In Absolute Best Tests, Ella Quittner destroys the sanctity of her home kitchen in the name of the truth. She's seared more Porterhouse steaks than she cares to recall, tasted enough stuffing for 10 Thanksgivings, and mashed so many potatoes she may never mash one again. Today, she tackles the egg sandwich.
The breakfast sandwich has been around for far longer than you or your hangover.
In "Breakfast: A History," Heather Arndt Anderson writes that the first recipe for "a true breakfast sandwich" appears in an 1897 cookbook called "Breakfast, Dinner and Supper." The instructions are as follows:
"Use stale bread. Spread each slice with chopped meat; cover with another slice and press together. Cut each sandwich in halves and place them on a plate. Have ready a pint of milk, salted and mixed with 1 beaten egg. Pour this over the sandwiches and let stand a few moments. Put a heaping teaspoonful of butter into a frying pan and when it begins to brown place the sandwiches carefully upon it. When nicely browned on one side add a little more butter, turn, and brown the other side."
And before that came the bap. A humble British sandwich — "bap" typically refers to a soft roll, which can be filled with eggs and meat — was commonplace as breakfast for factory workers in 19th century London. ("Baps are where breakfast sandwiches go to die," said an American friend living in the U.K. when I reached out for comment. An English friend shared that he "likes baps," though he admitted "they can be a bit bready." He also noted that "bap" is slang for "breast." And "in some regions, it's called a butty." !!!!! Take me out, coach.)
Overseas, the United States met the Denver sandwich — a Denver omelet (ham, peppers, onions), in between pieces of bread — at least as early as 1907, or possibly earlier according to James Beard. He wrote in "American Cookery" that it may have been inspired by a version made by 19th century railroad workers, derived from egg foo young.
Anderson credits McDonald's 1972 release of the Egg McMuffin with the proliferation of the American breakfast sandwich — eggs and meat, as opposed to marmite on toast, or labneh and cucumbers on flatbread, and so on — far and wide.
Stateside, riffs have been endless and boundless. Perhaps one of the most popular is the New York City bodega bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll. In New Jersey, a breakfast sandwich admirer will find their egg accompanied by a slice of Taylor ham, aka pork roll, aka please don't slide into my DMs. In the American South, it's common to find an egg and sausage nestled between two halves of a warm biscuit, sometimes smothered with gravy. In Los Angeles, the upmarket breakfast sandwich has more recently had a long moment, with establishments like Eggslut spawning all sorts of brioche-bunned, three-sauced homage across the country.
Which is to say: There are infinite ways to jam an egg between a bready carapace. And which is also to say: this latest installment of Absolute Best Tests was perhaps the most difficult yet. I lost sleep winnowing down the list of contenders. I dreamt that a TikTok tortilla served me with a lawsuit. What follows is my attempt to try as many bread choices and egg preparations as my tiny galley kitchen and my tiny galley mind could handle.
Get your hot sauce, girls, and let's dive in.
Controls
I seasoned all egg sandwiches with Diamond Crystal kosher salt. As you'll see in each recipe section, I went absolutely bananas and paired each bread or egg contender with different accoutrement, but please know and trust that I graded every sandwich on the merit of the bread and/or egg. (I know that's not how science works, but we're not really doing science here. You get that, right?)
Equipment
Non-Stick Fry Pan: For slip-n-sliding fried eggs every which way.
Slotted Spatula or Fish Spatula: For the breeziest egg-removal missions.
Serrated Knife: Paging your bagels, kaiser rolls, croissants, and buns.
Combination Air Fryer and Toaster: Egg sandwiches never tasted so easy.
Oven Mitts: Grease burns, be gone.
Round 1: Bread
Controls
I used fried eggs (over easy) for all of these trials.
Findings
Croissant
Extremely hard to eat. I generally do not love a croissant as a structural element, because either the croissant is technically great and flaky — in which case you want to enjoy it without the distraction of yolky globs — or the croissant is mediocre and soft, which means everything splooges out with the first bite.
Brioche Bun
A solid "fine." The ratio of bread-to-stuff was much too high for me, despite packing it with quite a bit of stuff. My real feelings? The brioche bun should quietly tiptoe back into the domain of triple-portion salami, arugula, and butter sandwiches, and stay there for a while.
