15 Easy Egg Dinners That Aren’t Just for Breakfast

These quick, satisfying recipes make eggs the main event at dinner.

By
Emily Johnson
Emily Johnson
Emily Johnson
Emily has worked as a food writer and editor for ten years, across publications such as Lucky Peach, Epicurious, Bon Appétit, and The New York Times Cooking.
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Published December 20, 2025
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J. Kenji López-Alt

Eggs are versatile, rich, and widely available, so it’s no wonder they often serve as a last-resort dinner when the fridge is nearly empty. And thank goodness they do—sometimes the most satisfying meals are born of urgency after a long day. There’s nothing wrong with scrambling whatever vegetables are on their way out, but eggs deserve intentional dinner treatment, too. The recipes below will make you want to plan a meal where eggs take center stage.

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  • Stir-Fried Rice Noodles With Eggs and Greens

    Overhead view of stir fried noodles next to sauces

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

    We’ve all scrambled eggs for dinner when no other protein was available, but here’s a way to elevate that emergency meal into something more satisfying. This dish is only slightly more involved than a scramble and relies on another pantry staple: dried rice noodles. You’ll scramble eggs, sauté greens with aromatics and soy sauce, and toss everything together with cooked noodles.

  • Khai Jiao (Thai-Style Omelet) Recipe

    Leela Punyaratabandhu

    Kai jiao is a Thai omelet made with fish sauce, a hint of acid, and a touch of cornstarch, which gives the eggs crisp, lacy edges. Unlike a French omelet, it’s cooked over high heat in a generous amount of high–smoke point oil. You’ll heat the oil until it’s rip-roaring hot, then pour in the eggs from about a foot above the pan. This technique helps create a layered omelet with plenty of crisp-edged pockets—without splattering hot oil on yourself. Traditionally served over rice, kai jiao is a lunch or dinner dish, never breakfast. Have your favorite hot sauce ready for drizzling.

  • Oeufs en Meurette (Poached Eggs in Red Wine Sauce) Recipe

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    Vicky Wasik

    Think of this as giving eggs the boeuf bourguignon treatment. Like that dish, it hails from Burgundy and features a rich red wine sauce layered with lardons, umami-packed mushrooms, and aromatics. Unlike boeuf bourguignon, though, this version is weeknight-friendly—especially if you make the sauce ahead. Simply reheat the sauce, poach the eggs, and toast some bread, and you’ll have one of the most elegant ways to eat eggs for dinner on the table in minutes.

  • Cantonese Slippery Eggs with Tofu and Peas

    Overhead view of slippery eggs with tofu and peas in a blue patterned bowl

    Serious Eats / Andrew Valantine

    This quick dish from Kenji López-Alt involves stirring a slurry of eggs and cornstarch into chicken broth or dashi enriched with aromatics like garlic, ginger, and scallion. As the mixture cooks, the eggs form silky ribbons, like in egg drop soup. Tofu and frozen peas are folded in, and it’s all served over rice for the ultimate weeknight comfort.

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  • Chicken Omurice (Japanese Chicken Fried Rice Omelette With Ketchup)

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    Vicky Wasik

    Omurice, the traditional Japanese combination of fried rice and an omelet, is often presented as a tightly coiled omelet wrapped around the rice and topped with demiglace. But unless you’re trying to impress, a simpler approach yields equally delicious results. This version, from Daniel Gritzer, starts with ketchup-fried rice shaped into a small mound on the plate. A thin, simply prepared omelet is draped over the top. Finish with more ketchup and Kewpie mayo, and dig in—you’ll get a bit of egg and rice in every bite.

  • Eggs in Purgatory

    Overhead view of eggs in purgatory

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    Many of us keep canned tomatoes and eggs on hand—so eggs in purgatory, the Italian dish in which eggs are gently simmered in tomato sauce, is always within reach. A few tips from Leah Colins take this version to the next level: Build a strong base of aromatics by properly sautéing plenty of onion and garlic before adding the tomato sauce. Use high-quality canned tomatoes. And crack your eggs into a bowl before adding them to the skillet—then remove the skillet from the heat before pouring them in. Both steps help prevent the first eggs from overcooking. As the eggs simmer, spoon sauce over the tops so they set evenly.

  • Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl) Recipe

    Oyakodon, in a white ceramic bowl alongside wooden chopsticks, a small ceramic bowl holding togarashi seasoning, and an additional bowl of oyakodon off to the left side.

