FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook

• Why You Need My Pesto Eggs Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How To Make Pesto Eggs
• My Recipe Tips
• Serving Ideas
• More Easy Egg Recipes
• Pesto Eggs (10-Min Recipe) Recipe card
• Gratitude Moment
• Recipe Reviews

Bored with eating eggs the same ways over and over? My pesto eggs are the perfect way to switch it up! Frying eggs in pesto has been a trend floating around on TikTok lately, but I took it up a notch by adding tomatoes to mine. My mom used to always fry eggs with tomatoes as a kid, and if you haven’t tried it before, you might be surprised at how much they change the picture. They’re. So. Good. Make this recipe with me and see!

Why You Need My Pesto Eggs Recipe

• Nutty, herby flavor with runny yolks and delicate whites – Pesto and eggs go together surprisingly well, and my method cooks your eggs perfectly. But my spin of adding juicy tomatoes really makes it special. If you like my shakshuka , you’ll enjoy this dish, too. (This is also me trying not to let go of summer, lol.)
• 3 simple ingredients – Plus salt and pepper. And this easy recipe takes just 10 minutes from start to finish, so you have time to throw it together even on busy days.
• Versatile and healthy – My pesto eggs are great for breakfast , brunch, or even a light breakfast-for-dinner situation. Plus, they’re packed with protein and healthy fats.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my pesto and eggs recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

• Basil Pesto – You can totally use store-bought pestos, but I make my own homemade pesto so I know exactly what’s in it. If you want to make it from scratch, you can whip it up quickly in a food processor, using fresh basil, pine nuts , parmesan cheese, olive oil, and garlic cloves.
• Tomatoes – I just diced up a medium Roma tomato, but you could use cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or even a diced beefsteak tomato. You can even throw in sun-dried tomatoes for a more intense flavor.
• Eggs – The star of the show! I recommend pulling them out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before you start cooking, so they cook more evenly.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper – Feel free to add a pinch of crushed chili flakes if you like some heat.
• Fresh Basil – I like to garnish with fresh basil, but parsley is also great.

How To Make Pesto Eggs

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card .

1. Warm the pesto. Spread a thin layer of the pesto in the bottom of a large skillet and warm over medium heat, until it sizzles a little.
2. Cook the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes in a single layer and cook without moving, until soft. Smash the tomatoes down a bit with a spatula, to release some of their juices.
3. Cook the eggs. Reduce to low heat and crack the eggs into the skillet. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the egg whites are set.

1. Enjoy. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. (You don’t need much, since the pesto is salty!) I like to garnish with extra fresh basil ribbons or leaves, and fresh cracked pepper.

My Recipe Tips

• I recommend a 12 inch cast iron skillet to fit all 4 eggs. Some people don’t like cast iron for cooking eggs and nonstick is definitely fine, but with the pesto I don’t have any issues with sticking — and I love the even heating. You can probably make it work with a 10-inch skillet, too, but they’ll be more crowded.
• You can adjust the amount of pesto. My recommended ratio is 2 tablespoons of pesto per egg, but you can cut that in half if you want to lighten it up.
• Cut the tomatoes small, so that they soften fast. I prefer to remove the seeds, but you can leave them in if you want the sauce to be… well, more saucy.
• Be careful not to overheat. The pesto can turn brown and bitter if the heat is too high, plus the egg whites can become rubbery, so be gentle.
• For a variation, flip the eggs or add cheese. I made the eggs sunny-side up this time, but I’ve also made this recipe by flipping like an over easy egg. The pesto eggs are not as pretty that way, but they taste amazing with the pesto enveloping the eggs on both sides. It’s also yummy to flip and then sprinkle with mozzarella, goat cheese, or feta, and let it melt.
• Wondering about storage? I usually have a separate section for this, but let’s be honest, fried eggs taste best fresh — and these only take minutes to cook. You can certainly make the pesto ahead of time, though!

