The Hangover Breakfast World Cup: Full English vs Maccas Brekkie vs Poutine vs Chilaquiles (Calories Ranked)

The classic hangover breakfast runs from about 378 to 1,420 calories. A regular New York Fries Classic Poutine tops the table at 1,420, McDonald's US Big Breakfast with Hotcakes is 1,340, and a home-built full English lands around 1,339. The lightest real meal is an Aussie Bacon & Egg McMuffin with a hash brown: 1,780 kJ, or 425 calories.

Quick reality check before kickoff: no breakfast on this list cures a hangover. The US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) puts it plainly: there is no magic potion, and only time helps. So eat what sounds good, drink some water, and use this post for what it's actually good at, which is telling you the number.

How many calories are in a hangover breakfast?

Here's the full bracket, ranked from heaviest to lightest. Chain items use each chain's own nutrition data. Home-style dishes are built from USDA FoodData Central components, with every ingredient and gram weight listed further down. Australian figures are in kilojoules too (kcal = kJ divided by 4.184).

Rank	Breakfast	Country	Calories	kJ	Protein
1	New York Fries Classic Poutine, Regular	CA	1,420	about 5,941	39g
2	McDonald's Big Breakfast with Hotcakes	US	1,340	about 5,607	36g
3	Full English fry-up (home-built)	UK	1,339	about 5,602	62g
4	New York Fries Classic Poutine, Snack	CA	890	about 3,724	27g
5	Tims Sausage & Bacon Farmer's Wrap + Hash Brown	CA	820	about 3,431	26g
6	Chilaquiles, 2 cups with a fried egg	MX/US	769	about 3,217	42g
7	Maccas Big Brekkie Burger	AU	750	3,140	39.6g
8	Bodega bacon, egg and cheese on a roll	US	694	about 2,904	36g
9	Maccas Hotcakes with Butter & Syrup	AU	593	2,480	9.1g
10	Beef pho, 3-cup bowl	VN/everywhere	566	about 2,368	43g
11	Breakfast burrito with egg and bacon	US	494	about 2,067	23g
12	Egg McMuffin + Hash Browns	US	450	about 1,883	19g
13	Aussie bacon and egg roll with BBQ sauce	AU	441	about 1,845	23g
14	Maccas Bacon & Egg McMuffin + Hash Brown	AU	425	1,780	19g
15	Greasy pepperoni slice, extra-large	US	378	about 1,582	16g

The "about" kJ figures are calories times 4.184. The AU Maccas kJ values are McDonald's Australia's own.

Two surprises. The full English carries the most protein by a mile, 62g, mostly from eggs, sausages and bacon. And pho, the underdog nobody seeds high, sits mid-table at 566 calories with 43g of protein.

Group A: Full English vs the Aussie brekkie

The full English is the heavyweight of home cooking. Our plate: two fried eggs, three rashers of bacon, two pork sausages, half a cup of baked beans, two slices of buttered toast, one slice of black pudding, a hash brown, fried mushrooms and a cooked tomato.

Component (USDA FDC ID)	Amount	Calories	Protein
Pork sausage (2706191)	2 sausages, 100g	325	18.5g
Eggs, fried in oil (2707158)	2 eggs, 110g	211	12.7g
Bacon, pan-fried (168322)	3 slices, 34.5g	162	11.7g
Hash brown, restaurant (2709480)	1 patty, 55g	150	1.4g
White toast (174925)	2 slices, 44g	128	4.0g
Baked beans (175182)	1/2 cup, 127g	119	6.0g
Black pudding, blood sausage (171618)	1 slice, 25g	95	3.6g
Butter, salted (173410)	2 pats, 10g	72	0.1g
Mushrooms, cooked with oil (2709941)	80g	56	2.8g
Tomato, cooked (170050)	1 medium, 123g	22	1.2g
Total		1,339	62.1g

USDA uses US streaky bacon, so British back bacon will shift the number a little. The sausages and the hash brown do most of the heavy lifting. Swap the hash brown and black pudding for a second slice of tomato and you're near 1,117.

The Aussie bacon and egg roll is the compact contender: a soft white roll (52g, FDC 2707654, 145 calories), a fried egg (106), three rashers of bacon (162) and a tablespoon of BBQ sauce (17g, FDC 2709750, 29). Total: 441 calories (about 1,845 kJ) and 23g of protein.

Winner on calories: the bacon and egg roll, by about 900. Winner on protein: the full English.

