The Herbaceous Condiment You Should Be Frying Eggs In, Instead Of Oil

Fried eggs are a quintessential breakfast staple. They're also perfect for giving your cheeseburger the breakfast treatment, adorning bowls of roasted veggies, or topping an elevated avocado toast. Whatever the purpose, you can impart tons of flavor to your fried eggs by cooking them in herbaceous pesto. Pesto-fried eggs are loaded with the yummy flavors of vibrant basil, zesty garlic, pine nuts, and nutty cheese. 

To make eggs using pesto, use about ¼ cup of pesto, or however much you see fit (after all, a little extra pesto never hurt anyone). Place it at the bottom of the pan instead of standard oil on medium-low heat. Let the pesto heat up a bit before cracking in two eggs, and cook until the whites are opaque and the oil has separated out from the pesto. Then take the pan off the heat and place a lid on it to let the eggs finish cooking to your desired yolk consistency. The result is a fragrant fried egg where the cheese in the pesto creates a delicate, salty crust while the egg whites mesh with the pesto sauce for a uniformly bright, flavorful bite.

If pesto isn't your thing, rest assured because there are plenty of fried egg hacks you'll wish you knew sooner. If you want to give your eggs an umami flavor, try frying them in a tablespoon of garlic oil. This variety is delicious for making eggs to layer on a meaty, rich burger patty. Another ingredient that you can use to fry eggs aside from plain oil or butter is chili crisp. This creates eggs that are both spicy and savory. Better yet, depending on the variety of chili oil you buy, you can curate entirely unique flavors. For example, a spicy "Sichuan" chili crisp tastes different than a garlic chili crisp.

Sun-dried tomato oil is another tangy, acidic choice for fried eggs. The oil in a jar of sundried tomatoes is slightly sweet and bursting with zesty flavors, so it imparts a bit of that flair when you cook the eggs. For even more tomato flavor, try cooking eggs in tomatoes and spices like this Israeli dish called shakshuka for a rich, warm take with spoonfuls of jammy, stewed tomatoes and poached-style eggs.