There’s no denying that eggs are a staple food in many households. Unless you refrain from all animal products, eggs are an easy source of protein to add to meals, and a classic way to start the day in many countries. If you follow a vegetarian diet, eggs can provide you with all of the essential amino acids in a proper balance. They offer a hefty supply of vitamins and minerals, including nutrients that are beneficial for brain, eye, and heart health. It’s not uncommon to hear eggs being touted as one of the most nutritious foods in the world, adding to their overall appeal on your breakfast plate.
Of course, eating the same hard-boiled or scrambled eggs on repeat can get a bit dull. Plus, you might not be super eager to stand by the stovetop and attend to a pan first thing in the morning. Cooking eggs in the oven allows you to step away and continue to get ready for the day to come while your breakfast bakes. On days when you have a bit more time and energy in the morning, some recipes combine a bit of sautéing and baking for optimal results.
There’s no shortage of ways to add your favorite ingredients to eggs for your morning meal. We’ve collected our top ways for cooking eggs in the oven to ensure you start the day with a nourishing and delicious breakfast.
1. Hard-boiled eggs
There’s definitely an art to preparing perfect hard-boiled eggs, and you’ll find endless discourse about the merits of adding eggs to cold vs. already boiling water, shocking them with cold water before peeling, and the ideal duration. However, less people are talking about the fact that you can make hard-boiled eggs in the oven. This way there’s no boiling water to watch over, nor do you have to worry about overcrowding the pot until it overflows. The only thing of note is that the eggs might develop a few dark spots in the oven, but this won’t affect the taste.
You’ll need a bit more time to bake hard-boiled eggs in the oven, but it’s entirely hands-off. Start baking them before hopping in the shower or making coffee, and they’ll be ready when you are. To prevent the eggs from rolling around your sheet pan, contain them in a muffin tin. Bake them in a preheated oven at 350 F for 30 minutes, then transfer them to a bowl with cold water for another 10 minutes to facilitate the peeling process. While it might be overkill to prepare a single hard-boiled egg with this method, it’s definitely a game changer if you want to make a dozen at a time.
2. Shakshuka
Shakshuka is easily one of the most comforting egg dishes you could have for breakfast. Poaching eggs in a rich and savory tomato-based sauce is a recipe for success. The dish has North African origins, and by now there are plenty of recipe variations floating around the internet to guarantee you’ll find something you like. Although many versions start off with sautéing ingredients in a skillet and covering it to poach the eggs, you can let the oven do all the work too.
Combine cherry tomatoes, onion, red peppers, olive oil, and tomato sauce in an oven-proof dish. Add sliced hot peppers for a kick, and season the components with minced garlic and a mixture of ground spices like cumin, paprika, chili, salt, and pepper. Bake the contents for around 35 minutes at 400 F so the tomatoes and peppers become soft and tender, then mash everything into a saucy consistency.
Next, crack the eggs on top, creating a small well for each egg beforehand so they settle into place. (You’ll want to pick the size of your baking dish accordingly so that the eggs are spaced apart.) Place the dish back into the oven until the egg whites set, then adjust the time based on your yolk-hardness preference. Sprinkle crumbled feta and chopped parsley over the top to garnish, and serve with a thick slice of toast or pita bread to sop up the sauce.
3. Eggs with greens
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Any breakfast dish that incorporates vegetables gets bonus points. Eggs make an excellent foundation for a veggie-forward recipe, adding to their versatility. Greens are a great way to pack in nutrients, and they’re pretty quick to cook compared to other options. You can keep things super simple and bake whisked eggs over a bed of spinach leaves, or you can take it up a notch if you have a bit of extra time in the morning. A recipe for baked eggs with spinach and leeks will pack in plenty of nutrition, while still offering your taste buds an enriching experience.
The recipe requires sautéing chopped leeks and spinach with garlic and butter before transferring the greens to an oven-proof dish to bake. Split the veggies into single-serve portions, or prepare a large serving to dole out by the spoonful. Make a small well in the greens to hold the cracked eggs, then spoon some heavy cream on top and season. Bake until the eggs set to your liking, leaving a creamy mixture blended with the greens. Add a few savory garnishes like fresh thyme, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. A crunchy piece of toast makes an excellent accompaniment to this baked egg dish.
4. Bacon and egg casserole
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For some people, eggs don’t exist without bacon. While you can fry up a few slices to go with your scramble, an easy cheesy bacon egg bake recipe combines them into a meal that is greater than the sum of its parts. The tasty dish even includes veggies (spinach, red pepper, and onion), adding an extra dose of nutrition to elevate this casserole.
First, you’ll need to fry up the bacon and diced veggies to ensure they are properly cooked before stirring them into the egg mixture. Preheat the oven to 350 F while you grease a baking dish, chop the bacon into bits, and whisk a dozen eggs. Mix the cooked veggies and bacon into the eggs, then add grated cheddar cheese. Pour everything into the prepared dish and bake for about 45 minutes until the top is golden and the eggs are set.