Kaiser Roll
Oh, hell yeah. A much better bread ratio, perhaps because the crumb is airier than that of a brioche bun, so it felt less like mouthing a bunch of wall insulation. Plus, the Kaiser has a tougher crust, which helps those teeth get momentum for big bites, and a generally pleasant and neutral flavor.
Bagel
Obviously, it slapped hard. My main takeaway: the sturdier the components, the better. For example, I did a few off-market tests in which I discovered I preferred the bagel sandwich with fried eggs over scrambled or poached. And the bagel stood up beautifully to bacon, or a thick sausage patty, but less well to sautéed peppers or a thin swipe of tomato jam.
Biscuit
Marry me, biscuit sandwich. I don't need a ring, I don't need an audience, I will wear a dress made from paper napkins. How could the result not be so fucking excellent when you are taking a breakfast sandwich and making it MORE BUTTERY? It was the sandwich the croissant wished it could be, with soft, flakey layers and a golden, crisp exterior that actually held up to the demands of the job. Also! The ideal size for a sausage patty.
Sliced Bread
We know her, we love her. She lets fillings shine, and is a good size and shape, and that's about all there is to say about her.
English Muffin
I have long held the belief that English muffins are underrated as the bread for any sort of sandwich. (They are, for example, great as burger buns.) The same applies to fried eggs. They aren't overly bready, are just tough enough to hold their structure when toasted, and the nooks and crannies are perfect for sauce explosions and catching yolk drips. They also add a welcome little tang.
Waffle
This breakfast sandwich was a surprise. I wasn't expecting great things, because in my experience, waffles tend to steal the show. But the thin ones I used (frozen Eggos) were actually the ideal size, shape, and thickness. (I suspect proper Belgians would've overshadowed the interior.) Their texture also meant I could cram in more sauce without it slipping right out, and, insanely, I found myself noting that it provided "better grip" than some of the other options.
Recipes
Kaiser Roll
Ingredients
- 1 kaiser roll
- 2 slices American cheese
- 2 pieces cooked Taylor Ham
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more to butter bread
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt
Directions
- Slice a kaiser roll in half and set in a toaster oven or 350°F oven until lightly golden. Midway through, place both slices of cheese on one half to melt as the bread toasts.
- Meanwhile, fry the eggs: Set a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it begins to foam, crack and add the eggs, spaced a few inches apart (I like to crack into a bowl first in case of shell fragments). Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, basting with butter as they cook, until whites are set and just beginning to crisp up around the edges. Remove from heat and season with a big pinch of salt.
- Remove the bread from the oven when the cheese is melted. Butter the bare side. Place Taylor Ham on top of the cheese, and the fried eggs on top of that, yolk-side up. Close the sandwich.
Brioche Bun
Ingredients
- 1 brioche bun
- 2 slices cheddar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more to butter bread
- 1 large egg
- Kosher salt
- Finely chopped chives
- 1 crispy hash brown
- Sriracha
Directions
- Slice a brioche bun in half and set in a toaster or 350°F oven until lightly golden. Midway through, place both slices of cheese on bottom half to melt as the bread toasts.
- Meanwhile, fry the egg: Set a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it begins to foam, crack and add the egg (I like to crack into a bowl first in case of shell fragments). Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, basting with butter as it cooks, until whites are set and just beginning to crisp up around the edges. Remove from heat and season with a big pinch of salt.
- Remove the bread from the oven when the cheese is melted. Butter the bare side. Place crispy hash brown on top of cheese, and the fried egg on top of that, yolk-side up. Decorate liberally with chives and Sriracha. Close the sandwich.
Bagel
Ingredients
- 1 everything bagel, halved
- 2 slices provolone
- 3 pieces crispy bacon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more for bagel
- 1 large egg
- Kosher salt
Directions
- Set the bagel in a toaster oven or 350°F oven until lightly golden. Midway through, place both slices of cheese on one half to melt.
- Meanwhile, fry the egg: Set a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it begins to foam, crack and add egg (I like to crack into a bowl first in case of shell fragments). Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, basting with butter as it cooks, until whites are set and just beginning to crisp up around the edges. Remove from heat and season with a big pinch of salt.
- Remove the bagel from the oven when the cheese is melted. Butter the bare side. Place the fried egg on top of cheese, yolk-side up, and bacon on top of that. Close the sandwich.
Sliced Bread
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more to butter bread
- 2 slices provolone
- 2 pieces crispy bacon
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt
- Ketchup
Directions
- Butter both sides of each piece of bread and set in a toaster or 350°F oven until lightly golden. Midway through, place both slices of cheese on one half to melt as the bread toasts.
