We’re putting a spin on the classic fried eggs and toast with this Fried Feta Egg Breakfast Pita, a quick savory breakfast bursting with veggies that will keep you going until your next meal. Perfectly cooked fried eggs that are slightly salty, a touch spicy, creamy, and full of fresh herbs. It’s a mouthwatering breakfast dish that can easily double as a vegetarian dinner.
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What happens if you fry feta in a pan? It turns into a crispy, golden brown nest that’s meant for cradling a perfectly cooked egg. I’d wager it’s why recipe developer Grace Elkus Bianconi went viral when she shared a recipe for them online.
Today we’re taking these viral feta eggs up a notch by turning them into a sort of breakfast sandwich. And we’re going Mediterranean with the whole thing, too: we’re using toasted pita, spritzing lemon over everything with reckless abandon, and letting the gentle heat from a thwap of harissa butter transport your taste buds to a European coastline far, far away.
The hummus and the tangle of pickled red onions are completely optional (but are they really?). And of course, a few thick slices of avocado, although not pictured (you can blame my pre-coffee brain) are a MUST. They really round out the saltiness and acidity in this dish.
And the pita turns this whole thing into sort of a fried feta egg taco, if you will. Although if you’re short on time or you’re not feeling the pita, you can always just eat this egg plain. It’s still a very good dish all on its own.
Why You’ll Love These Crispy Feta Eggs & Breakfast Pita
- A Fun & Exciting Savory Breakfast: A cross between a breakfast taco and an egg sandwich, it’s familiar enough to hit the spot but also different enough to be exciting.
- Healthy & Wholesome: Protein-packed eggs and hummus with leafy greens, lemon, garlic, and avocado to start your day on a deliciously wholesome note.
- Remarkably Adaptable: When feta eggs were having their moment, I was blissfully unaware. In fact, I was eating fried cheddar eggs, topping it with hot sauce and folding it all up in a corn tortilla. That means you can take this technique and use virtually any cheese – cheddar, gouda, oaxaca, swiss, parmesan – and get a similar result. Let the cheese inspire everything from bread to toppings.
- Easy to Double: This breakfast pita will feed two as written, but you can easily double or triple it if you’re cooking for a crowd.
Key Ingredients for Fried Feta Egg Breakfast Pita, Harissa Butter, and Wilted Spinach
- A block of feta: I recommend using feta in brine or any other salty cheese for that matter. This recipe is extremely adaptable to suit whatever you have on hand.
- Large eggs
- Butter
- Olive Oil
- Harissa: We’re making our own harissa butter today, but if you want to skip a step (and a few ingredients), you can always use some chilli oil instead.
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Smoked paprika: I like using the smoked paprika for extra flavor, but you can also use regular ol’ paprika.
- Baby spinach: Arugula or some combo of the two would also work.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh parsley
- Cucumber: Here I use English cucumbers, which I tend to prefer whenever my cucumbers get used for anything other than a cucumber salad, simply because there are less seeds in the center.
- Pita bread: I think pita bread is a natural accompaniment to the feta cheese, but you can always swap for a small tortilla if that’s what you have on hand.
- Hummus: You can use homemade hummus or storebought. You can also swap for tzatziki, greek yogurt, or any other sauce you happen to have on hand.
- Avocado: Avocado helps cut through the salty eggs in the most delicious way. I highly recommend reserving up to half an avocado per pita sandwich.
- Pickled Red Onions: If you don’t have any pickled red onions, I recommend finely slicing a few raw red onions and sprinkling over the top of your pita sandwich.
Tips and Tricks for The Best Feta Fried Egg Breakfast Pita
- Don’t use pre-crumbled feta for this recipe. It’s best to buy a block of feta and crumble it yourself. Pre-shredded or crumbled cheese will not melt and crisp up in the same way.
- Use any hard cheese you have on hand for this viral recipe: cheddar cheese, goat cheese, gouda, etc.
- You need to use a non-stick pan for this recipe. Believe me, I love my stainless steel pans, but feta will stick to them and be a huge mess to clean up.
- This recipe is begging for avocado. It’s not pictured because I hadn’t had coffee when I took these pictures.
- Make the eggs last and spread the hummus (or tzatziki) onto the pita before you start making the egg. You’ll want to plunk your cheesy egg down onto the pita as soon as it’s ready to go for maximum crisp.
How to Make Feta Fried Eggs & All The Amazing Accouterments
First, pop your pitas into a cold oven, and set it to 275F to preheat.
Then, make your harissa butter:
Toss the butter, oil and garlic into a small non-stick skillet (you’ll use the same one to make your eggs). Let the butter melt and then let the garlic fry for 30 seconds, up to a minute, before adding the harissa. Fry everything for another 30 seconds and then turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a small bowl.
Let’s make a wilted spinach ‘salad:’
In a separate, medium non-stick skillet add a tablespoon of olive oil and once hot, add the garlic and the greens. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes or until the greens are just wilted. Remove from heat and add a squeeze of lemon juice, herbs, and cucumber. Toss to combine.
