Get crackin'
10 easy ways to upgrade fried eggs
A simple fried egg cooked in melted butter or a neutral oil is a classic for a reason: It adds crispy-edged oomph without interrupting the flavor of whatever's already on the plate.
While we love a good basic egg for its satisfying familiarity, why not expand your horizons? We now live in a time when there are endless ingredients you can use to fry your eggs to infuse them with different flavors, personality and crispiness every time.
The best part of getting creative with how you make fried eggs? It all hinges on pantry and fridge ingredients you likely already have in the kitchen. From fiery condiment additions to garlic and even crumbly cheese, here are 10 ways to instantly elevate your fried eggs for toast, rice bowls, noodles and so much more.
1
Chili crisp Savory, crispy and slightly spicy, these fried eggs are mesmerizing to watch as they cook in the brightred chili crisp oil. Adding toasted sesame oil brings a subtle, delicious nutty flavor that makes the fried eggs taste incredible.
2
Buffalo sauce Forget dousing your fried egg in hot sauce once it's been cooked — instead, try frying your egg in Buffalo sauce. To a hot pan, add a tablespoon or two of Buffalo sauce to make a circular nest. Immediately crack in your eggs, followed by a sprinkling of cheese around the whites.
3
Feta In about five minutes, you end up with a reliably quick breakfast that is a nice mixture of crispy, creamy textures and well-balanced salty, spicy flavors. Simply add feta to the pan and crack an egg in the center. Cook on a low heat so you can achieve a proper crisp, not unwanted char.
4
Pickle juice Adding pickle brine during the cooking process permeates the eggs, seasoning them throughout. The flavor of these eggs is gentle, so you could drizzle a little more onto your eggs right before serving if you want another boost of pickle brine flavor.
5
Fried garlic Cooking fried eggs with thinly sliced garlic is only a tiny bit harder than cooking your run-of-the-mill fried eggs in a neutral cooking fat. If you can concentrate for six minutes while you focus on nothing but garlic and eggs, we recommend you give this a try.
6
Harissa Harissa paste, an aromatic North African chile paste blended with peppers, citrus, cumin, coriander and caraway, takes your fried eggs to an 11.
7
Sesame The simple twist of adding sesame oil and sesame seeds to fried eggs stopped us in our tracks.
8
Butter-basting Basting an egg in butter results in a set white, a runny yolk and plenty of delicious brown butter to serve it with.
9
Pesto Pesto fried eggs deliver herby, cheesy, creamy, spicy and sweet flavors all in one bite.
10
Spanish-style Frying eggs in a very generous amount of olive oil results in seriously crispy, lacy edges and a just-set yolk that practically melts in your mouth.
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