Looking for a really easy and delightfully delicious breakfast? Well, look no further. This Crispy Cheesy Fried Egg with herbs is a wonderful change from an egg with just salt and pepper. Instead of topping the egg with “added” ingredients, you actually fry the ingredients into the egg. It’s pretty remarkable what a difference in flavor it makes.
A crispy cheesy fried egg is also quite versatile in that you can change the cheese, the herbs and other ingredients every time you make it. For this particular fried egg, I used cheddar cheese, a lot of fresh oregano, and a little chopped green chile. Normally, I just put the chile on top, but, as it turns out, it’s even better to incorporate it into the egg. Once cooked, I folded this crispy cheesy egg into the flour tortilla and ate it like a quesadilla. YUM!
Crispy Cheesy Fried Egg with Herbs and Green Chile
There is really no “recipe” for this fried egg dish, because it’s just too easy and can be made with a variety of different ingredients. The basic concept of this dish is to incorporate the cheese and herbs (and other ingredients) into the egg white as the egg fries.
For more instructions and ingredient ideas, be sure to visit the Kitchen Notes.
- 1 – 2 eggs per person
- ~2 – 3 tbsp grated cheese per egg
- Several leaves of a fresh herb (Oregano was used for this version)
- 1 tbsp chopped green chile (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
For each egg, spread some of the cheese in a medium hot, non-stick skillet into a pile about the side of a fried egg.
Top the cheese with several leaves of a fresh herb and other ingredients*.
As the cheese melts, the herbs will cook into the cheese. When the edges of the cheese start to get a little crisp or brown, crack an egg on top of the herb/cheese mixture. You might need to use a spatula to keep the white of the egg inside the edge of the cheese.
Reduce the heat and cook the egg to a perfect sunny-side up. If the cheese starts to burn or get too brown, place a lid on the skillet to speed up the process of cooking the egg.
When the white of the egg is cooked and the cheese is crispy, remove from the skillet, add a touch of salt and pepper if desired, plate and enjoy!
Cheese Herb Combo – Choose a complementary cheese and herb combination.
Cheese – Avoid using soft cheese that just melts and spreads. Hard and semi-hard cheese work best.
Herbs – Fresh herbs yield the best flavor and texture. (Oregano and Sage are our favorites.) Be generous with the herbs to get the best results. Dried herbs work, but I didn’t like the texture nor the flavor as much.
Subtle herbs don’t work well by themselves. For example, neither chives nor dill provide that burst of herb flavor that one is going for with these eggs. Thyme is tasty, but you have to use quite a bit or mix it with oregano as a complement.
Salt and Pepper – Personally, I don’t think this egg needs either salt or pepper, but that’s a personal thing. Bobby likes a touch of both.
Flavor suggestions:
- Sharp or medium cheddar with lots of oregano and a little chopped roasted green or red chile (as shown in the pictures).
- Sharp or medium cheddar with lots of oregano (no chile)
- Pecorino Romano or Parmesan with sage
- Pecorino Romano or Parmesan with a mix of sage, oregano, and tarragon
- Manchego and sage
- Feta and tarragon
- OMIT the cheese and use 2 tbsp of olive oil. Fry the fresh herbs in the olive oil and when crispy, top with the egg and cook for sunny-side up.
This crispy cheesy fried egg is actually the combination of two methods that I recently read about. One was to fry the fresh herbs in olive oil, then once the leaves get crisp, crack the egg on top and fry until the whites are set. This method is fabulous with fresh sage leaves. The second method was to melt the grated cheese in the skillet, then fry the egg on top of the cheese.
So why not do both? My first attempt was melted Pecorino Romano with fresh sage. This turned out to be a new culinary experience for me. Since then I’ve played with several other combinations and have yet to be disappointed. I encourage you to play with your favorite cheese and herb flavors because, I can guarantee, you’re going to love it.
Other egg dishes you will enjoy:
Hola, llevo rato dando vueltas por tu blog y he encontrado ideas muy interesantes. Aquí en España se cocina con poco picante aunque en casa nos gusta mucho. He entrado en esta receta atrasada porque es apta para celíacos y por ser un plato de huevos. Me ha encantado ¡hierbas frescas derretidas en queso, madre mía!, con tu permiso te seguiré visitando y aprendiendo contigo recetas de cocina y sobre tu estado de Nuevo Méjico que por desgracia desconozco totalmente. Un beso desde Barcelona
Pilar, Muchas gracias por su comentario. Este es uno de mis desayunos favoritos. Muy contento de que te guste. Espero que encuentres otras recetas que te gusten. Me encantaría aprender sobre la comida en Barcelona. Espero volver de ti otra vez. Perdona mi español por favor. Estoy ententando aprender. 🙂 Verte otra vez. Muchas gracias, MJ
This egg dish and many of your others are just what I’ve been looking for!