Group B: Maccas US vs Maccas Australia

Same golden arches, different numbers. McDonald's blocked our automated check of its US and Australian product pages today, so the US figures below are the official ones we already cite from mcdonalds.com (checked Aug 29 and Oct 23, 2026), and the Australian figures match our Maccas calorie calculator, taken from McDonald's Australia's product panels (checked Oct 25, 2026).

Item	Country	kJ	Calories	Protein
Hash Browns	US		140	2g
Egg McMuffin	US		310	17g
Big Breakfast with Hotcakes	US		1,340	36g
Hash Brown	AU	600	143	1.4g
Bacon & Egg McMuffin	AU	1,180	282	17.6g
Hotcakes with Butter & Syrup	AU	2,480	593	9.1g
Big Brekkie Burger	AU	3,140	750	39.6g

The classic combos:

• US: Egg McMuffin + Hash Browns = 310 + 140 = 450 calories, 19g protein
• AU: Bacon & Egg McMuffin + Hash Brown = 1,180 + 600 = 1,780 kJ (425 calories), 19g protein
• AU, big version: Big Brekkie Burger + Hash Brown = 3,140 + 600 = 3,740 kJ (894 calories), 41g protein

Want to build your own Maccas brekkie in kJ? The Maccas calorie calculator adds it up for you. For more US numbers, see McDonald's calories.

Group C: Poutine vs Tim Hortons (the Canadian derby)

Tim Hortons doesn't list poutine in its 2026 Canadian nutrition guide, so we used New York Fries, which publishes an official nutrition PDF.

Item	Size	Calories	Protein	Sodium
NYF Classic Poutine	Snack, 395g	890	27g	1,160mg
NYF Classic Poutine	Regular, 600g	1,420	39g	1,510mg
NYF Classic Poutine	Large, 811g	1,920	56g	2,160mg
Tims Sausage & Bacon Farmer's Wrap	1 wrap	700	25g	1,160mg
Tims Bacon English Muffin	1 sandwich	330	17g	710mg
Tims Hash Brown	1	120	1g	220mg

A regular poutine is the single heaviest item in this whole post. If it's your ritual, the snack size gives you the same gravy-and-curd experience at 890. The Tims move, a Bacon English Muffin and a Hash Brown, is 330 + 120 = 450 calories with 18g of protein. The large poutine (1,920) was left out of the main bracket because it's really a shared plate.

Group D: Chilaquiles, breakfast burritos and the bodega BEC

These are all built from USDA FoodData Central survey foods:

• Chilaquiles: 2 cups (340g, FDC 2708505) = 663, plus a fried egg on top (106) = 769 calories, 42g protein.
• Breakfast burrito: USDA's egg burrito with bacon (FDC 2707345), one 190g burrito = 494 calories, 23g protein. Restaurant burritos are often bigger, so scale up if yours needs two hands.
• Bodega bacon, egg and cheese: a kaiser roll (62g, FDC 2707655, 182), two fried eggs (211), three slices of bacon (162), a slice of American cheese (28g, FDC 171290, 104) and a pat of butter (36) = 694 calories, 36g protein.

The BEC is a New York institution for a reason: plenty of protein for a sandwich you can eat on the walk home.

Group E: Pho and the greasy slice

• Pho: USDA's pho with meat (FDC 2707124) is 77 calories per 100g. A 3-cup bowl (735g) is 566 calories with 43g of protein. Big restaurant bowls can run larger, so add a cup (about 189) if yours is huge.
• Pepperoni slice: one extra-large slice from a restaurant pizza (134g, FDC 2708640) is 378 calories, 16g protein. A plain cheese slice from a large thin-crust pizza (86g, FDC 2708615) is 229. More slice math lives in calories in a slice of pizza.

The slice is the lightest thing on the board, mostly because it's one slice. Nobody has ever eaten exactly one slice the morning after, but we respect the optimism.

Does greasy food help a hangover?

Not in the way the legend says. The idea is that grease "soaks up" the alcohol. By the morning after, the alcohol you drank has largely been absorbed already, and your body is clearing it at its own pace. NIAAA says hangovers come down to time, not food. A bacon roll can't reach back into last night.

Food does matter at a different moment: before and while you drink. Australia's government health service, Healthdirect, says it's a good idea to eat before and while you're drinking, and NIAAA lists the amount of food eaten as one of the factors in how hard alcohol hits. So the most useful greasy meal is dinner, not breakfast.

