Chili Parmesan Eggs Are the Most Delicious Protein- And Calcium-Rich Breakfast (Chefs Agree)

I’ll admit, the first thing I learned to cook as a kid was an over-easy egg. After all, it was the only thing my mother trusted me to make while she was away at work without burning down the house—and it was either that, another bowl of cereal, or hearing my stomach rumble for hours on end. Although my high school specialty consisted of over-easy eggs with a little squirt of ketchup, I grew to learn that eggs are by far one of the most versatile ingredients of all time.

In culinary school, we spent an entire week dedicated to mastering the art of eggs. This included lessons on how to make a French omelet, a perfectly poached egg, and flipping an egg in a pan *shudders with fear* without breaking the yolk. But still, something about a quick over-easy egg still holds a special place in my heart—and is oftentimes what I find myself craving on a lazy Sunday morning.

And as we get older and our condiment and spice racks grow to hold so more than just our good ol’ stash of Heinz ketchup, salt, and pepper, giving eggs a chef-worthy glow-up really couldn’t be any easier. According to one chef, this all lies in a simple two-ingredient sauce that gives over-easy or just about any type of egg dish a boost of calcium and anti-inflammatory benefits and, did I mention, restaurant-worthy flavor in seconds.

The two ingredients a chef always adds to his eggs for the most delicious flavor

In a recent TikTok video by @beewinns, Brian Beewinns shows that all you need are two simple ingredients to make eggs all the more nutrient-rich and delicious. He starts by sprinkling a greased pan with parmesan cheese to form a crust, then tops it with a splash of chili oil, and finally, a few cracked eggs. The result: A crunchy, spicy bottom with beautifully runny over easy yolks that ooze out onto the chili parmesan layer. Seriously, it’s a 10, but now you’ll be craving it for breakfast every single day.

So, aside from its irresistible appearance and taste-bud-tingling taste, why else should we be calling these ingredients the three amigos we never knew we needed? Well, for starters, as if eggs didn’t have enough protein already (about six grams per egg), parmesan cheese has a whopping 28 grams of protein per 100-gram serving. Plus, it’s a calcium-rich food that supports bone health as you age, with about 850 grams of the mineral per serving, too.

Meanwhile, chili oil is commonly made with ingredients like Sichuan pepper, garlic, or paprika, which also have anti-inflammatory properties. The hot peppers in chili oil help reduce inflammation thanks to capsaicin, a powerful antioxidant compound found in this ingredient. Research has shown that the compound may benefit vascular and metabolic health, and some findings suggest that it may also have anti-carcinogenic properties.

But, wait, we want more egg-enhancing secret ingredients chefs swear by

So, now that all of our taste buds have been fully activated, what else can we use to add nutrition and flavor to simple dishes like eggs? We spoke with Alan Kang, an executive chef of Wolfgang Puck Catering for The California Endowment, to learn yet another fantastic way to spruce things up for breakfast. He says that when making eggs, aside from using a little chili oil to turn up the heat, he also loves adding furikake to garnish the protein-packed dish.

Furikake is a dry Japanese condiment made from a mixture of ingredients like a mixture of dried fish, sesame seeds, and chopped seaweed that’s typically used to sprinkle on top of cooked rice, vegetables, and fish. “I use furikake to top simple egg dishes because it adds a level of salinity and umami from the seaweed, which is one of the main ingredients in the mixture,” Kang says.

While making over easy eggs, Kang also adds a splash of soy sauce and, if in the mood, a drizzle of sesame oil and lets it sear to infuse the egg whites with their rich flavors. He shares that his mom would make him this comforting dish growing up at his family’s restaurant, and adds that this egg dish wouldn’t be complete without a bowl of steamed white rice—a match made in heaven.

Chili oil and parmesan over-easy egg recipe

Yields 1 serving

Ingredients1 Tbsp unsalted butter3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese1 Tbsp chili oil3 eggs

1. In a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once hot, evenly sprinkle the parmesan cheese, and repeat with the chili oil.

2. Once the cheese begins to melt, add three eggs. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for three minutes. Enjoy!

These egg benefits will make you so egg-cited. Seriously, they’re egg-ceptional: