Grilled Breakfast Sandwich
Your electric grill is not just for dinner. A grilled breakfast sandwich made on an electric grill rivals anything from a deli or drive-through, and it takes under 10 minutes from start to finish. The flat, even heating surface of an electric grill is perfectly suited to the sequential cooking that a good breakfast sandwich requires: meat first, then eggs, then the assembled and pressed sandwich. The beauty of this recipe is that everything cooks on the same surface, building layers of flavor. The bacon or sausage goes first, leaving behind a coating of seasoned fat that flavors everything that follows. The eggs cook in that same flavorful residue, picking up subtle meaty notes. Then the assembled sandwich gets pressed and toasted in that same environment, with the buttered bread absorbing all of those layered flavors. This is essentially how every great deli and bodega breakfast sandwich is made, just scaled for your home grill. An electric grill with a flat surface or contact grill design works best for breakfast sandwiches because you get even pressure and heat on both sides. The result is bread that is uniformly golden and crispy, cheese that melts completely, and a sandwich that holds together when you pick it up. For the best texture, use thick-cut bread that can stand up to the fillings without getting soggy.
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut bread or 2 English muffins
- 4 slices bacon or 2 sausage patties
- 2 large eggs
- 2 slices American or cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper
- Hot sauce (optional)
- 1 tbsp butter for the bread
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the electric grill to 375F.
- 2
Place bacon strips or sausage patties on the grill. Cook bacon for 3-4 minutes per side until crispy. Cook sausage patties for 3 minutes per side until cooked through. Set aside.
- 3
Crack eggs into lightly buttered ramekins or small cups. Carefully slide them onto the grill surface. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, then break the yolks and flip. Cook 1 more minute for over-hard eggs that won't drip.
- 4
Butter the outside of each bread slice. Place one slice butter-side down on the grill. Layer cheese, egg, bacon or sausage, and the second slice butter-side up.
- 5
Press gently with a spatula and grill for 2 minutes per side until golden and the cheese is melted.
- 6
Remove, cut in half, and serve immediately.
Pro Tips
- ★Use a contact-style electric grill like a George Foreman to press and toast both sides simultaneously, cutting the cook time in half.
- ★Break the egg yolks for a sandwich. Runny yolks sound appealing but make the sandwich impossible to eat neatly.
- ★Cook the meat first and use the residual grease on the grill surface to add flavor to the eggs.
Best Grill for This Recipe
Budget-conscious grillers who want indoor/outdoor flexibility
★★★★ 4.4/5