Serving Ideas

You can definitely serve pesto eggs all on their own (I find them quite filling when I have two!), or you can add a little something:

• Potatoes – For a heartier meal, serve them over roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes to soak up the golden runny yolk.
• Toast – Top your favorite toasted bread (I usually go for 90-second bread to make it quick) with the pesto fried eggs. Sometimes I even add slices of avocado underneath the egg.
• Bacon – Pop some bacon in the oven , or for a lighter option, try my oven turkey bacon .
• Brunch – For a brunch-like vibe, pair these pesto eggs with a light arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette , fresh fruit (or my fruit salad if you want to get fancy), or a yogurt bowl (try one with my coconut milk yogurt , granola , and fresh berries).

More Easy Egg Recipes

Since eggs are my favorite food, I make them in many different ways. Try some of my others next:

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 1/2 cup Basil pesto ▢
• 1 medium Roma tomato (diced; ½ cup) ▢
• 4 large Eggs ▢
• Sea salt (to taste) ▢
• Black pepper (to taste) ▢
• Fresh basil (optional, for garnish) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Spread a thin layer of pesto in the bottom of a large skillet and warm over medium heat for 1-2 minutes , until it sizzles a little.
2. Add the tomatoes in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes , without moving, until soft. Smash the tomatoes down a bit with a spatula.
3. Reduce the heat to low and crack the eggs into the skillet.
4. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2-4 minutes , or until the egg whites are set. You can cook for longer if you want the yolk firmer.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh basil ribbons or leaves if you like.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 fried egg with pesto sauce and tomatoes

• Tips: See the details in the post above! I’ve got tips for the kind of skillet to use, adjusting the pesto amount, ensuring that your eggs turn out perfectly cooked, and even a couple variations.
• Storage: Pesto eggs taste best fresh, so I don’t recommend storing or freezing them. Sorry!

Nutrition info does not include the optional extra basil for garnish.

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Pesto Eggs

Gratitude Moment

There are very few plants I can keep alive (lol), but basil is one of them! And for that I’m grateful, because it’s my favorite herb to cook with. Here I am back in Minnesota when I made these pesto eggs over the summer from my plant there.

Even though I’m back in Florida where — let’s be real — summer never ends, the produce does change with the seasons. And while I love foods from each season each in their own way (fall is also really great), nothing beats summer produce.

So, I’m trying to hold onto summer for just a little longer. If you’re doing the same, or if you’re seeing this at other times of year but have a jar of pesto in your fridge or a homemade stash in your freezer, I hope you’ll make these pesto eggs with me. You won’t regret it!

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• The Basic Keto Meal Formula
• Understanding Macros
• Keto Food Swaps
• Keto Food List
• Electrolyte Basics
• Keto Diet Types
• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Keto Swaps For Bread

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Keto Swaps For Drinks

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Foods To Eat On Keto

• Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
• Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
• Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
• Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
• Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
• Avocados
• Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
• Almond flour and coconut flour
• Eggs
• Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

• White flour & sugar
• Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
• Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
• Cereal
• Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
• Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
• Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
• Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
• Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
• Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

• Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
• Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
• Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
• Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)

Pesto Eggs (10-Min Recipe)

My pesto eggs are much more flavorful than plain ones! Whip up these easy fried eggs with pesto, tomatoes, and basil in just 10 minutes.

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for the full recipe, including tips, step-by-step photos, and storage, or to save it to your account. You can also find it at: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/pesto-eggs/

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Basil pesto
• 1 medium Roma tomato (diced; ½ cup)
• 4 large Eggs
• Sea salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• Fresh basil (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

1. Spread a thin layer of pesto in the bottom of a large skillet and warm over medium heat for 1-2 minutes , until it sizzles a little.
2. Add the tomatoes in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes , without moving, until soft. Smash the tomatoes down a bit with a spatula.
3. Reduce the heat to low and crack the eggs into the skillet.
4. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2-4 minutes , or until the egg whites are set. You can cook for longer if you want the yolk firmer.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh basil ribbons or leaves if you like.

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 fried egg with pesto sauce and tomatoes

• Tips: See the details in the post above! I’ve got tips for the kind of skillet to use, adjusting the pesto amount, ensuring that your eggs turn out perfectly cooked, and even a couple variations.
• Storage: Pesto eggs taste best fresh, so I don’t recommend storing or freezing them. Sorry!

Nutrition info does not include the optional extra basil for garnish.

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. :)