[Photographs: J. Kenji López-Alt, Yasmin Fahr]
Eggs are generally thought of as breakfast fare, but we see no reason not to enjoy them during the rest of the day. Need a dose of protein around lunchtime to jolt you back into the land of the living? A quick egg sandwich can do that for you. Suddenly realized it's 7 p.m., your belly is grumbling, and you have no idea what dinner will look like? Scare up a few ingredients to throw into a frittata and you can have it ready in half an hour. Plus, more dishes out there than you'd imagine can be improved with the addition of a soft fried or poached egg, especially when you don't want to take the trouble to make a sauce. We've assembled 16 recipes for dinner- (or lunch-, or late-night-snack-) appropriate egg dishes, both the down-and-dirty and the somewhat more involved—hearty baked eggs with barley, fried rice, ravioli, and more.
Meat
Sautéed Asparagus With Chorizo, Fried Eggs, and Smoked-Paprika Allioli
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
With help from tender asparagus stalks and dry Spanish chorizo, this recipe transforms the hurried breakfast staple of fried eggs into a well-rounded anytime meal. Cooking the eggs in hot chorizo fat gets the edges browned and lacy-crisp, just how we like 'em. Serve the dish with a smear of allioli, the Spanish cousin of aioli, infused with mild smoked paprika.
Get the recipe for Sautéed Asparagus With Chorizo, Fried Eggs, and Smoked-Paprika Allioli »
Stir-Fried Shrimp With Eggs and Chinese Chives
[Photograph: Shao Z.]
This quick-cooking, home-style Cantonese standard is made with shrimp, scrambled eggs, and garlicky Chinese chives. We brine the shrimp with baking soda before cooking to ensure that they turn out plump and juicy, with a tender bite. It's perfectly in line with tradition to swap the shrimp out for sliced roast pork—or you can omit the meat entirely to keep it vegetarian.
Get the recipe for Stir-Fried Shrimp With Eggs and Chinese Chives »
Kimchi and Spam Fried Rice
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
Though fried rice makes a fine dinner, this is one version that might be better suited to a late night after a few too many. We follow most of the steps from our fried rice guide here, adding flavor with crisp, salty Spam and spicy kimchi, and the gooey yolk from the fried eggs on top provides a ready-made sauce with which to mix everything up. Allowing the rice to sit undisturbed for a moment in the wok forms a pleasantly crunchy shell, reminiscent of paella or bibimbap.
Get the recipe for Kimchi and Spam Fried Rice »
Uovo in Raviolo (Runny Egg Yolk Ravioli)
[Photograph: Niki Achitoff-Gray]
Spam fried rice it ain't—these lovely round dumplings, each filled with a ring of creamy ricotta and an intact egg yolk, are a study in class. Uovo in raviolo may seem too showy to cook at home, but it's actually fairly easy, though it does require a gentle hand with the construction. We serve ours with a simple pan sauce of pancetta, butter, shallots, and dry white wine.
Get the recipe for Uovo in Raviolo (Runny Egg Yolk Ravioli) »
Vegetarian
Cheesy Grits With Spring Vegetables
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
Like eggs, grits are a hearty dish that's associated with breakfast, but belly- and soul-satisfying any time. Here, we use coarsely ground grits, cooked low and slow in a mixture of water and milk until they're thick and creamy. Then we load them up with Parmesan and cheddar, top them with a medley of sautéed seasonal green vegetables, and set a poached egg on top; the rich yolk will coat all the other components when you break into it.
Get the recipe for Cheesy Grits With Spring Vegetables »
Cheesy Mashed White Beans With Kale, Parmesan, and a Fried Egg
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
This dish is a cousin of the grits above, but streamlined, since we replace the slow-simmering grits with a mash of white beans, cream, and cheese. The texture isn't too far removed, but it takes a lot less standing and stirring. Sautéed kale and a fried egg finish it off.
Get the recipe for Cheesy Mashed White Beans With Kale, Parmesan, and a Fried Egg »
Spring Salad of Asparagus, Ramps, Snap Peas, and Peas With Poached Egg and Lemon Zest Vinaigrette
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
This crunchy, vibrant salad is like a spring farmers market table dumped into a bowl: peas, snap peas, asparagus, ramps, and pea shoots, plus any other seasonal green produce you might have picked up lately. We purée some of the asparagus into a creamy base for the salad, which helps bind the other ingredients, and the dressing is a mix of bright lemon zest vinaigrette and the runny yolk from (of course) a perfectly poached egg.
