You only need 10 minutes and six ingredients to make a high-protein lunch when working from home—this recipe kept me going all afternoon

I completely missed the crispy feta fried eggs hype train (it was a TikTok trend a while ago) but I'm all caught up now and boy am I glad to be. I was sent this recipe by the nutrition coaching platform Working Against Gravity and seeing that it would only take 10 minutes to make, I decided to give it a try.

Usually, when working from home, I rely heavily on grilled cheese sandwiches or other similarly low-effort meals to get me through the day. While there's nothing wrong with that, it tends to be a bit lacking nutritionally, with no vegetables and little protein.

This recipe contains avocado, which is rich in healthy fats and fiber and is, let's face it, delicious, and you could very easily pile on more veg with some chopped tomatoes and spinach too if you wanted to make it even more nutritionally dense. The eggs are also packed full of protein and high-quality fats, and the feta gives the dish a salty, tangy flavor that complements the eggs perfectly.

How to make crispy feta fried eggs

Ingredients

• 1 tortilla
• ½ avocado
• ⅛ cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 extra large egg (or 2 small to medium)
• 3 bacon medallions (smoked or unsmoked)
• Seasonings of your choice

Instead of olive oil, as the original recipe uses, I dry-fried some bacon medallions in my pan first and then used the fat released from the bacon to crisp up my feta.

Method

1. In a small nonstick pan over medium heat, dry fry your bacon medallions until cooked and move to one side.
2. Crumble the feta cheese over the bottom of the pan and let it cook for three minutes.
3. Crack your eggs over the top of the feta and cover the pan to steam the whites while keeping the yolk runny. Let it cook for three more minutes.
4. Heat your tortilla in the microwave or on a skillet and spread the avocado on top. Use a fork to mash it into a paste if preferred.
5. Layer the bacon medallions on top of the avocado.
6. Once the eggs have cooked, remove them from the pan. They should be stuck to a crispy disk of melted feta cheese that comes away from the pan easily.
7. Place your crispy feta eggs on top of the bacon.
8. Add whatever seasoning you desire—oregano pairs well with feta, or add chili for a spicy kick.
9. Break the yolk so it becomes the sauce, fold and eat!

Why I recommend crispy feta fried eggs

I was full for ages

Despite this being a relatively small meal, I stayed full until dinner time, with no sweet cravings or desire to snack once I hit the 3pm slump. This is due, in part, to the 38g of protein that the dish holds (calculated with my Samsung Health app). Protein is great for satiety—that feeling of fullness you get after eating—according to a review in the British Journal of Nutrition.

It was quick to make

It didn’t take any longer to make than it would usually take me to make my grilled cheese. When working from home, it can be difficult to remember to stop, put your laptop down and take the time to cook yourself a meal, especially if you’re in the middle of a task and your stomach starts to grumble. This is how I ended up relying on tuna melts and grilled cheese sandwiches—they took minutes to assemble and cook and I could eat them at my desk.

This dish, however, took a similar amount of time to prep and cook, but was more filling and satisfying. A big win for flavor in my book.

There wasn’t much washing up

The single non–stick pan I used and the fish slice needed to assemble the meal were no hassle to clean up, which is ideal for a WFH lunch—there are few things worse than finishing your working day and having to do a stack of dishes.

It was tasty

The combination of the rich flavors of the avocado and eggs and the salty, tangy tastes from the bacon and feta was lovely and really hit the spot. I think adding arugula would work well, adding a peppery element, or even a layer of chutney under the avocado to insert some sweetness and balance the salty feta.