Yep, You've Gotta Make the Viral Crispy Feta Fried Eggs
Is there anything feta can't do? The tangy Greek cheese is delicious crumbled on a salad, whipped into a dip and, of course, baked with pasta. But in the past few days, our TikTok feed has been full of another use for the Internet's dairy darling: 5-Minute Feta Fried Eggs.
In a TikTok video that's already racked up more than 5 million views, Grace Elkus, a food writer and recipe developer (and, in full disclosure, a dear friend), cracks an egg into a sizzling puddle of melting feta. "This is what I make when I'm starving and I need food in 5 minutes," she says. She transfers the crispy egg to an avocado-topped tortilla, folds it in half and takes a bite. "The yolk becomes the sauce. It hits the spot every time," says Grace.
After watching the video once, I knew what I had to do. I grabbed my keys and headed to the grocery store.
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Ingredients For Crispy Feta Fried Eggs
The ingredients list is short and very customizable. You need feta and an egg, of course. If you want to make it exactly like Grace does in the video, you'll also need a small tortilla (a 6-inch flour or corn tortilla works well) and an avocado. You can also put the egg on toast or an English muffin or even a pile of pasta left over from the night before. (I just thought of that idea, but wouldn't that be gooooood?!?) You also need black pepper and red pepper flakes, but you likely have that stuff in the cabinet.
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Nina Elder
How to Make Crispy Feta Fried Eggs
The method is as simple as the ingredients. Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, sprinkle in some feta, crack the egg on top, sprinkle with black pepper and red pepper flakes, and cover until the egg white is cooked through and the feta is deeply brown and crispy. Transfer to the tortilla (or your carb of choice) and dig in.
What I Thought of the Crispy Feta Fried Eggs
This recipe is a winner! It's rich and cheesy and crunchy and soul-satisfying. I'm a fan of anything with a crispy cheese skirt and I was pleasantly surprised by how very crispy the feta got in the pan. The feta crumbles corralled the egg as it cooked, which helped the egg fit on the tortilla. When I folded the tortilla in half to eat the egg, the yolk broke and created a creamy sauce (as promised) that pulled everything together. The drippy yolk also got all over my hands and the plate, but that's the price you pay for deliciousness.
The recipe is so simple that I can see myself making this regularly. It's a great quick breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. The crispy feta is a super fun upgrade to your standard fried egg.
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Nina Elder
Tips For Making Crispy Feta Fried Eggs
If you make this recipe (and you definitely should), here are a few tips to help you get it right.
• Keep an eye on the heat. When I made my eggs, I started on medium-high and had to take things down to medium-low because the feta was browning more quickly than the egg was cooking. The cooking temp depends on your stove and your pan, so just keep an eye on things and adjust as needed.
• Char the tortilla. This isn't a must-do, but I followed Grace's lead and charred my tortilla over the flame of my gas stove. (You can also do this in a skillet if you have an electric range.) Browning the tortilla adds a great smoky flavor and makes it less floppy, which is something you'll appreciate when you pick it up to eat it.
• Buy a block of feta. In one of the comments, Grace suggested using a block of feta vs. the pre-crumbled stuff. That's what I did and I suspect it will melt better and more evenly than crumbles.
• Make sure the feta is deeply browned. To make sure the cheese is crispy, let it cook until it's deeply brown. If it's less cooked it'll be a gloppy mess, which is something nobody wants.
• Skip the salt. I almost never say this, but there's no need for salt in this recipe. The feta is deeply salty, which will flavor the egg and the avocado.
• Cover the pan. For the perfectly cooked egg, you need to cover the pan for a bit so the whites can cook through. You'll know the egg is done when the whites are opaque and the yolk is jiggly but not super runny.
• You're gonna get messy. That yolk is going to burst, which is delightful but also drippy. Eat over your plate and make sure you have a napkin handy.
• Make it your own. This is the kind of recipe that invites improvisation. I think a fresh salsa or even some sliced summer tomatoes would be awesome here. I could also see this as a great addition to a big ol' summer salad. Once you've got the method dialed in, add or subtract things to make your perfect version.
