Want a meal that looks as good as it tastes? The highly photogenic brunch classic, eggs baked in avocado, is a favorite in cafes and hip diners across the American Southwest, and, let’s face it, most of the world at this point.
What is it?
Creamy, zesty, and more buttery than a dish without butter should be, eggs baked in avocado are guaranteed to delight the taste buds, soothe hangovers and light up the Instagram feed (#foodporn).
Ingredients (serves 2)
2 large avocados, ripe but not overly so
4 small or medium eggs
salt, pepper and paprika, to taste
crisp-fried bacon bits, crumbled croutons and/or crisp-fried garlic, to serve (optional)
How to cook
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
Step 2: Cut the unpeeled avocados in half, then remove the pits with a small spoon and enlarge the hole if necessary (depending upon the relative size of the avocados and the eggs).
Step 3: Crack the eggs into a bowl, taking care not to break the yolks.
Step 4: Arrange the avocado halves in a baking tray or ovenproof dish so the cut sides are facing up and are as level as possible.
Step 5: Carefully place one egg yolk into each avocado half, then add enough egg white to each to completely fill the cavities. The best way to scoop up an egg yolk is to use an empty eggshell as a receptacle.
Step 6: Season with salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
Step 7: Carefully place the baking tray or ovenproof dish in the oven and bake for 12–15 minutes, depending on the desired consistency of the cooked eggs.
Step 8: Remove the tray or dish from the oven and transfer the avocados to serving plates, allowing two halves per person.
Step 9: Add bacon bits, crumbled croutons or fried garlic if desired.
Top tip: Match the size of your eggs and avocados, using a spoon to make the hole left by the pit larger if necessary. And arrange the avocado halves snugly in a baking tray or so that the uncooked egg doesn’t spill out.
Tasting notes
The first thing you’ll notice about this dish is its aesthetic prettiness. The sunshine-yellow yolk surrounded by a white ring floating inside the deep green oval of a halved avocado has a fun, almost Dr. Seuss-like quality to it. The dish is equally pleasurable to eat, the avocado’s creamy texture combining perfectly with the eggs to create something as easy to eat with a spoon as it is to spread over freshly toasted bread.
As with any egg dish, the final texture depends on the cooking time, so your yolk can be anything from lightly poached to solid, depending on your preference. Diners looking to add crunch can sprinkle crispy bacon bits, fried garlic or croutons on the top, while those seeking a more Southwestern flavor will want to add a dash of hot sauce and perhaps some piquant salsa.
Other recipes to try:
Japanese katsu curry
British bubble and squeak
Mexican tacos
Have you recreated any of the dishes featured in this series so far? Share your pictures with us on Twitter and Instagram by tagging @lonelyplanet. For more great recipes, check out Lonely Planet’s book The World’s Best Superfoods.
This article was originally published in April 2020 and updated in October 2020.
