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This quick, easy, and flavorful Brussels sprouts hash with bacon and poached eggs makes an equally good breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Why we love this recipe
I’m always delighted by the way this recipe strikes a balance between simplicity and specialness. It’s not fancy, but it’s the slightest bit unexpected — which can be kinda magical for a weeknight dinner or a low-key brunch party.
It’s got:
- Wildly complementary ingredients
- Lots of flavor, without unnecessary bells and whistles
- No gluten or dairy and very few carbs, which can be convenient depending on your crowd
- Cozy vibes, but without unwanted heaviness
I first published this post here in 2017 and have since updated the post for clarity and tweaked the recipe method slightly.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Choose firm, unblemished Brussels sprouts that are tightly closed.
- Use a really big shallot or two smaller ones to make about 1/2 cup minced.
- You’ll use half the apple cider vinegar to flavor the hash, and half to ensure the eggs set beautifully while poaching.
- You can use any bacon that you like, but I like to use a really good-quality, thick-cut variety so it’s nice and meaty.
- With just a few ingredients, quality really matters — so use the best eggs you can find.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a wonderful meal of Brussels sprouts hash with bacon and poached eggs. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Shred the sprouts. I like to use the slicing blade of my food processor, but you can use a mandoline slicer or a chef’s knife if that’s what you’ve got.
- Cook the bacon and drain most of the fat. Add the shallot, then the sprouts, salt, and pepper. Give it all a stir and a sauté.
- Pour in the vinegar and continue cooking until tender.
- Meanwhile, poach the eggs. Assemble and serve.
Egg poaching tips
With a few expert tips and zero fancy equipment, you’ll end up with beautiful poached eggs every time.
- First, choose the right pan: fill a wide sauté pan with water to a depth of at least 1 ½ to 2 inches. (A pan like this is ideal.)
- Bring the water to a brisk simmer to heat it evenly, and then reduce the heat so the water is virtually still. This provides enough heat for poaching without jostling the eggs too much. Poaching is all about gentle heat.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar to the poaching liquid. It encourages the proteins in the egg whites to set a little more firmly rather than sprawling all over the place.
- Crack each egg into a small bowl and tip carefully into the water, submerging the bowl a bit as you pour. I like to add the eggs in a clockwise circle starting near the handle so I remember in which order to remove them for even cooking.
- Cook undisturbed for four minutes, until whites are set and yolks are runny. Remove eggs from pan with a strainer spoon (something like this). Gently place eggs on a paper towel-lined plate and dab the tops to remove excess water. Cut away any scraggly whites if you like.
Make-ahead and storage tips
This recipe is quick to make, so I prefer to cook it up right before serving. That said, if necessary, you can do a lot of the prep up to 24 hours in advance:
Shred the sprouts and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Cook the bacon and shallots, remove the excess grease, and cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.
If you want to get really next-level, you can use a technique that restaurants employ for the brunch rush and poach the eggs in advance. Cool them, then refrigerate, and dip into simmering water to reheat.
Cook the sprouts and assemble the dish right before serving.
More favorite poached egg recipes
More favorite Brussels sprouts recipes
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Brussels Sprouts Hash with Bacon and Poached Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 grams) Brussels sprouts, trimmed
- 5 ounces (142 grams) thick-cut bacon
- 1 very large shallot, minced (see note 2)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, divided
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Fit a food processor with the slicing disk. Feed Brussels sprouts through the feed tube to shred.
- Dice the bacon and place into a 12-inch skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp.
- Spoon out and discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.
- Add shallot and cook for two minutes or so, until becoming translucent.
- Stir in shredded Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper, and two tablespoons of the vinegar.
- Cook, stirring from time to time, until wilted and just tender.
- Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the gentlest simmer with the remaining two tablespoons of vinegar.
- Carefully crack eggs into the water, leaving plenty of space in between, and cook for 4 minutes.
- Divide hash between two shallow bowls and top with eggs.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can carefully…and tediously…use a mandoline slicer or slice sprouts with a chef’s knife.
- You can use any bacon that you like, but I like to use a really good-quality, thick-cut variety so it’s nice and meaty.
- You should end up with about 1/2 cup minced shallot. If your shallots are smaller, use two.
- This recipe is quick to make, so I prefer to cook it up right before serving. That said, if necessary, you can do a lot of the prep up to 24 hours in advance. Shred the sprouts and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Cook the bacon and shallots, remove the excess grease, and cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.
- If you want to get really next-level, you can use a technique that restaurants employ for the brunch rush and poach the eggs in advance. Cool them, then refrigerate, and dip into simmering water to reheat.Cook the sprouts and assemble the dish right before serving.
Egg poaching tips
With a few expert tips and zero fancy equipment, you’ll end up with beautiful poached eggs every time.- First, choose the right pan: fill a wide sauté pan with water to a depth of at least 1 ½ to 2 inches.
- Bring the water to a brisk simmer to heat it evenly, and then reduce the heat so the water is virtually still. This provides enough heat for poaching without jostling the eggs too much. Poaching is all about gentle heat.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar to the poaching liquid. It encourages the proteins in the egg whites to set a little more firmly rather than sprawling all over the place.
- Crack each egg into a small bowl and tip carefully into the water, submerging the bowl a bit as you pour. I like to add the eggs in a clockwise circle starting near the handle so I remember in which order to remove them for even cooking.
- Cook undisturbed for four minutes, until whites are set and yolks are runny. Remove eggs from pan with a strainer spoon. Gently place eggs on a paper towel-lined plate and dab the tops to remove excess water. Cut away any scraggly whites if you like.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hungry for more?
Subscribe to Umami Girl’s email updates, and follow along on Instagram.
