If your kids love a McMuffin, try my copy-cat version only better. It’s a honey soy chicken, eggs, melty cheese, yummo and also freezer-friendly.
Grab your frypan and a stack of English muffins, because we’re doing the drive-thru McMuffin run at home. It’s the fastfood- brekkie you loved as a kid, made cleaner and made better.
The best part? Batch 8 of these on the weekend and you’ve got freezer-friendly brekkies ready for the whole week. Reheat one in the airfryer while you’re getting everyone ready for the day, and you’re eating a proper protein brekkie by 7:00am. My kids honestly prefer these to the yellow-arch version.
Why you’ll love these McMuffins
Freezer-friendly for 3 months — batch-cook 8, brekkie sorted for weeks
Ready in 5 minutes from the freezer — airfryer does the heavy lifting
30g + protein per muffin — chicken + eggs + cheese doing serious work
Cheaper AND cleaner than the drive-thru — no mystery bits
Kid-approved — my crew asks for these all the time
The parchment wrap trick means no soggy freezer muffins… proper crisp reheat every time
How to reheat your muffins
THAWED
5
minutes @ 180°C
Airfryer, still in parchment. Crisps beautifully.
FROM FROZEN
15
minutes @ 180°C
Airfryer, still in parchment to prevent it drying out.
RUSHED
1-2
minutes – microwave
Unwrap first. Not as crisp but kids won’t complain.
Storage & meal prep tips
Made-up muffins keep in the fridge for 4 days, or freezer for up to 3 months (that’s why the parchment wrap matters). I always make a double batch, eat a few fresh, and stack the rest in the freezer for the school-run weeks ahead.
For a full weekend brekkie cook-up plan that includes these, my 1-hour protein meal prep guide walks you through the whole hour. Doesn’t get easier!
Can I swap things out?
Breast, thigh or mince – All work. The breast is leaner, thigh is juicier, pre-minced saves the food-processor step.
Different protein – Turkey mince works beautifully. Pork mince (so yum). Good beef mince too.
Gluten-free – GF English muffins (Harris Farms has a few brands), tamari instead of soy, GF flour for dusting.
Dairy-free – Good DF cheese slice, or skip the cheese and add extra avocado at reheat time.
No BBQ sauce – Extra honey soy, sriracha mayo, or sweet chilli. All work.
Sneaky veg – Grated zucchini or carrot in the chicken mince. Disappears completely.
How to wrap them for the freezer (the mumma-hack way)
This is the game-changing bit. Wrapping each muffin in parchment paper means no plastic waste, no freezer burn, and they reheat back to proper crisp every time. Here’s exactly how I do it:
Cut a square of baking paper for each muffin, about 30cm x 30cm.
Sit the muffin in the centre of the square, right way up.
Bring the left and right sides up and over the top so they overlap. Fold the overlapping edge down in small, 1cm folds… like a paper fan, working your way down until it sits snug.
Fold the top and bottom ends underneath, so the muffin is fully wrapped like a little parcel.
Label each one with the recipe name and date. Future you will thank past you at 6am on a Monday.
Absolutely. Skip the chicken patties and add extra cheese, bacon, ham, or roasted veggies. Same eggs, same muffin, same freezer trick.
Can the kids help make these?
Yes, and this is one of my favourite ones to cook with them. Little hands can roll the patties, brush the muffins, and layer the stack. Just keep them away from the hot pan.
Are they OK for the lunchbox?
They actually are. Wrap in fresh baking paper (not the freezer wrap) and pop into an insulated lunchbox with an ice pack. Best eaten within a few hours if not reheated first.
Do I have to use English muffins?
Nope. Bagels, soft rolls, or wraps folded in half all work. English muffins hold up best in the freezer though.
Whats the best English muffins to use?
My favourite is from This is us. No rubbish, just simple ingredients.
Let me show you how to make some…
Whisk the eggs, shallots, fish sauce, soy and pepper straight in the baking dish. One dish, one whisk, one less thing to wash.
10 minutes at 180°C and you’ve got this… soft, just-set eggs with those shallots running through. Not rubbery, not dry. That’s the sweet spot.
While the eggs bake, get the honey soy chicken patties in the pan. Golden crust, cooked through, and your kitchen will smell INCREDIBLE.
Toast your muffins, then start the assembly line. Cheese goes on the bottom half first so it melts into every crack.
Pop a hot chicken patty straight on top. The residual heat melts the cheese down into the muffin beautifully.
Slice the egg slab into muffin-sized squares, pop one on the patty, drizzle with BBQ sauce, top muffin on. Done.
A proper spoonful of BBQ sauce on each stack. Not a shy drizzle… this is where the flavour lives.
Top muffin on, gentle press so everything holds together. That’s your McMuffin, done.
Wrap each one in baking paper and label with a texta. Six wrapped, freezer ready. Future-you will thank past-you at 6am on Monday.
Pop one straight from the freezer into the airfryer for 15 minutes and you’re eating a proper protein brekkie by the time your coffee’s brewed. SO GOOD.
Pop your oven onto 180°C and give a glass container a good spray with oil.
Whisk everything together by hand in your baking dish until combined. Bake for 10 minutes, or until just set — you want them soft, not rubbery.
To make up the patties in the Thermomix: Add the chicken and all the patty flavours to the bowl. Mix 10 sec / Speed 4, until it’s just minced. No Thermomix? If you’re using mince, just combine everything by hand in a large bowl. Using breast or thigh instead? Pulse it all together in a food processor for about 1 minute, until just minced — don’t do it too long, you want mince, not paste.
Roll the mince into 8 even balls, dust each in flour, flatten slightly, and cook on a well oiled, medium heat frypan for a few minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through. Your kitchen will smell incredible at this point — that honey soy is SO GOOD!
Assemble the McMuffins: Start with cheese, then the chicken patty, then a piece of egg. Finish with a drizzle of BBQ sauce and top with the other muffin half. Give it a gentle press down so it all holds together.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED · STACEY CLARE - HEALTH COACH Disclaimer - This blog is based on my (Stacey Clare) personal journey which I am sharing for educational and informational purposes only. Any advice or suggestions made in this blog is general in nature and is not intended to replace the specific advice of your nutritionist or healthcare provider. Please consult your own doctor or healthcare provider to determine the best course of treatment for you and/ or your family. "Stacey Clare - Health Coach" is a stand alone brand and business of Stacey Clare. Whilst there are a proliferation of services, products, websites, and publications out there about mothers' well being, health, exercise and diet, "Stacey Clare - Health Coach" is not sponsored by, endorsed by associated with or affiliated in anyway with any of them.