- Meanwhile, fry the eggs: Set a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it begins to foam, add each cracked egg a few inches apart (I like to crack eggs into a bowl first in case of shell-fragments). Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, basting with butter as they cook, until whites are set and just beginning to crisp up around the edges. Remove from heat and season with a big pinch of salt.
- Remove the bread from the oven when the cheese is melted. Add a generous amount of ketchup to the bare slice. Place the bacon on top of the cheese, and fried eggs on top of that, yolk-side up. Close the sandwich.
English Muffin
Ingredients
- 1 English muffin, halved
- 2 slices American cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more to butter muffins
- 1 large egg
- Kosher salt
- 1 country-style sausage (round or roughly round and smashed into a patty)
- 1 tablespoon mayo
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek
Directions
- Set the English muffin in a toaster or 350°F oven until lightly golden. Midway through, place both slices of cheese on one half to melt as the bread toasts.
- Meanwhile, fry the egg: Set a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it begins to foam, crack and add the egg (I like to crack eggs into a bowl first in case of shell fragments). Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, basting with butter as it cooks, until whites are set and just beginning to crisp up around the edges. Remove from heat and season with a big pinch of salt.
- Mix together mayo and chili sauce.
- Remove the English muffin from the oven when the cheese is melted. Spread the spicy mayo on the bare side. Place sausage on top of cheese, and fried egg on top of that, yolk-side up. Close the sandwich.
Waffle
Ingredients
- 2 square or personal-sized waffles, toasted if frozen
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more to butter waffle
- 2 slices pepper Jack
- 1 large egg
- Kosher salt
- 2 slices deli honey-glazed ham
- Mayo
- Chile crisp
Directions
- Butter both sides of each waffle and set one on a rimmed pan in an oven preheated to 300°F. Place both slices of cheese on the waffle to melt.
- Meanwhile, fry the egg: Set a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it begins to foam, crack and add the egg (I like to crack into a bowl first in case of shell fragments). Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, basting with butter as it cooks, until whites are set and just beginning to crisp up around the edges. Remove from heat and season with a big pinch of salt.
- Remove waffle half from the oven when the cheese is melted. Add the ham on top of cheese, and the fried egg on top of that, yolk-side up. On the bare waffle, spread the mayo. Drizzle chile crisp all over the egg. Close the sandwich.
Biscuit
Ingredients
- 1 very flaky biscuit, halved
- 1 cooked sausage patty
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more for bagel
- 1 large egg
- Kosher salt
- Hot honey
- Cholula
Directions
- Fry the egg: Set a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it begins to foam, crack and add the egg (note: I like to crack into a bowl first in case of shell fragments). Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, basting with butter as it cooks, until whites are set and just beginning to crisp up around the edges. Remove from heat and season with a big pinch of salt.
- Butter the insides of the biscuit. Place the sausage on top of bottom half, followed by the egg yolk-side up, and hot honey on top of that. Close the sandwich.
Croissant
Ingredients
- 1 plain croissant, halved
- 2 slices Gruyère
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt
- 2 slices ham
- 1/4 cup baby spinach
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
Directions
- Set the croissant in a toaster or TK°F oven until lightly golden. Midway through, place both slices of cheese on one half to melt.
- Meanwhile, fry the eggs: Set a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it begins to foam, crack and add the eggs, spaced a few inches apart (note: I like cracking into a bowl first in case of shell fragments). Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, basting with butter as they cook, until the whites are set and just beginning to crisp up around the edges. Remove from heat and season with a big pinch of salt.
- Place the ham on the bare half of the croissant, followed by the spinach, then the egg yolk-side up, and the avocado on top of that. Close the sandwich.
Round 2: Eggs
Controls
I used sliced bread for all of these in an initial set of trials, and then did some side trials with other breads to test out various hypotheses. Yes, I know how that sounds.
Findings
Soft-Scrambled
There is very little to complain about when it comes to a properly soft-scrambled egg — it is creamy, lucious, and each bite has a satisfying heft. As much was true for soft-scrambled eggs on a breakfast sandwich. The only caveat I'll share is that eggs prepared this way were better with a studier, wider bread (like the sliced bread, waffle, and bagel) than they were with flimsy or smaller carby vessels (like the croissant and English muffin), for obvious reasons.