And now for the egg recipe and its cheesy crust:
Heat the same non-stick skillet you used to make the harissa butter over medium heat. Into the hot pan, place freshly crumbled feta down in a circle and then immediately crack an egg into the base of the feta. Turn the burner down to medium-low heat, cover, and cook 2-3 minutes or until the egg whites cook through and the cheese has a nice golden crust and the yolk reaches your desired level of doneness.
And finally, we eat! Spread a couple of tablespoons of hummus onto your toasty pita. Then slip the crispy fried eggs onto the pitas. Place some spinach around the egg, drizzle a bit of harissa butter over the top of it all and top with pickled red onions and thick slices of avocado. Extra points if you have a few cherry tomatoes. Now, you do you, but I’m going to be over here wrapping myself in paper towel, tearing into the egg yolk and mixing it into the harissa butter, and then tucking into it.
FAQs
Can I use crumbled feta or pre-shredded cheese for this recipe?
I don’t recommend using pre-crumbled feta or pre-shredded cheese in this recipe. It will not melt or crisp up in the same way as a block of feta in brine.
What does feta cheese go with?
Feta cheese tends to be quite salty, so I recommend pairing it with fresh avocado, lemon juice, a bit of spice (like the harissa butter), and vegetables like cucumber and spinach.
Other fresh vegetables such as cherry tomato halves, radishes or bell pepper slices would also work great. And of course, bold, bright sauces like tzatziki, zhoug, or chermoula would work if you’re not feeling the harissa butter.
How can I store any leftovers?
Unfortunately, fried feta eggs are best eaten while they are fresh. You can of course store them in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in a skillet, covered, until warm, however you will likely overcook the egg yolk.
What to serve with fried feta eggs breakfast pita?
Honestly, this is a pretty complete meal, but you can also make some homemade hash browns to accompany these eggs. Or, if you’re thirsty, make a fancy latte with my Blackberry simple syrup, or you could even treat yourself to a Bloody Mary (that would probably be perfection on a weekend).
📖 Recipe
Feta Fried Eggs Breakfast Pita
Equipment
- Non-stick frying pan
Ingredients
Harissa Chili Oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon harissa paste
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon salt or to taste Seasoning is such a personal preference. You may not even need salt in this recipe; harissa is already a bit salty and it’s going on top of fried feta… so give it a quick taste before seasoning.
Wilted Spinach Salad
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 clove garlic
- Spritz of lemon
- 6 sprigs of fresh parsley
- 6 sprigs of fresh cilantro
- ¼ english cucumber sliced thinly
- ⅛ teaspoon salt a sprinkle really. Again, this is going on top of fried feta. But, if you’re like me you’ll want to season it gently all the same.
Feta Fried Eggs
- 2-3 ounces crumbled feta per egg I used slightly less than 1.5/egg
- 2 large eggs
- Black pepper to taste
To Assemble
- 2 pitas
- 4 tablespoons hummus
- 1 avocado sliced (not pictured but I highly recommend half of an avocado per person to accompany with these eggs)
- Optional: pickled red onion cherry tomato halves, etc.
Instructions
First, pop your pitas into a cold oven, and set it to 275F to preheat.
Then, make your harissa butter:
- Toss the butter, oil and garlic into a small non-stick skillet (you’ll use the same one to make your eggs). Let the butter melt and then let the garlic fry for 30 seconds, up to a minute, before adding the harissa. Fry everything for another 30 seconds and then turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a small bowl.
Let’s make a wilted spinach ‘salad:’
- In a separate, medium non-stick skillet add a tablespoon of olive oil and once hot, add the garlic and the greens. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes or until the greens are just wilted. Remove from heat and add a squeeze of lemon juice, herbs, and cucumber. Toss to combine.
And now for the egg recipe and its cheesy crust:
- Turn off the oven and remove the pitas from the oven at this point. Set them on plates and spread a couple of tablespoons of hummus onto each pita.
- Heat the same non-stick skillet you used to make the harissa butter over medium heat. Into the hot pan, place freshly crumbled feta down in a circle and then immediately crack an egg into the base of the feta. Turn the burner down to medium-low heat, cover, and cook 2-3 minutes or until the egg whites cook through and the cheese has a nice golden crust and the yolk reaches your desired level of doneness.
And finally, we eat!
- Slip the crispy fried eggs onto the pitas. Place some spinach around the egg, drizzle a bit of harissa butter over the top of it all and top with pickled red onions and thick slices of avocado. Extra points if you have a few cherry tomatoes. Now, you do you, but I’m going to be over here wrapping myself in paper towel, tearing into the egg yolk and mixing it into the harissa butter, and then tucking into it.
Notes
- Don’t use pre-crumbled feta for this recipe. It’s best to buy a block of feta and crumble it yourself. Pre-shredded or crumbled cheese will not melt and crisp up in the same way.
- Use any hard cheese you have on hand for this viral recipe: cheddar cheese, goat cheese, gouda, etc.
- You need to use a non-stick pan for this recipe. Believe me, I love my stainless steel pans, but feta will stick to them and be a huge mess to clean up.
- This recipe is begging for avocado. It’s not pictured because I hadn’t had coffee when I took these pictures.
- Make the eggs last and spread the hummus (or tzatziki) onto the pita before you start making the egg. You’ll want to plunk your cheesy egg down onto the pita as soon as it’s ready to go for maximum crisp.