This simple egg bake is an excellent option to serve for breakfast when you’re hosting guests. Simply slice the contents into portions, and everyone gets their own cheesy bacon egg square. You can also reheat any leftovers and enjoy a filling meal every morning for a few days. Served with toast or other morning favorites like fruit and yogurt, this hearty egg bake hits the spot.
5. Eggs Benedict casserole
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Most breakfast and brunch fans love eggs Benedict, but poaching eggs and whisking hollandaise can seem daunting in the morning. If you want the classic version, it might be best to head to your favorite breakfast spot. However, if you’re up for a tasty variation, try an overnight eggs Benedict casserole recipe. The overnight element makes this an excellent dish if you’re hosting people for brunch. Just prep it the day before and bake it in the morning to serve this savory bread pudding piping hot.
As is usually the case when you’re adding bacon to a dish, fry it beforehand to render the fat and get it nice and crispy. Then, make a quick custard by whisking eggs, milk, cream, and seasonings. Tear up some English muffins or your bread of choice and layer it over the bottom of a baking dish. Sprinkle the chopped bacon and scallions on top, then pour the custard mixture over everything, cover the pan with plastic, and refrigerate for several hours so the bread soaks up the liquid.
Once the coffee is on and your appetite is starting to build, preheat the oven to 375 F and bake the casserole for about 50 minutes until it’s a golden brown color. Serve it warm with a drizzle of hollandaise, made by blending melted butter, yolks, and lemon juice.
6. Breakfast strata
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A breakfast strata is a foolproof way to combine all components of the meal into one delicious bite. Similar to a breakfast pudding but savory, a strata consists of chunks of bread, assorted ingredients, and an eggy component to bind everything together. It’s another recipe that works best prepared in advance, which makes it a suitable contender for entertaining people for brunch.
Although you can follow a number of recipes — like a ham and cheese strata or a brunch-perfect sausage strata — this dish is super easy to customize to include all your favorite ingredients. The formula is pretty similar regardless of the specifics. Sauté ingredients like meat or veggies, then add them to a mixture of eggs whisked with milk. Stir in some shredded cheese (don’t skip this step!) as well as the sautéed ingredients. Finally, mix in cubed bread, ensuring that all the pieces are well coated.
Alternatively, you can use thin slices of bread and assemble a strata by layering bread, ham, and cheese in a baking dish, before pouring the egg and milk mixture over the top. Refrigerate it overnight before baking it for about an hour at 350 F or 375 F, depending on the recipe. To hone in on the breakfast element, the aforementioned ham and cheese strata recipe features a cereal topping added right before baking, made by mixing corn flakes and melted butter.
7. Bagel casserole
If bagels are your reason for waking up in the morning, you can do more than use them for a breakfast sandwich. Transform simple ingredients like eggs, milk, bacon, cheddar cheese, and bagels into a meal that will make you long for the morning. A savory breakfast bagel casserole recipe works best with stale bagels, since they absorb an egg-and-milk mixture more readily. The recipe requires a pretty straightforward assembly, and can be personalized to include your favorite add-ins.
Start by baking a tray of bacon and buttering halved bagels. Then, place the bagel halves close together in a cast-iron skillet or another oven-proof dish. Between each piece, stuff a slice of bacon and cheddar cheese, then pour a whisked egg and milk mixture over the top. Add seasonings like everything-bagel blend, then let the dish sit in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, you’ll just need to bake it for 40 minutes at 350 F until the eggs puff up and the bagels are golden brown. The result is simultaneously fluffy, cheesy, and chewy, with the perfect level of saltiness to set you up for the day. Ketchup or hot sauce make a good pairing, but there’s really nothing lacking in this multi-layered casserole.
8. Frittata
If you love eating omelets but don’t have the patience to watch over a skillet in the morning, consider making a frittata. There is a real difference between frittatas and omelets, as frittatas usually include cream or whole milk, making them fluffier and lighter. Even better, you can pour the mixture into a baking dish and pop it into the oven while you get on with your morning.
Although some recipes — such as one for sweet potato and crispy kale frittata — call for cooking the eggs in a pan on the stovetop before transferring it to the oven, others (like an easy spinach frittata) are only baked. Either way, if you’re including meat or veggies in the dish, be sure to sauté these ingredients first for a tender consistency. If you want to keep it extra simple, stick with ingredients like cheese and tomatoes, which will cook quickly as the frittata bakes.
Depending on the size of your baking dish, the frittata will be thicker or thinner, and the baking time will be affected as well. While you could bake a thin mixture in 10 minutes or so, a thicker one might require 20 to 25 minutes. Additionally, some recipes call for a lower temperature of 325 F, whereas others produce more browning with 400 F to 450 F. Given the variation, you’ll want to follow instructions until you get the hang of it.
9. Three-ingredient egg bake
If you’re running around getting ready in the morning, simplicity should not be undervalued. While more complex dishes with multiple steps are great on the weekend or when you have extra time, sometimes less is more. TikTok is the source of plenty of recipe tips, including a three-ingredient egg bake by dietitian Jenna Hunter. Eggs are one of the three ingredients, and Hunter highlights a popular combination with bacon and shredded cheese.
Just grease a baking dish (pick the size depending on the number of people you need to feed), crack in the eggs, and add a couple of toppings. Bake it for 20 minutes at 350 F, and breakfast is served. Season with spices before baking, or sprinkle fresh herbs on top right before serving. Go the veggie route with tomatoes and cheese, or chop in some jalapeños for a fiery touch. The beauty of this recipe is that it is a basic formula that can take your palate in dozens of directions with very little effort. Add a slice or two of toast and a cup of coffee, and your day can begin.
10. Egg muffins
Breakfast on the go often means packaged energy bars touting a high protein content. While that’s fine if you’re out of time and need to grab something and get out of the house, a little bit of forethought can seriously elevate even your most hectic mornings.
Muffin tins are incredibly versatile, and can be used for so much more than baked goods. Prep yourself some egg muffin bites, and you’ll never worry about what to eat when you’re in a rush in the morning.
At their most basic, you can simply crack an egg into each cup in the muffin tin, being sure to first grease the pan if it isn’t non-stick. Depending on your preference, bake them at 350 F for 10 to 20 minutes or until they’ve set to your liking. Season with salt and pepper before digging in, or add a dash of hot sauce to level up the taste. If you don’t want the egg white and yolk to be separated, just whisk each egg with a fork before baking. Add chopped green onions, fresh herbs, or bacon bits for a little something extra. Sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and cheese are other easy add-ins to transform your egg muffin game, but you’ll definitely want to experiment with different flavors.
11. Oven-scrambled eggs
People often have strong feelings about how they prefer their scrambled eggs, and it can be tricky to perfect the ideal texture. Skip the stovetop process of endless stirring and try baking them in the oven instead. As with hard-boiled eggs, the method requires a bit more time, but the process is mostly hands-off, and you don’t have to worry about the eggs burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Oven-baking scrambled eggs is a great technique if you’re serving multiple people, as you can prepare two dozen eggs in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Just melt enough butter to properly coat the surface and sides, then crack and whisk the eggs in a bowl along with milk, before seasoning the mixture with salt and pepper and pouring it into the dish. Bake it uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 F, then stir the contents and bake them for another 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your preference. Feel free to add cheese or fresh herbs to elevate these easy oven-baked scrambled eggs.
12. Sheet-pan eggs
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Sheet-pan recipes make it easy to pile a bunch of tasty ingredients together, pop them in the oven, and savor the delicious combination. Try making eggs on a sheet pan, especially if you’re whipping up a wholesome breakfast for a crowd. Keep the meal super simple by properly greasing the sheet pan and cracking several eggs across the surface. Bake them for five to six minutes at 425 F, and you’ll be dividing up the yolks and whites in no time. While you’re preheating the oven, pop the pan in too to ensure more even cooking. If desired, sprinkle grated cheese on top at the last minute, or serve the eggs with freshly chopped herbs to garnish.
You can enhance the recipe with a few customizations. For example, whisk the eggs with milk and stir in diced vegetables for a quick sheet-pan frittata variation. You’ll want to make sure to use a rimmed sheet pan, or else you’ll be cleaning up egg that spills over all sides. Another option is to make a sheet-pan breakfast hash. Scatter grated potatoes or packaged hash browns over the surface, making sure to grease the pan first. Bake them for 20 minutes or so at 400 F, before removing the pan. Make small wells to hold the eggs, then finish baking for another 10 minutes, with a sprinkling of grated cheese for good measure.
13. Breakfast quiche
Egg dishes don’t get much grander than quiche, with its rich custardy filling, flaky crust, and endless add-ins. A classic quiche Lorraine recipe features simple breakfast staples and a few extras: eggs, milk, cream, bacon, pie crust, and seasonings. You could even bake it the night before and heat it when you wake up for an easy breakfast experience in the morning.
Either way, the recipe is pretty straightforward, as long as you pre-made pie crust — there’s no chance we’re mixing pie dough in the morning. If your bacon strips have a lot of fat, you might want to cook them first before chopping them into pieces. Otherwise, add the bacon to a whisked mixture of egg, milk, and cream, before seasoning and pouring it into a pie shell. Bake the quiche for 40 minutes at 350 F, and serve it warm. If you’re not a meat eater, substitute the bacon for mushrooms, peppers, cheese, or other tasty add-ins to satisfy your morning appetite.
