It’s been really trendy recently to top any and every meal with a fried egg, which makes a lot of sense. Eggs perfectly tie together the components of a buddha bowl, add pizzaz to a breakfast hash, somehow manage to escalate avocado toast — the possibilities are endless! However, poached eggs are healthier (and dare I say tastier) than fried eggs.
In addition to being healthier, poached eggs are aesthetically beautiful, don’t require messing with hot oil to cook, and feel classier than their fried counterparts. This is why I recommend replacing fried eggs with poached eggs when you’re looking to #putaneggonit.
To get you started on your egg-poaching journey, here is how to poach an egg on the stove, and here is how to poach an egg in the microwave. Keep reading for 11 poached egg recipes to get you started!
1. Simple Poached Egg Avocado Toast
You can’t talk about poached eggs without mentioning avocado toast. On its own, avocado toast is ridiculously trendy, but you can escalate its #Instaworthy-ness by topping it with a poached egg.
In addition to the aesthetic and taste value (that yolk and avocado combo is to die for), adding a poached egg to your avocado toast ups its protein value and makes it a more filling dish.
2. Easy Carbonara Pasta with Poached Egg
Pasta carbonara traditionally has an egg mixed in with the noodles, but this recipe takes the traditional recipe to the next level. While your Italian grandma might not be thrilled with the departure from the classic recipe, you will be thrilled when you get to pop open the egg and watch the yolk spill all over your pasta.
Honestly, when has #yolkporn ever made anything worse?
3. Steel Cut Oats Topped with Pecorino and a Poached Egg
Oatmeal is the new hottest foodie trend. Cafes, like Oatmeals in New York, have opened that just sell oatmeal with various toppings. If you want to get in on the trend for yourself, take your breakfast to the next level by trying savory oatmeal.
If you’re a little iffy about savory oats, ease into it by trying a flavor combo that you know will never fail you: pecorino and a poached egg. The sharp, salty cheese and the fluffy texture of the egg perfectly complement the hearty oats. Don’t knock it until you try it.
4. Quinoa Cakes with Poached Eggs
If you’re throwing a classy dinner party and really want to impress your guests, this is the way to go. This dish is healthy, beautiful, and comforting. Even though it looks intimidating, your guests will love the familiar flavors of quinoa and runny egg yolks.
You can never go wrong with preparing classic flavors in a beautiful packaging. That way, you guarantee that your meal will have the full package of being photogenic and delicious.
5. Crispy Poached Eggs
Even though poaching eggs is one of the healthiest way to prepare them, there are ways to make them indulgent as well. Just like most things (I’m looking at you, Oreos), poached eggs are improved by a trip to the fryer.
These look just like your classic chicken nugget, but are a step above because they have a runny egg inside.
6. Sweet Potato Toast
What’s better than sweet potatoes and avocado toast? Both of them together, obviously! If you’re looking to give your classic avo toast breakfast a healthy spin or just love the taste of sweet potatoes (it’d be hard not to), this is an easy recipe worth adding to your repertoire.
Sweet potato toast looks like it would be really complicated to make, but it’s actually super simple. Just like poaching eggs, it seems intimidating until you try it for yourself.
7. Savory Parmesan Oats with Poached Egg
I know this is the second savory oatmeal on this list, but it really is a trend worth trying. For all you athletes or people trying to avoid the freshman 15, this recipe is a perfect way to start your day with complex carbs, fiber, and protein. With a breakfast (or lunch, or snack, or dinner — I don’t judge) like this, you’ll be making those #gainz in no time.
8. Brie Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict is a classic poached egg recipe. This super classy, fabulously indulgent brunch meal hits the spot every time. With this recipe, you can up the #bougie factor by incorporating Brie into your eggs benny.
If you’re hosting Easter brunch, this recipe is a perfect way to impress all your guests. All your friends will want to post a picture of their brunch on Insta if you serve them this.
9. Shakshuka with Bell Pepper
When I started researching poached egg recipes, I didn’t realize that Shakshuka is just eggs poached in tomato sauce. A friend on my track team opened my eyes to how easy it really is to make Shakshuka (shoutout to Kathleen Hopps!), and now I’m itching to make it for myself.
While this beautiful brunch dish looks like it’d be hard to make, it’s a pretty foolproof recipe that is perfect for serving a large group.
10. Croque-Monsieur with Poached Eggs
This recipe takes the classic croque monsieur to the next level by topping the already decadent sandwich with a poached egg. Just like most things, this fairly standard dish is elevated with the addition of an egg.
Also called a croque madame, this recipe will have you saying #ImWithHer, at least in the contest between croque monsieur/madame…
11. Farro Salad with Cabbage, Mushrooms, and a Poached Egg
Definitely on the fancier side of things, this recipe is a perfect way to make a salad that doesn’t suck. The best way to make sure your salad is hearty enough to fill you up is to add some sort of grain and protein — this recipe does both with farro and a poached egg.
The great thing about a grain like farro is that it’s super easy to make in a huge batch to prep for multiple days of healthy meals. Making a salad like this for a large crowd isn’t very difficult either — just bulk-prepare the farro and make as many poached eggs as you have guests!
The fried egg’s healthier, classier older sister, poached eggs are definitely a must-add to your recipe rotation. These poached egg recipes are a good starting point, but you should definitely experiment with adding a poached egg to your favorite meals!