What the research-backed sources actually say about the morning after:

• Time is the only cure. NIAAA: no magic potion exists, and only time helps.
• Dehydration is part of it. Alcohol suppresses vasopressin, the hormone that tells your kidneys to hold on to fluid, which feeds thirst, fatigue and headache. Water is a sensible first move.
• Coffee and a shower don't cure it. NIAAA lists both as myths.
• "Hair of the dog" backfires. A morning drink may mask symptoms briefly but can prolong the hangover.
• Drink order doesn't matter. "Beer before liquor" is a myth. In general, the more alcohol, the worse the hangover.
• Careful with painkillers. NIAAA warns that acetaminophen (paracetamol) combined with alcohol can be toxic to the liver, and that aspirin and ibuprofen can irritate the stomach lining. Check with a pharmacist if you're unsure.

So eat the breakfast because it's delicious and you're hungry, not because it's medicine. That's a fine reason.

When is it more than a hangover?

A hangover is miserable. Alcohol poisoning is an emergency. NIAAA lists these warning signs of an alcohol overdose:

• Mental confusion or stupor
• Trouble staying conscious, or can't be woken up
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Slow breathing (fewer than 8 breaths a minute) or irregular breathing
• Slow heart rate
• Clammy skin
• Dulled responses, such as no gag reflex
• Very low body temperature, bluish skin or paleness

Call 911 in the US or Canada, 000 in Australia, or 999 in the UK. Don't wait for every sign. NIAAA notes that blood alcohol can keep rising after someone stops drinking or passes out, and that cold showers, coffee and walking don't reverse an overdose. Stay with the person until help arrives.

How much drinking is low risk?

A gentle note, not a lecture. Each country draws the line a little differently:

• US (NIAAA): binge drinking is a pattern that brings blood alcohol to 0.08% or higher, which for a typical adult is about five or more drinks for men, or four or more for women, in about two hours.
• Australia (NHMRC, via Healthdirect): healthy adults should have no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 on any one day. An Australian standard drink is about 10g of alcohol.
• Canada (Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health): 1 to 2 drinks a week is likely to avoid alcohol-related consequences, risk rises from 3 to 6, and more than 2 drinks on one occasion is linked with a higher risk of harm.

If you want to cut back or you're worried about someone, help is easy to reach. In the US, NIAAA's Alcohol Treatment Navigator helps you find quality care. In Australia, call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (24/7). In Canada, Health Canada's get help page lists national lines. If you're thinking about drinking less, our quitting alcohol and weight loss guide is a kind place to start.

How do I track a hangover breakfast in Nouri?

Here's my honest test for any calorie app: does it work on a Sunday morning when you can barely find your keys? That's the moment I built Nouri for. I once photographed a breakfast plate, and Nouri turned it into a sentence first, "Two poached eggs on avocado toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit bowl," then broke it into four items: 850 calories, 42g protein. That intermediate sentence is the point. You can read what the app thinks it saw before it counts anything.

On a rough morning, typing is even easier: "full english, two sausages, extra toast, no black pudding." Nouri itemizes it, shows its reasoning and a confidence rating for each item, and if your cafe's fry-up is bigger than average, add that context and it recalculates. Still in bed? Say "Hey Siri, track food in Nouri" from the lock screen and tell it "bacon and egg roll with BBQ sauce."

Last night's drinks can go in the same way. A rough count beats a blank, and the alcohol calorie calculator helps if you want the number first. Our guide to tracking alcohol calories explains why the morning-after entry is the most honest one in your week. For what it's worth, Nouri scored 92.1/100 in our 100-meal accuracy benchmark (MyFitnessPal 77.0).

FAQ

How many calories are in a full English breakfast?

About 1,339 calories and 62g of protein for a plate with two eggs, three rashers, two sausages, beans, two slices of buttered toast, black pudding, a hash brown, mushrooms and tomato, built from USDA data. Drop the hash brown and black pudding and it's closer to 1,094.

How many calories are in a McDonald's breakfast?

In the US, an Egg McMuffin with Hash Browns is 450 calories, and the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes is 1,340, per McDonald's. In Australia, a Bacon & Egg McMuffin with a Hash Brown is 1,780 kJ (425 calories).

How many kJ is a Bacon & Egg McMuffin?

