Mediterranean Baked Feta Eggs Recipe for Breakfast
The Ultimate Mediterranean Baked Feta Eggs Recipe for Breakfast
Are you looking to break free from your breakfast routine of toast or cereal? Do you find yourself longing for a morning meal that is not only deeply satisfying but also brings the feel of a sunny Mediterranean escape to your home? If so, we have the perfect recipe for you. Allow us to introduce a dish set to redefine your mornings: our wonderfully fresh, flavourful, and surprisingly simple Mediterranean Baked Feta Eggs.
This dish is far more than just a recipe; it’s a complete sensory experience. Picture a sizzling skillet filled with a savoury sauce of tomatoes and peppers, dotted with tangy Kalamata olives, and blanketed with creamy, salty feta cheese. Tucked into this delicious base are beautifully baked eggs with soft, runny yolks, perfect for dipping with a slice of crusty bread. It’s a true delight for both the eyes and the palate, bringing the vibrant taste of the Mediterranean directly to your breakfast table. Let’s begin!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Incredible Depth of Flavour: The harmony of sweet cherry tomatoes, piquant feta, fragrant herbs, and rich egg yolks delivers a complex and memorable taste experience. It’s a wonderful way to awaken your senses.
- Simple Yet Impressive: As a one-pan meal, this dish looks incredibly sophisticated but is remarkably straightforward to prepare. It’s ideal for a relaxed weekend brunch but quick enough for an elevated weekday breakfast.
- Nutritious and Wholesome: Filled with high-quality protein from the eggs, essential vitamins from the vegetables, and beneficial fats from olive oil, this is a breakfast that makes you feel great. It beautifully represents the healthful principles of the Mediterranean diet.
- Wonderfully Versatile: While we adore this recipe just as it is, it also serves as an excellent foundation for your culinary creativity. You can easily add ingredients like spinach, mushrooms, or different spices to tailor it to your taste.
- Ideal for Communal Meals: When served directly from the skillet at the centre of the table, this dish fosters a warm and communal dining atmosphere, making it perfect for sharing with your loved ones.
What Are Mediterranean Baked Eggs?
Fundamentally, this dish is a classic example of Mediterranean baked eggs, a beloved cooking style common throughout the region, from Greece all the way to the Middle East. The idea is elegantly simple: eggs are gently cooked within a rich, savoury sauce, which is often based on tomatoes. While it shares similarities with its well-known relative, Shakshuka, our interpretation embraces distinctly Greek flavours through the generous use of feta cheese, oregano, and Kalamata olives.
This cooking technique yields exquisitely tender egg whites and delightfully runny yolks that merge with the sauce once broken. It’s a rustic, comforting, and profoundly satisfying method for preparing eggs, elevating them from a daily staple to the centrepiece of an exceptional meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes (optional, adjust to taste)
- 200g block of feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
- 4 large free-range eggs
- 75g Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- A small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- A small handful of fresh dill, chopped
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Crusty bread or pitta, to serve
How to Make Our Mediterranean Baked Feta Eggs Recipe
Just follow these straightforward steps to prepare a stunning breakfast that is sure to impress. For the best one-pan result, we suggest using a 25cm (10-inch) oven-safe skillet or frying pan.
- Begin with the Aromatic Base: Set your oven-safe skillet over a medium heat and pour in the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the chopped red onion and bell pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until they’ve softened and the onion has turned translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until it becomes fragrant.
- Create the Rich Sauce: Add the tin of chopped tomatoes to the skillet, followed by the halved cherry tomatoes, dried oregano, and chilli flakes (if you’re using them). Stir well to combine, season with salt and pepper, and allow it to come to a gentle simmer. Let the sauce cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until it has reduced and thickened nicely.
- Incorporate the Feta and Olives: Stir the halved Kalamata olives into the sauce. Next, scatter the crumbled feta cheese evenly across the top. With the back of a spoon, make four small indentations in the sauce to hold the eggs.
- Nestle in the Eggs: Gently crack an egg into each of the wells you’ve made. Take care to keep the yolks intact.
- Bake in the Oven: Place the skillet into an oven preheated to 200°C (180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6). Let it bake for 7-10 minutes. The ideal cooking time depends on your preference for yolk consistency. For runny yolks, remove the pan as soon as the whites are set. For a firmer yolk, leave it to bake for a couple of extra minutes.
- Finish with Fresh Herbs and Serve: Cautiously take the hot skillet out of the oven. Sprinkle generously with freshly chopped parsley and dill. Serve immediately with warm pitta or crusty bread for dipping.