Omelet
A delight, with the key high points being consistency (same flavor, texture, and thickness of egg in each bite) and manageability (didn't faff around every which way as if being leaf-blown, like the scrambled boys).
Fried
The obvious best parts of fried eggs are the runny yolks and crispy edges. If those appeal to you, this is the way to go. It was also the most versatile besides the omelet in terms of bread pairings.
Baked Egg Soufflé
This method required quite a bit more active time, helicopter parenting, and dishwashing than the others, but the result was an abundance of attractive and sprightly egg patties with a texture somewhere between gyeran jjim and McMuffin-took-a-chill-pill. I would parade this method around again if I were hosting a large brunch, with egg sandwiches for all.
Poached
Eh. I love a poached egg, but the effort of preparing them just to smash them between bread made me wonder why I wasn't just taking the easy road and frying them.
Air-Fried
There are many things you can make in an air fryer, but few which are actually superior (see: Buffalo wings). Egg sandwiches do not fall into that category. There's too much arrangement, checking, and poking necessary. Breakfast sandwiches should be breezy. Lugging out an air fryer is anything but.
Egg Salad Melt
This method called for a sort of quick egg salad, topped with cheese in an open-faced melt. And it was pretty good. I love mayonnaise, which was a key feature. I probably could have done without the broiled cheese and simply topped with freshly cracked pepper and chopped chives. Or, more mayo.
Hard Scrambled
True scrambled eggs are fully set and dry to the touch, no longer glistening or loose. Why scramble when you could soft scramble? Really, why?
Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more to butter bread
- 2 slices American cheese
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt
- 1 heaping tablespoon cream cheese
Directions
- Butter both sides of each piece of bread and set in a toaster or 350°F oven until lightly golden. Midway through, place both slices of cheese on one half to melt as the bread toasts.
- Meanwhile, scramble eggs: In a bowl, whisk the eggs with a big pinch of salt. Heat butter in a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Once it begins to foam, add the eggs and cook, whisking constantly, until they have set in small curds and are beginning to look dry, about 1 minute. Immediately remove from heat and whisk in cream cheese.
- Remove the bread from the oven when the cheese is melted. Spoon the eggs on top of the cheese. Close the sandwich and flip it over so the cheese is on top.
Hard Scrambled
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more to butter bread
- 2 slices American cheese
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt
Directions
- Butter both sides of each piece of bread and set in a toaster or 350°F oven until lightly golden. Midway through, place both slices of cheese on one half to melt as the bread toasts.
- Meanwhile, scramble the eggs: In a bowl, whisk the eggs with a big pinch of salt. Heat the butter in a small nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Once it begins to foam, add the eggs and cook, whisking constantly, until they have set in large curds, about 1 minute. Immediately remove from heat while they still look glossy.
- Remove the bread from the oven when the cheese is melted. Spoon the eggs on top of cheese. Close the sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread
- 2 tablespoons ghee, plus more for bread
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1/4 small yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 green chile, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 pinch chile powder
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Directions
- Spread ghee on both sides of each piece of bread and set in a toaster or 350°F oven until lightly golden.
- Meanwhile, make the omelet: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Add the onion, chile, cilantro, black pepper, chile powder, turmeric, and salt to the bowl and stir to combine.
- In a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm the ghee. When hot, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the egg mixture to the pan, swirling so it completely covers the surface of the pan. Cook the omelet for 2 minutes, until the underside is lightly browned. Flip the omelet and cook the other side for another 2 minutes, until browned. Transfer the omelet to a plate.
- Remove the bread from the oven when golden and sandwich the omelet in between the two slices. Close the sandwich and cut vertically into two triangles.
Fried
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more to butter bread
- 2 slices provolone
- 2 pieces crispy bacon
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt
- Ketchup
Directions
- Butter both sides of each piece of bread and set in a toaster or 350°F oven until lightly golden. Midway through, place both slices of cheese on one half to melt as the bread toasts.
- Meanwhile, fry the eggs: Set a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it begins to foam, crack and add the eggs, spaced a few inches apart (I like cracking the eggs into a bowl first in case of shell fragments). Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, basting with butter as they cook, until whites are set and just beginning to crisp up around the edges. Remove from heat and season with a big pinch of salt.
