to wonder these things, right?). He sheepishly admitted to me right off the bat that he's not much of a morning person, so it's been a while, but his favorite isn't Hotcakes, a McGriddle, or even a McMuffin. In fact, it's sort of a sleeper hit that I feel not a lot of people talk about.

"Mine is the Steak [Egg and Cheese] Bagel," he tells me. "And the hash brown, obviously the orange juice." If you've never had McDonald's Steak, Egg, and Cheese Bagel before, that's because not every McDonald's location across the country carries them for breakfast service. They're comprised of a burger-like steak patty, a folded egg, and American cheese, along with a "Breakfast Sauce" that loosely mimics hollandaise, all on a bagel. The thing is, he tinkers with his version — and his modification specifically involves the egg.

"I replace the folded egg with the circle egg," he says. The circle egg he's referring to is the "round egg," in McDonald's parlance. That's the same freshly cracked egg featured in the McMuffin sandwiches, which you can swap in on any of McDonald's breakfast sandwiches. Personally, I think that's a pro move, because the folded egg squares you receive aren't cooked on premises, but rather come in pre-cooked, and are then reheated.

In terms of alternatives, Onwuachi says, "The bacon, egg, and cheese on a biscuit is always a good go-to. I used to love when the biscuits came out fresh." So there's your Top Chef fast food hack for the next time you need a breakfast sandwich. Try that Steak, Egg, and Cheese Bagel with the fresh egg on it, and if your McDonald's doesn't serve that, the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit comes celebrity chef-recommended. Just don't forget the hash browns and orange juice.