1,180 kJ, or about 282 calories, with 17.6g of protein, per McDonald's Australia. Add a hash brown (600 kJ) and it's 1,780 kJ.

How many calories are in a poutine?

A New York Fries Classic Poutine is 890 calories (snack), 1,420 (regular) or 1,920 (large), per the chain's nutrition PDF. The regular has 39g of protein and 1,510mg of sodium.

How many calories are in chilaquiles?

USDA lists chilaquiles at 195 calories per 100g, so a 2-cup serving (340g) is about 663. Add a fried egg on top and it's about 769, with 42g of protein.

How many calories are in a bacon egg and cheese?

About 694 calories and 36g of protein for a bodega-style one: kaiser roll, two eggs, three slices of bacon, American cheese and a pat of butter, built from USDA data.

How many calories are in a bowl of pho?

USDA's pho with meat is 77 calories per 100g, so a 3-cup bowl (735g) is about 566 calories with 43g of protein. Bigger bowls add about 189 calories per extra cup.

What is the lowest calorie hangover breakfast?

Of the meals we ranked, one extra-large pepperoni slice (378) is lightest, followed by the Aussie Bacon & Egg McMuffin with a Hash Brown (425) and a bacon and egg roll (441). Pho at 566 is a light option with plenty of protein.

Does greasy food cure a hangover?

No. NIAAA says there's no cure and only time helps. Food in your stomach while you drink matters more than a greasy breakfast the next day.

What actually helps a hangover?

Time, mostly. Alcohol is dehydrating, so water helps with thirst and headache, and rest helps too. NIAAA warns that acetaminophen with alcohol can be toxic to the liver.

Is "hair of the dog" real?

No. NIAAA says a morning drink might briefly ease some symptoms but can prolong the hangover.

What is the easiest way to track a hangover breakfast?

Say it the way you'd tell a friend. In Nouri, "Hey Siri, track food in Nouri" from the lock screen, then "egg mcmuffin and a hash brown," returns calories and macros with the reasoning shown, no app opening and no squinting at a search list.

Whichever breakfast wins your bracket, enjoy it and drink some water. Track it in Nouri in one line, check your drinks with the alcohol calorie calculator, and if you're planning the next night out, start with the lowest calorie alcoholic drinks. If tracking ever feels stressful around food, anyone with a history of disordered eating should work with a professional rather than chase numbers alone.

Sources

Chains (official nutrition data):

• New York Fries, Nutritional/Allergen Information PDF, linked from newyorkfries.com: PDF (checked Nov 1, 2026)
• Tim Hortons Canada, Nutrition Information PDF, 2026 Canadian Edition, reflecting products as of July 2026: PDF, linked from timhortons.ca/nutrition-and-allergens (checked Nov 1, 2026)
• McDonald's US product pages, Egg McMuffin, Big Breakfast with Hotcakes and Hash Browns (checked Aug 29 and Oct 23, 2026; the site blocked our automated check on Nov 1, 2026)
• McDonald's Australia product nutrition panels, e.g. Bacon & Egg McMuffin, via the full menu (checked Oct 25, 2026 for our Maccas calculator; the site blocked our automated check on Nov 1, 2026)

USDA FoodData Central (checked Nov 1, 2026): pork sausage 2706191, egg fried with oil 2707158, bacon pan-fried 168322, hash brown from restaurant 2709480, white bread toasted 174925, baked beans 175182, blood sausage 171618, butter salted 173410, mushrooms cooked with oil 2709941, tomatoes cooked 170050, roll white soft 2707654, roll white hard 2707655, barbecue sauce 2709750, American cheese 171290, chilaquiles 2708505, egg burrito with bacon 2707345, pho with meat 2707124, pepperoni pizza from restaurant 2708640, cheese pizza thin crust 2708615

Health (checked Nov 1, 2026):

• NIAAA, Hangovers
• NIAAA, Understanding the Dangers of Alcohol Overdose
• NIAAA, Drinking Levels and Patterns Defined
• Healthdirect Australia, Tips for safe and responsible drinking (NHMRC guideline summary; the NHMRC site did not load for us on Nov 1, 2026)
• Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health
• NIAAA, Alcohol Treatment Navigator
• Health Canada, Get help with substance use

Calories from kilojoules are kJ divided by 4.184. Home-style totals are USDA per-100g values times the gram weights listed, and every sum was checked with a script. Your cafe's portions will vary, so treat home-style numbers as a solid estimate.