- Remove the bread from the oven when the cheese is melted. Add a generous amount of ketchup to the bare slice. Place the bacon on top of cheese, and fried eggs on top of that, yolk-side up. Close the sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread
- Unsalted or salted butter
- 2 slices fontina
- 9 large eggs
- 3/4 cup half-and-half
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 2 slices cooked Canadian bacon
- Mayo, mixed with minced chipotles, hot sauce, or chile paste
- 2 pepperoncini, stems removed, seeded, and sliced into rings
Directions
- Make the eggs: Heat the oven to 300°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 8x8-inch cake pan with nonstick spray or liberally coat the bottom and sides with vegetable oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together until blended. Whisk in the half-and-half and salt until combined. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared cake pan.
- Place the cake pan in a roasting pan, and place the roasting pan on the center oven rack. Pour hot water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This water bath will ensure that the egg souffle will cook slowly and evenly. Drape a piece of aluminum foil over the cake pan or place a baking sheet directly on top of it, then carefully slide in the oven rack and close the oven door. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove the foil or baking sheet and sprinkle the pepper and thyme evenly over the top. Cover again and continue baking for about 20 minutes longer, or until the center of the egg mixture is just barely set and no longer wiggles when you jiggle the pan.
- Remove both pans from the oven, and carefully remove the cake pan holding the eggs from the water bath. Leave the oven on. Let the eggs cool and set in the pan for about 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Cut the eggs into four equal portions. Using a spatula, carefully remove the egg patties from the cake pan.
- (For our purposes right now, we just need one to make a single sandwich, as follows.) Place the egg patty on the baking sheet and top each patty with 2 slices of fontina and 1 slice of Canadian bacon. Put the baking sheet back in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt.
- Butter both sides of each piece of bread and set in a toaster or oven until lightly golden. Spread chipotle mayo liberally on one piece of toasted bread. Top with the egg patty, cheese, and Canadian bacon. Top that with pepperoncini. Close the sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more to butter bread
- 2 slices American cheese
- 2 pieces uncooked bacon
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt
- Cholula
- Chives
Directions
- Butter both sides of each piece of bread. Place both slices of cheese on one slice. Heat the air fryer to 350°F.
- Create a dam for the eggs by placing the bacon in a ring form in the center of each slice of bread. Crack each egg into each bacon ring. Set each slice in the air fryer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the whites are set and the bacon is crispy.
- Remove and garnish liberally with Cholula and chopped chives. Close the sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread
- Unsalted or salted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup shredded mild cheddar
- Finely chopped scallions
Directions
- Butter both sides of each piece of bread and set in a toaster or 350°F oven until lightly golden.
- Make egg salad: Place eggs in bottom of large saucepan in single layer; pour in enough cold water to cover eggs by at least 1 inch. Bring to boil over high heat; cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 12 minutes; drain and rinse under cold water. Peel the eggs and finely/roughly chop. Let cool completely. Combine eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, and salt.
- Remove bread from the oven when golden. Spoon egg salad on top of the toast. Sprinkle cheese on top of the egg salad, and broil for about 2 minutes, until melted. Top with chopped scallions and serve.
Poached
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, plus more to butter bread
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 2 slices gouda
- 2 pieces crispy turkey bacon
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt
Directions
- Butter both sides of each piece of bread and set in a toaster or 350°F oven until lightly golden. Midway through, place both slices of cheese on one half to melt as the bread toasts.
- Meanwhile, poach the eggs: Bring a small pot of water to boil. Once a full boil is achieved, add the vinegar. Swirl the water into a whirlpool with a spoon. Gently but quickly, slide the eggs one by one into the swirling water. Immediately move the pot from the heat and cover. Start a 4-minute timer. When it goes off, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon. Dab lightly with a paper towel.
- Remove the bread from the oven when the cheese is melted. Place bacon on top of cheese, and the eggs on top of that. Close the sandwich.
So, what's the absolute best way?
Depends what you're after! Here are the most significant pros of my top methods:
Bread
For a hearty, sturdy sandwich that doesn't read bready: Bagel
For a buttery, flaky treat and/or if you're having me over: Biscuit
For a low bread-to-fillings ratio that lets her companions shine: Sliced Bread
For a classic egg-on-a-roll: Kaiser
For an especially saucy fellow: Waffles
Egg
For the junction of lowest-maintenance and ideal UX: Fried
For a creamy, soft interior: Soft-scrambled
For a sandwich with a consistent and delicious filling: omelet
For a crowd of sandwiches: Baked egg soufflé