The Best Egg Salad
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
The most important element of great egg salad is great hard-boiled eggs—though that's a bit of a misnomer here, since we actually steam rather than boil ours for even cooking and easy peeling. Crushing the eggs by hand provides the best texture, a balance of chunky and creamy. The rest of the salad is clean and simple: just good mayo, celery, and scallions.
Get the recipe for The Best Egg Salad »
Sabich Sandwiches (Pitas With Eggplant, Eggs, Hummus, and Tahini)
[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]
Crazy about falafel? Think it's overrated? Either way, it's not the only Middle Eastern sandwich option out there: The sabich—a warm pita stuffed with fried eggplant, hard-boiled egg, hummus, tahini, and Israeli salad and pickles—deserves your consideration and your love. The crisp-tenderness of the eggplant joins the soft hummus and egg and the crunchy cucumber and pickles in a wonderful marriage of textures, for a sandwich that's unapologetically moist and messy.
Get the recipe for Sabich Sandwiches (Pitas With Eggplant, Eggs, Hummus, and Tahini) »
The Grilled Cheese Eggsplosion (Grilled Cheese With Fried Eggs Cooked Into the Bread)
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
Have you ever thought to yourself, "Grilled cheese is nice and all, but what if it were twice as rich and one hundred times as messy?" Good news! This shameless concoction, a hybrid of egg-in-a-hole and grilled cheese, is made by cutting a hole in each slice of bread, dropping an egg in, and letting it cook until set; when you bite in, the yolk will indeed eject explosively, and some of it will probably land on your chin. Be careful flipping the sandwich so as not to break the yolks prematurely.
Sweet Potato, Sage, and Fried Egg Tacos
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
These speedy tacos straddle the line between breakfast and dinner (so they're ideal for a late brunch, perhaps). Sweet potatoes and sage are a classic combination, and the yolk from a fried egg furnishes enough liquid that you don't need to make a salsa: Just top the tacos with hot sauce and Mexican crema, and mix them up with the yolk for an impromptu sauce.
Get the recipe for Sweet Potato, Sage, and Fried Egg Tacos »
Mushroom and Gruyère Eggs en Cocotte
[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]
Eggs en cocotte, eggs baked gently in individual ramekins, is an elegant-looking dish that's not made often enough these days, and it works well for either brunch or a light dinner. Here, we line the ramekins with a rich mushroom duxelles, slide the eggs in, and top each with a light layer of grated cheese. Check out our other variations on the dish, using crab and tomato and goat cheese, too.
Get the recipe for Mushroom and Gruyère Eggs en Cocotte »
Baked Eggs in Avocado Cups With Feta and Mint
[Photograph: Yasmin Fahr]
Why use just any old cup when you have an excuse to work in an edible one? This homier take on baked eggs replaces the ramekins with halved avocados. Peel and halve the avocado, scoop out a little flesh to make a comfortable nest, drop the egg in, and bake the whole thing on a piece of naan, which conveniently soaks up any spilled yolk. Top it with a sprinkling of feta and mint and it's ready to serve.
Get the recipe for Baked Eggs in Avocado Cups With Feta and Mint »
Skillet Barley With Kale and Eggs
[Photograph: Yasmin Fahr]
We love barley for its chewy texture and malt flavor, and it's right at home with sturdy kale and hearty baked eggs in this no-nonsense one-pot dinner. Once the grain is cooked through and the kale wilted, crack the eggs straight into the pan and pop it under the broiler. Be sure to drizzle on some olive oil first to keep the barley from drying out.
Get the recipe for Skillet Barley With Kale and Eggs »
Spicy Tomato Sauce With Lentils and Baked Eggs
[Photograph: Yasmin Fahr]
Like the one above, this recipe is a one-pot kale dish with eggs baked right in. Here, though, we sub lentils for barley, enveloping them in a jalapeño-spiced tomato sauce and cooking them until they're creamy. The eggs are broken in and broiled in the same sauce, in a sort of earthier twist on shakshuka. Serve it with some crusty bread on the side for sopping-up.
Get the recipe for Spicy Tomato Sauce With Lentils and Baked Eggs »
Torn Pasta Sheets With Brown Butter, Herbs, and Poached Eggs
[Photograph: Lauren Rothman]
Perfect for those nights when you have no energy for anything other than the most comforting, easy-to-prepare of meals, this rustic pasta combines torn lasagna noodles with nutty browned butter, shallots, and a big handful of fresh herbs. Soy sauce provides all the salt you need here, along with extra savoriness, while the herbs and a little lemon juice lighten it up. And—because it just wouldn't be a complete and filling dinner without them—a couple of soft poached eggs lend protein and heft.
Get the recipe for Torn Pasta Sheets With Brown Butter, Herbs, and Poached Eggs »