Baked Eggs
Cooking Skills: Eggs 1
Chapter 7 · Baked Eggs
Skill goal
Bake eggs in the oven so the white is set and the yolk is just how you like it.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Baked eggs ask the oven to do the work, so they're the most relaxed method in the course. The skill is timing, and knowing that eggs carry on cooking after you take them out. You can bake them in a dish of tomato sauce, in a muffin tin or inside a potato.
- Oven: 180°C fan (200°C conventional, gas 6) for most recipes. Your oven may run hotter or cooler, so check the eggs a minute early.
- Dish: an ovenproof dish or ramekin just big enough for the egg. Grease it lightly.
- Timing: 8 to 10 minutes for a runny yolk and set white in a ramekin, and 10 to 14 in a shallow dish of sauce. The whites turn from clear to white when set.
- Cover or not: foil or a lid steams the top of the white and gives a more evenly cooked egg; uncovered is firmer on top.
- Rest: take the dish out 1 minute before the yolk looks ready. The heat in the dish finishes it.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Baked egg in a ramekin with spinach
The simplest baked egg: egg cooked on a bed of spinach with a spoon of cream or yoghurt. Elegant, healthy and almost impossible to get wrong.
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 1 large handful (about 60 g) baby spinach
- 1 tsp butter, for greasing
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt or single cream
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan or Cheddar
- Pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg
- 1 slice wholemeal toast soldiers, to serve
- Heat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional, gas 6). Grease a ramekin.
- Wilt the spinach in a pan for 1 minute with a splash of water. Squeeze out the extra water, season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Put the spinach in the ramekin and make a dip in the middle. Crack in the egg. Spoon the yoghurt round the egg and sprinkle with the cheese.
- Stand the ramekin on a baking tray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes for a set white and a runny yolk.
- Rest for 1 minute and serve with the toast soldiers.
Level 2 · Shakshuka-style
Eggs baked in tomato sauce
Eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce. A one-pan meal inspired by shakshuka, and one of the best uses of a baked egg.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley or coriander
- Pinch of chilli flakes, salt and pepper
- 2 slices wholemeal toast or flatbread, to serve
- Heat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional, gas 6). Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan (or use a pan, then pour into a baking dish) over medium heat.
- Cook the onion and pepper for 5 to 6 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and a splash of water. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until thick, and season.
- Make 4 dips in the sauce with a spoon and crack an egg into each.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft. Scatter with the herbs and serve with the bread.
Stovetop version
No ovenproof pan? Put a lid on the pan and cook the eggs in the sauce on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes.
Level 2 · Make ahead
Ham and egg cups
Eggs baked in a muffin tin wrapped in ham. Good hot or cold, and a good use of a muffin tin.
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 6 slices thin-sliced ham (wafer or good deli ham)
- 6 medium eggs
- 30 g grated Cheddar
- Pinch of pepper and chives
- Little oil, for greasing the tin
- Heat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional, gas 6). Lightly grease a 6-hole muffin tin.
- Press a slice of ham into each hole to line it (fold or trim to fit).
- Crack an egg into each, scatter on the cheese and a little pepper.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (12 for a soft yolk, 15 for a firm one).
- Cool in the tin for 2 minutes before lifting out.
Storing
Cool quickly, refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 days. Reheat until steaming hot. Don't reheat more than once.
Level 3 · Fun
Egg in a baked potato
A baked potato with an egg baked into a hollow in the middle. Satisfying, cheap and healthy if you keep the toppings light.
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 1 large baking potato (about 250 g)
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp grated Cheddar
- 1 spring onion, sliced
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Heat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional, gas 7). Prick the potato all over, rub with a little salt and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until soft. (Or microwave for 8 to 10 minutes, then crisp in the oven for 10.)
- Cut a slice off the top. Scoop out most of the flesh into a bowl (keep a thin wall), mash with the yoghurt, half the cheese, and seasoning.
- Spoon the mash back and make a hollow in the middle. Crack in the egg.
- Return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the egg is set to your liking. Top with the remaining cheese and the spring onion.
Experiments
Experiment
Soft vs set
Find the oven time for your yolk, in your oven.
- Bake 4 eggs in ramekins at 180°C fan and take one out at 8, 10, 12 and 14 minutes.
- Let them rest for 1 minute, then break each yolk.
Look for: The minute at which the yolk turns from runny to jammy to firm. That becomes your house timing.
Experiment
Covered vs uncovered
Does a lid or foil help?
- Bake two eggs in ramekins: one covered with foil, one uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Compare the whites on top.
Look for: The covered one cooks more evenly on top; the uncovered one sets more on the surface and may be drier.
Experiment
Ramekin vs pan
How does the dish change the result?
- Bake one egg in a ramekin and another in a dish of sauce.
- Compare the timing and the texture.
Look for: Deeper dishes need longer. A shallow dish of sauce cooks the whites faster.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Time or method | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramekin and spinach | ||||
| Tomato sauce eggs | ||||
| Ham and egg cups | ||||
| Egg in a potato | ||||
| Soft vs set (8 / 10 / 12 / 14 min) | ||||
| Covered vs uncovered |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Yolk set hard | Left in too long | Take the dish out 1 to 2 minutes earlier, because eggs carry on cooking |
| White still runny | Not enough time, or oven too cool | Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer, or cover with foil |
| Watery sauce | Not simmered enough | Reduce the sauce until it's thick before adding the eggs |
| Egg stuck to the dish | Not greased | Grease well; loosen with a knife |
| Egg cup tips over | Muffin tin holes too big | Use a smaller tin or the ramekin method |
| Uneven cooking | Hot spots in the oven | Rotate the tray halfway through |
Food safety: baked eggs
Ham and cheese cups and tomato sauce should be piping hot if reheated. Cool baked egg dishes quickly, keep them in the fridge and eat within 2 to 3 days, reheated once. A runny yolk is only safe from Lion-mark eggs for vulnerable people.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can bake an egg until the white is set and the yolk runny.
- I know how long my oven takes to bake eggs.
- I can make a simple tomato sauce and bake eggs in it.
- I can make egg cups for the week.
- I know whether I prefer them covered or uncovered.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Eggs 1, chapter 8 is Frittata and Egg Bakes: a big one to slice, and mini egg muffins for the week.