The Pantry Ingredient Your Fried Eggs Have Been Missing

Fried eggs are beloved for being an easy, hearty breakfast food (or lunch, or snack, or dinner). They're not just a quick protein fix, though. Fried eggs are more versatile than you might imagine. While an egg seasoned with salt and pepper is a thing of beauty, this is one place where it pays to guild the lily. The Takeout has written about frying eggs in tomato paste before — it's one of our favorite ways to jazz up the classic fried egg. It's also perfect for fans (or even haters) of the controversial practice of putting ketchup on eggs. You'll get a richer flavor without the sweetness that comes with ketchup, which many people find off-putting. But the technique can be harder than it seems. If you don't do it right, frying eggs in tomato paste is a recipe for a burnt mess.

For advice, we turned to eggs-pert Nelson Serrano-Bahri, chef and director of innovation at the American Egg Board, an organization dedicated to supporting egg farmers. Serrano-Bahri is a fan of eggs and tomatoes himself. The American Egg Board's website, The Incredible Egg, publishes recipes like Huevos Toreados — a variation on fried eggs that incorporates tomato paste.

"Tomato paste is highly concentrated and contains sugar, which can caramelize and burn quickly over high heat," Serrano-Bahri explained. "Cook the tomato paste on low to medium heat first, allowing it to release its natural sweetness and flavors." According to Serrano-Bahri, heating the paste beforehand helps prevent scorching.

Serrano-Bahri doesn't just fry the eggs with the tomato paste, though. He suggests frying them in it, almost as if you were poaching them. "Once the paste has cooked down a bit... you can create small wells in the paste for the eggs and reduce the heat further to gently fry the eggs. Additionally, adding a small amount of water or oil to the paste can help thin it out and prevent burning."

As for his personal favorite additions? "I like adding some chili or truffle oil while cooking a fried egg for some spice and to complement the richness of the egg yolk," Serrano-Bahri continued. "Fresh herbs are also great to top your finished fried egg for some additional flavor." Fresh herbs, flavorful oils, and tomato paste — marinara lovers might have a new favorite breakfast. Just remember to make sure that your eggs are still good before you get started and cook them to 160 degrees Fahrenheit for good food safety. Frying eggs may not be the healthiest way to cook eggs, but the flavor boost you'll get with tomato paste is worth the trade-off.