Chickpea Fried Eggs
Updated January 15, 2026
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon za'atar
1 tablespoon Calabrian chile paste
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh dill and mint (optional), for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
51 grams carbs; 372 milligrams cholesterol; 693 calories; 25 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 43 grams fat; 15 grams fiber; 860 milligrams sodium; 28 grams protein; 9 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Add the chickpeas to a large bowl. Use a paper towel and mix around the chickpeas to remove any excess water. Mix in the za'atar, chile paste, and season with a liberal amount of salt to taste. Set aside.
- Step 2
Put a large pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add half the chickpeas to the pan and toast, stirring the chickpeas often so they don't pop. Cook the chickpeas for 2 to 3 minutes. Then shape them into two circles with small empty pockets in the center.
- Step 3
Crack two eggs into the pan, aiming the yolk for the center of the chickpea circles. Tilt the pan to the side, letting any spicy oil pool to the side. Baste the egg whites with this spicy oil for 30 to 60 seconds, until the egg whites are cooked through.
- Step 4
Remove these two eggs from the pan, scooping out any straggler chickpeas with them, then repeat with the remaining olive oil, chickpeas and eggs.
- Step 5
Garnish with black pepper, dill and mint and eat immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
Highly recommend putting chickpeas in a salad spinner to drain excess water. Helps with crispiness!
Made with chili crisp since that’s what I had available immediately and I was dying to try this recipe. Amazing!
Added a side salad, heavy on fresh soft herbs for a lovely brunch for two. Thanks Justine!!
Made a variation of this (flipping at 60 seconds and omitting the chile paste) for my spice-intolerant son last weekend, and he's asked for it several times this past week! I misunderstood Step 3 and couldn't figure out why the egg whites weren't cooking through, hence the flipping. The chickpeas came out nice and crispy. Looking forward to not flipping the egg now that I better understand the instructions.
I luckily had zaatar and had a jar of vegan 'Nduja in the pantry which is basically a Calabrian chili paste. Followed the recipe exactly and my goodness it's amazing. Had it with Greek yoghurt and had the best filling breakfast.
I didn’t have zatar and my chickpeas didn’t really crisp (likely too wet, and I used the whole can of chickpeas with the 2T oil, plus I threw in some steamed Swiss chard I had lying around). The pan was pretty dry so I added a knob of butter to cook an egg. I reserved half the chickpeas and served the rest with a smear of yogurt and some sourdough toast and boom just like that found my new favorite meal,