Crispy Garlic Adds A Delicious Texture To Your Fried Eggs

Garlic is an endlessly versatile source of flavor and a crucial ingredient in many global culinary traditions. It's spicy and pungent as a raw ingredient, but throwing it into hot oil will instantly transform garlic into a rich, nutty, and aromatic delicacy. Fried garlic is no stranger to egg dishes, but adding crispy fried garlic chips to fried eggs is the ultimate upgrade.

A common addition to Southeast Asian stir-fries, soups, fried rice, and noodle dishes, garlic chips are made by thinly slicing whole garlic cloves and lightly frying the slices in oil until they become crisp and golden brown. The crunchy texture and concentrated nutty, toasty flavor provide a wonderful textural contrast and flavor enhancement to a rich and creamy fried egg.

In a recent viral TikTok video, creator @Haileecatalano demonstrates an ingenious process that fries eggs and garlic chips simultaneously. She adds thinly sliced garlic chips to a frying pan with oil and once the garlic starts to crisp up, she cracks an egg into the pan. By the time the fried egg sets, the garlic chips have created a crunchy brown foundation. On top off adding the perfect crunch to each bite, the garlic slices infuse flavor into the oil while they cook, creating a richly flavored frying oil for the egg.

While Catalano's video makes fried garlic-fried eggs look easy, frying garlic chips is a delicate and sensitive undertaking that requires attention and precision. Because the garlic is so thinly sliced, it only takes a split second to go from golden and flavorful to burnt and rancid. Plus, you'll need to factor in the time it takes to fry the egg. You should crack the egg over the garlic chips when their edges start to brown but their centers are still white.

Another option is to make the garlic chips first, spooning them out of the pan and reserving the garlic-infused oil to make your fried egg. You can add some of the garlic chips back to the pan just before you immediately add your egg. This would ensure the chips stay crisp when you cover and steam the egg but eliminate the risk of overcooking. Even if they soften, you can sprinkle the pieces you reserved over the egg when serving for that desired crunch.

While salt and pepper are sufficient for a flavorful garlic-fried egg, additional seasonings and garnishes will add delicious complexity. As shown in the TikTok video, black sesame, tamari, and chili oil will give fried eggs a flavorful Asian twist. Smoked paprika, harissa, and chopped cilantro would transform afried egg into a Mediterranean feast. For Latin flare, you could place your garlic-fried egg over a thick slice of pan con tomate and finish it with a drizzle of chimichurri.