Charred Tomatoes With Fried Eggs on Garlic Toast

(54)

It might just become your new go-to breakfast.

Prep Time:
5 mins
Cook Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
15 mins
Servings:
2 to 4

Our charred tomatoes and fried eggs on garlic toast is a restaurant-worthy dish that takes only 15 minutes—and a single skillet—to prepare. It's a quick and easy recipe that's greater than the sum of its parts, and sure to become part of your weekly routine. Enjoy it as is for breakfast or brunch, or pair it with a salad or bowl of soup to make it a light dinner that's satisfying, delicious, and just a little different. We use small tomatoes like cocktail tomatoes. They are available at grocery stores year-round, so you can enjoy this vibrant dish anytime of the year.

Plates of toast topped with charred tomatoes and fried eggs
Credit:

Carson Downing

The Best Tomatoes for This Recipe

Seek out small tomatoes like campari or cocktail for this recipe. They are the best type of tomatoes for charring for this dish. Each is about the size of a golf ball, and they are round, sweet, and juicy and hold their shape well when halved and seared. Also, they are typically available all year round. Larger tomatoes vary in taste and texture—especially when out of season—and can become soft and mushy when cooked; we don't recommend using them for this recipe.

Health Benefit

When tomatoes are cooked in a healthy fat like olive oil, it increases our absorption of the phytochemical lycopene, which may lower the risk of heart disease.

Equipment for Charred-Tomato and Egg Toasts

You'll only need one pan and a single tool for this recipe, including:

Heavy skillet: Leave the nonstick skillet on the shelf—this recipe calls for a heavier option like stainless steel, carbon steel, or cast iron. It'll result in the best char, which you won't get from a coated pan. To keep the eggs from sticking, use the full tablespoon of olive oil called for below.

Thin metal spatula: To ensure the seared tomatoes release from the skillet without falling apart, reach for a thin metal spatula, such as a turner or fish spatula. Slide the edge gently but firmly under each tomato and peek underneath to ensure it's well seared before transferring it to the toast.

Directions

Ingredients for a recipe including bread eggs tomatoes spices oil and other items arranged on a surface
Credit:

Carson Downing

  1. Rub bread with garlic:

    Rub toasted bread with garlic and brush with oil. Set aside.

    Toasted bread slices being brushed with olive oil on a wooden cutting board
    Credit:

    Carson Downing

  2. Cook eggs:

    Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. Crack eggs into skillet and cook, undisturbed, until whites are set, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate; tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

    Four fried eggs in a skillet on a stovetop
    Credit:

    Carson Downing

  3. Increase heat and sear tomatoes:

    Wipe out skillet, then increase heat to medium high. Brush cut sides of tomatoes with oil. Sear, cut sides down and undisturbed, until charred, 3 to 4 minutes.

    Wiping out the pan before searing the tomatoes keeps it from smoking.

    A skillet with tomatoes being cooked arranged evenly on the surface
    Credit:

    Carson Downing

  4. Assemble toasts:

    Transfer 2 tomato halves to each piece of toast with a spatula and lightly mash. Season with salt and pepper and top with fried eggs.

    Toasts topped with charred tomatoes and fried eggs on a cutting board
    Credit:

    Carson Downing

What to Serve With Charred Tomato-Egg Toasts

These savory toasts make a filling breakfast or brunch on their own, but can also be served alongside a bowl of soup or salad for lunch or dinner.

Simple salads: Opt for a tangle of crisp greens, like our green salad with pickled-shallot vinaigrette, a Boston lettuce salad with shaved Parmesan cheese, or—to really up the protein quotient—go with this garlicky white bean and tuna salad.

Everyday soups: Consider this light and lemony quinoa-spinach recipe, our 15-minute white bean soup, or this equally fast lentil soup.

Variations

To add even more filling power to these toasts, mash some avocado onto each piece of bread before topping with the tomato halves. Alternatively, crumble a little goat cheese or feta over top before serving.

5 More Fried Egg Recipes to Try

Updated by
Esther Reynolds
Headshot of Esther Reynolds
Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.

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