Top Tips for Success
- Choose Your Feta Wisely: For the best flavour and texture, opt for a good quality block of feta that is sold in brine. It’s far creamier and more delicious than the pre-crumbled types.
- Don’t Overcook the Eggs: Keep a careful watch on the eggs while they bake, as they can quickly go from perfect to overcooked. Be prepared to remove the skillet from the oven the moment the whites are opaque but the yolks still have a wobble.
- Use the Right Equipment: Make sure your pan is certified oven-safe to prevent any kitchen accidents. We find that a seasoned cast-iron skillet works best, as it retains and distributes heat exceptionally well.
- Finish with Fresh Herbs: Although dried oregano adds a wonderful depth, the final flourish of fresh parsley and dill at the end truly elevates the dish, adding a vibrant burst of freshness.
Serving Suggestions for Your Greek Feta Breakfast
While this dish is a satisfying meal on its own, the right pairings can take it to another level. The most important rule is to have something on hand to soak up all of that beautiful sauce and luscious egg yolk!
- Crusty Bread: A warm loaf of sourdough or a fresh ciabatta is the ideal companion for mopping up every last delicious drop from the skillet.
- Toasted Pitta Bread: For a more traditional Mediterranean feel, serve with warm, soft pitta bread, left whole or sliced into triangles for easy dipping.
- A Simple Green Salad: To transform this into a more substantial brunch, pair it with a crisp side salad. A Classic House Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette provides a zesty counterpoint to the rich eggs.
- Potatoes: Adding a side of crispy roasted or pan-fried potatoes would make this an even heartier and more filling meal.
Variations and Customisations
One of the finest qualities of this recipe is its adaptability. Consider it a starting point for incorporating your favourite Mediterranean flavours. Here are a few suggestions to inspire you:
- Add Some Greens: Stir a generous handful of fresh spinach into the tomato sauce just before you add the feta, allowing it to wilt completely.
- Make it Meaty: For a more robust dish, you can brown some chopped chorizo or merguez sausage with the onions at the very beginning.
- Different Cheeses: Feta is the classic choice, but this recipe is also delightful with crumbled goat’s cheese or even a few dollops of creamy ricotta.
- Spice it Up: Introduce a pinch of smoked paprika or cumin along with the oregano to give the sauce a deeper, smokier flavour.
Feel free to experiment with different vegetables and herbs to find your perfect combination. For more ideas on crafting vibrant meals, take a look at our guide to Nutrient Packed Salad Bowl Recipes.
FAQ
A Breakfast Worth Waking Up For
We are confident you will find this Mediterranean Baked Feta Eggs recipe to be a true game-changer. It provides a wonderful opportunity to shake up your morning routine and add a touch of sunshine to your day, whatever the weather. It is wholesome, straightforward, bursting with flavour, and incredibly versatile.
So, the next time you’re searching for a breakfast or brunch recipe that truly impresses, we highly recommend you give this one a go. It is a beautiful celebration of how simple ingredients can come together to create something extraordinary.
We would be thrilled to see how your dish turns out! If you decide to make this recipe, please drop a comment below to share your experience, or tag us in your pictures on social media. Enjoy your cooking!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes (optional, adjust to taste)
- 200g block of feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
- 4 large free-range eggs
- 75g Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- A small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- A small handful of fresh dill, chopped
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Crusty bread or pitta, to serve
Instructions
- Set your oven-safe skillet over a medium heat and pour in the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the chopped red onion and bell pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until they’ve softened and the onion has turned translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until it becomes fragrant.
- Add the tin of chopped tomatoes to the skillet, followed by the halved cherry tomatoes, dried oregano, and chilli flakes (if using). Stir well to combine, season with salt and pepper, and allow it to come to a gentle simmer. Let the sauce cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until it has reduced and thickened nicely.
- Stir the halved Kalamata olives into the sauce. Next, scatter the crumbled feta cheese evenly across the top. With the back of a spoon, make four small indentations in the sauce to hold the eggs.
- Gently crack an egg into each of the wells you’ve made. Take care to keep the yolks intact.
- Place the skillet into an oven preheated to 200°C (180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6). Let it bake for 7-10 minutes. For runny yolks, remove the pan as soon as the whites are set. For a firmer yolk, leave it to bake for a couple of extra minutes.
- Cautiously take the hot skillet out of the oven. Sprinkle generously with freshly chopped parsley and dill. Serve immediately with warm pitta or crusty bread for dipping.
