Chilli Crunch Fried Eggs on Sourdough
· Miss Kutsawa
Golden sourdough. Crispy-edged eggs. Bright jalapeño crunch.
Some breakfasts are all about contrast. Here, thick sourdough is toasted until golden and crisp, then topped with fried eggs that have lacy, crunchy edges and soft, rich yolks. A spoonful of Kalahari Jalapeño Chilli Crunch brings it all together: fresh green chilli flavour, crispy garlic and savoury oil that soaks into the bread. It is about flavour first, with a friendly warmth rather than fierce heat. About fifteen minutes, one pan, and a breakfast that feels like a weekend café plate.
Recipe information
- Prep time: 3 minutes
- Cook time: 12 minutes (about 17 with the optional chorizo)
- Total time: 15 minutes (about 20 with the optional chorizo)
- Servings: 2
- Difficulty: Easy
- Heat: Medium. Start with 1 teaspoon per egg and add more at the table if you like.
Featured product
Kalahari Jalapeño Chilli Crunch brings fresh green chilli, crispy garlic and savoury oil to the breakfast table. Spoon it over eggs, toast and bowls.
Ingredients
- 2 thick slices artisan sourdough (about 2 cm thick)
- 2–4 large fresh eggs (1 or 2 per person)
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened, for the toast
- 2 tablespoons sunflower or canola oil, for frying
- 2–4 teaspoons Kalahari Jalapeño Chilli Crunch, plus extra to serve
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- A pinch of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Optional
- 50 g chorizo or streaky bacon, diced
- 1 ripe avocado
- ½ lemon
Method
- Prep. Slice the spring onion or chop the chives. If using avocado, halve it, remove the pip and mash the flesh with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt.
- Optional chorizo. Fry the diced chorizo or bacon in a dry non-stick or cast-iron pan over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, until crisp and cooked through. Lift onto a plate, leaving the flavourful fat in the pan to use for the eggs.
- Toast the sourdough. Spread both sides of the bread thinly with butter. Toast in the pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Move to plates.
- Heat the oil. Add the oil to the pan (a little less if you have chorizo fat) and heat over medium-high for about 1 minute, until it shimmers.
- Fry the eggs. Crack the eggs into the pan, leaving space between them. Season with salt and pepper. Fry for 2–3 minutes, tilting the pan and spooning hot oil over the whites, until the edges are golden and lacy and the whites are completely set with no clear patches near the yolk.
- Cook the yolks to your liking. For runny yolks, take the pan off the heat now. For firmer yolks, turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 1–2 minutes more.
- Add the crunch off the heat. Lift the eggs onto the toast (over the avocado, if using) and scatter over the chorizo. Only now spoon over the Jalapeño Chilli Crunch, about 1 teaspoon per egg, so the garlic stays crisp and never burns.
- Finish and serve. Scatter with spring onion or chives and a grind of black pepper. Serve straight away.
Chef's tips
- For crispy edges: make sure the oil is properly hot before the eggs go in, and don't move them until the edges have browned.
- Don't cook the crunch: the garlic and chilli in chilli crunch are already crisp. Heating them in the pan turns them bitter, so always add the crunch at the end, straight onto the hot eggs.
- Make it avocado toast: spread the mashed avocado over the warm toast before adding the eggs, then finish with the crunch and a squeeze of lemon.
- Prefer it milder? Use Kalahari Garlic Chilli Crunch, our gentlest jar, instead.
Serving suggestion
Serve the moment the eggs hit the toast, while the bread is still crisp, the yolks are warm and the crunch is at its crunchiest. Put the jar on the table so everyone can add an extra spoonful. A strong coffee or rooibos on the side makes it a proper weekend breakfast.