The recent feta wave arguably started in 2021 with baked feta pasta’s rise to viral stardom. The dish still remains one of our most-viewed recipes to this day. Since then, feta has found its way into countless recipes: mixed into meatballs, whipped into creamy dips, and even transformed into dessert.
The newest viral feta recipe incorporates the trendy cheese into the most important meal of the day: breakfast. Recipe developer Grace Elkus posted a video of her making a fried egg that gets a crispy, luxurious upgrade with crumbled feta fried alongside the egg.
The idea for this recipe was sparked by the crispy potato, egg, and cheese tacos from Ali Slagle’s I Dream of Dinner. The combo of melty fried cheddar and eggs got Elkus thinking about what other cheeses could work in this application, and feta was the obvious choice. “I always have it on hand, it's packed with salty, tangy flavor, and you don't have to break out the cheese grater,” Elkus says. “Just crumble it directly into the pan!”
Since first posting the video to TikTok and Instagram, the recipe has earned nearly 25 million total views. And Elkus has showcased the versatility of the feta fried egg by incorporating different seasonings and condiments. In one iteration, she added chili crisp. Another video did a mash up with the popular pesto egg trend.
“My friends used zhoug sauce in place of pesto and loved it,” Elkus says. “I’d also be interested to see if you could crisp some kale in the skillet at the same time.”
The original video features the egg served on a warm tortilla, but the serving options for this recipe are endless. Users have been sounding off in the comments with potential applications: on a pita with hummus, on top of a bowl of pasta, and even being the star of a grain bowl.
I asked Elkus for tips when it comes to making feta fried eggs so I could try them myself. The key? A nonstick skillet. While you could opt for a well-seasoned cast iron or even a stainless steel pan with a drizzle of oil, a nonstick surface guarantees that all of that crispy cheese can release from the pan. Elkus uses this one from Zwilling, but any brand will work here.
There are a lot of different feta styles on the market, but the best variety to use in this recipe is the one packed in brine. “It melts better and more evenly, has a sharper flavor, and lasts longer, too,” she says. And pro tip: Elkus suggests repurposing the liquid to brine vegetables and meat for your next grilling project.
With those tips in mind, it was time for me to see if this recipe is worth the hype. I stuck to the OG version on a tortilla and followed Elkus’s recipe to the letter. And, as advertised, it came together in five minutes and developed a golden brown, cheesy exterior. The runny yolk added an extra layer of richness. It’s everything I want in a breakfast and more.
If you’re skeptical about viral recipes, feta fried eggs will change your mind.