    Serious Eats / Qi Ai

    This satisfying dish is popular across Japan, served as a comfort meal in both restaurants and home kitchens. Best of all, it comes together in 20 minutes or less. Chicken is gently simmered in a broth of dashi, sake, soy sauce, and sugar, then eggs are poured in to steam to your desired doneness. Serve it over a bowl of rice.

  • Chinese Scrambled Eggs With Tomato Recipe

    Two plated dishes of tomato and egg with rice on a grey, textured background

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    This classic Chinese combination of scrambled eggs and tomatoes originated in the 1940s and is now deeply woven into Chinese home cooking. Both beloved and divisive, it’s a kitchen staple with endless variations—every family has its own idea of what it should be. In this version, you’ll make a large-curd scramble and set it aside. Then cook the tomatoes until they break down into a saucy consistency, adding Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. The scrambled eggs are stirred into the tomato sauce and served over rice.

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  • Tortilla Española (Spanish Egg and Potato Omelette) Recipe

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    Vicky Wasik

    A Spanish tortilla is one of the simplest, most versatile meals around. It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner—or even as a snack—and it’s made from basic ingredients you might already have on hand. The key to a good one is achieving a custardy egg texture. In this Daniel Gritzer recipe, salting the eggs before cooking helps retain moisture, contributing to that texture. So does gently, slowly cooking the potatoes in a generous amount of olive oil. Flipping the tortilla takes a bit of finesse, but it ensures even cooking and, again, helps deliver that creamy, custardy center.

  • Arepa de Huevo (Colombian Egg-Stuffed Arepas)

    Side view of hands holding arepa de huevo

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    These deep-fried corn cakes stuffed with egg are a popular breakfast or snack along Colombia’s Caribbean coast. But there’s no rule against enjoying them for dinner—and since the dough is made simply by mixing water with masarepa, the prep is relatively straightforward. The beauty is in the texture: a crisp fried exterior that gives way to a custardy egg center. You can also experiment with doneness to suit your preference. We’re partial to a runny yolk—a self-saucing arepa is a beautiful thing.

  • Yam Khai Dao (Thai Fried Egg Salad) Recipe

    Overhead of yam khai dao on a serving plate.

    In this delicious Thai salad, simple fried eggs get a spicy, aromatic, and herbaceous treatment when they’re with chiles, garlic, shallot, lemongrass, and fresh herbs. As with the arepas above, the runny egg yolks become a part of the dressing—lending richness to all of that bright, fruit-forward heat. Make sure to fry your eggs in a shallow layer of very hot oil, so they get crispy edges that lend textural intrigue to the dish.

  • Kookoo-Sabzi (Persian Eggs With Green Herbs)

    Platter of sliced kookoo, flatbread, and rice on a floral tablecloth

    Serious Eats / Nader Mehravari

    In this bold Thai salad, simple fried eggs get a spicy, aromatic, and herbaceous upgrade with chiles, garlic, shallot, lemongrass, and fresh herbs. As with the arepas above, the runny yolks become part of the dressing, adding richness to all that bright, fruit-forward heat. Be sure to fry the eggs in a shallow layer of very hot oil so the edges turn crisp and add textural contrast to the dish.

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  • Kerala-Style Egg Gravy

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    Prasanna Sankhe

    In this boldly flavored dish from Kerala, eggs float in a rich tomato sauce infused with ginger, garlic, and spices like coriander, cumin, fennel seed, and red chile. You can gently poach the eggs in the hot gravy, or, if you have boiled eggs on hand, give them a quick fry to crisp the edges before adding them to the sauce.

  • Quick and Easy Huevos Rancheros With Tomato-Chile Salsa

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    J. Kenji López-Alt

    Huevos rancheros is a breakfast-table classic, but because this “rancher’s-style” egg dish comes together easily with pantry staples, it makes an excellent weeknight dinner, too. With just three core ingredients—eggs, tortillas, and salsa—you’ll want to make sure that salsa is next-level good. In this Kenji López-Alt recipe, you’ll make your own: smoky, spicy, and deeply flavorful. Then lightly fry some corn tortillas and eggs, douse them in that excellent salsa, and crumble cotija cheese over the top. Bonus points if you warm up some refried beans on the side.

  • Shakshuka (North African–Style Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce)

    Overhead of shakshuka in a pan and bowl
    J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

    If you’ve read this far, you’ve seen how the combination of eggs and tomato takes many forms around the world. Here’s the North African interpretation: eggs poached in a tomato sauce infused with spices and caramelized onions. In this recipe, the onions are intentionally cooked unevenly—some caramelize and even char for depth, while others remain lightly sautéed to add texture and brightness. Blooming the spices—paprika and cumin—in oil allows their flavors to intensify and permeate the dish.

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