Breakfast sandwiches are served at fast food restaurants and delicatessens, sold in supermarkets, or commonly made at home.

Breakfast sandwiches are typically made using breakfast meats (generally cured meats such as sausages, patty sausages, bacon, country ham, scrapple, Spam, and pork roll), breads, eggs and cheese.

These sandwiches were typically regional specialties until fast food restaurants began serving breakfast.

Because the common types of bread, such as biscuits, bagels, and English muffin, were similar in size to fast food hamburger buns, they made an obvious choice for fast food restaurants.

Although the ingredients for the breakfast sandwich have been common elements of breakfast meals in the English-speaking world for centuries, it was not until the 19th century in the United States that people began regularly eating eggs, cheese, and meat in a sandwich.