Once You Try The Viral Feta Fried Eggs For Breakfast, You'll Never Look Back

Viral recipes are always tricky, as they veer between genuinely useful and attention-grabbing stunts, but show us a simple new way to cook eggs that really works, and you'll have our attention. The best viral recipes aren't ones that utilize strange ingredients or produce Instagram-ready visuals. Like another feta favorite with baked pasta, good viral recipes blow your mind with normal ingredients being used in ways that make you wonder why you didn't think of it yourself. This feta fried egg trick is just like that; it's something you can make in a matter of minutes with equipment you already have and ingredients that are probably already in your fridge.

Coming from writer and recipe developer Grace Elkus on TikTok, these feta fried eggs have racked up over 30 million views for good reason. By crumbling a circle of feta cheese into a pan, Elkus creates a barrier that you can crack a single egg into. The pan is covered so that the top of the fried egg cooks evenly as the bottom browns. The feta melts and merges with some of the egg whites, creating a lacy, browned crust around an interior of soft egg and runny yolk. The feta has plenty of flavor by itself, so some black and red pepper are the only other things needed to turn out a crispy, salty, savory breakfast in minutes.

While the recipe is easy, Elkus does share a couple hints on her site on how to make it work best. A full fat feta, ideally one packed in brine, is important to make sure the cheese melts properly. (Fat-free feta packs much less flavor and it doesn't melt particularly well.) You should also use a non-stick skillet, but if you don't have one you can still make the recipe, just add a tablespoon of oil before cracking in the egg. Fans of the original recipe also made quite a few suggestions that show just how versatile the combo of feta and fried egg is. The top request was for adding chili crisp oil, which turned out exactly as delicious as it sounds when Elkus tested it. Basically anything that goes with fried eggs and salty cheese, from salsa to crumbled sausage, would go great with this.

The original recipe calls for the feta fried eggs to be eaten in a tortilla or on top of hash browns, but that's only the beginning. Serving it over refried beans, or as part of an upgraded steak and eggs, transforms it from a light breakfast into a hearty meal. And if you love a runny fried egg on a breakfast sandwich, this preparation will take it to another level. Sometimes, with recipes like this, the internet really does fulfill its promise.