I’m a breakfast lover and have become bored with my usual’s. My daughter has been finding her heat love since about 8 years old (now 13), and I’ve been making her breakfast for most of her life. I think this egg dish and several of your others will bring some interest back into our breakfasts. Thank you for great dishes and ideas!!
Thank you Ward! So good to hear from you and read your nice comments. My husband and I are breakfast lovers as well, so coming up with something new to keep things exciting is fun. I hope you and your daughter continue to enjoy my recipes. Cheers, MJ
Beautifully done! I like my yolks just hard so it wouldn’t look as pretty as yours… Cheers
Thanks so much Carole! Nor only does it look good, it tastes good as well. 🙂
I love this idea, cheese, eggs, herbs and chilli = winning dish :>D
Thanks Marryn! Oh you definitely need to try this egg dish! It has become a favorite of ours and with fresh herbs right out the back door, we make them all of the time. 🙂
Wow!!! What a clever way to fry an egg! I would have never thought about it. I must try it next time, which will be very soon: I fry eggs all the time!. (PS I’m so sorry for such a long silence… have been travelling and then feeling really down going back to the usual dark cold autumn reality…. the older I get the more difficult I find the cold season transition)
Thanks Sissi! We eat A LOT of fried eggs as well so this new process has really put a new life into our eggs. Welcome back Darlin! I figured you had been traveling with your long silence. Hope the weather has improved and your getting some sunny days.
This is a fun idea for a breakfast or really any time of the day. We usually get into the same old for breakfast but love this fresh twist with the fresh herbs. We have brought our herb garden inside for the winter and it is doing well. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try. Wishing you and your family a very safe and happy holiday season. Take Care
Thanks so much Bobbi! Oh how I wish I had room to bring some fresh herbs inside for the winter. Most of ours are in the ground of large pots, so I just dry a lot and use dried herbs in the winter. Hope you enjoy these eggs! We certainly do. Wishing you and yours a happy holiday as well.
Hi MJ:
These eggs sound perfect. Crispy cheese is perhaps one of my favorite guilty pleasures.
Cheers,
Chava
Thanks so much Chava! I’m with you on the crispy cheese. It’s hard to beat.
So simple, yet so special, I have never seen a similar recipe. I would love to try it!
Thanks Adina! It really is quite easy and so good! Hope you enjoy!
Why did I not read this post 3 hours ago? I guess I can still have it for lunch, YUM!
Absolutely! It makes a great lunch as well. Thanks Evelyne!
This is a great idea to change up the usual fried egg!
Thanks Amy!
Brilliant! I’ve always sprinkled the cheese on top of the eggs! Can’t wait to try your recipe MJ.
Me too! Everything went on top. It’s so much better cooked into the egg. Hope you enjoy! Thanks!
Brilliant idea. Your Crispy Cheese Fried Egg on a tortilla has me thinking about tomorrows breakfast. Might just have to add some refried beans to the tortilla. Simplicity can be amazing sometimes.
thanks so much Ron! Hope you enjoy! A side of beans is perfect!
Just wanted to let you know that we gave this a go for Sunday brunch today and we loved it. Thanks again for sharing.
Thanks for letting me know Ron! So glad you enjoyed it.
L.o.v.e the method! We fight over the crispy cheese blobs (official name) in this family so I’m all over this one. I just love how the herbs melt into the cheese, I’ve never tried that, what a revelation! It looks so cool too with the green speckled edges and the egg fried into the melty middle, I’m all heart eyes. Doing it!
Thanks Kelly! Those crispy cheese blobs are worth fighting over. I think I order French onion soup just so I can pick the crispy cheese off the rim. 🙂 With this egg, everyone gets their own crispy cheese, so no fighting. Hope you enjoy!
I love this idea MJ
Thanks Lea Ann!
Great idea! I always have trouble with the yolk breaking, though.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks Mae! Keeping the yolk from breaking is a practiced technique. I have found, when doing fried eggs, use the back side of a knife and hitting around the middle of the egg. Hold it so that the yolk is at the bottom and carefully open while turning the egg in to the pan. Works 99% of the time.
So good to see another beauty at your place MJ ! Beautiful !
Thanks so much Darlin!
wow..this looks like a perfect post workout meal. I would love mine with lots of aged cheddar please :-))
Lots of great protein to feed the body! Thanks Angie!
The egg looks so absolutely perfect! Delicious!
Thanks Kelly!
This is so clever MJ! We eat eggs for breakfast nearly every day, and I’m always excited about new ways to prepare them. I’ve got chives, thyme, and oregano in my garden… I can’t wait!
Thanks Tamara! I’m jealous that your herbs are still going strong there. Most of mine got zapped by a couple of 19 degree freezes.
Fried eggs not only taste wonderful, they look so seductive too. Your pictures are gorgeous! Great dish, too — sounds terrific. Thanks!
Agreed! Thanks so much!
This is a great idea! I think that I will add diced cooked bacon to the cheese crisp on the bottom, in addition to the green chile!
Diced bacon sounds awesome! Now I’m going to to try it. Thanks Crista!