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While I was earning my Food Science degree I took multiple meat science classes. In these classes I learned everything from food safety and processing to product development.
Easy Steak and Eggs Recipe
My favorite lab was where we took half of a cow, learned how to grade the meat, and then cut it down into primal cuts and finally into retail cuts.
Understanding where meat comes from will help you determine how to cook it. Since we can’t all take a meat science class, I’m bringing the classroom to you with this tutorial on how to cook the best steak and eggs using skirt steak!
Steak and Egg Ingredients
- Eggs: we recommend using eggs labeled as large as this is what we develop recipes with. Our cooking time and temp is specified for large eggs. If you use medium or small eggs, you will need to adjust your cooking time.
- Vinegar: white distilled vinegar or rice vinegar is needed to make the pickled vegetables. You’ll also add a splash to the gochujang sauce.
- Honey and Sugar: used to slightly sweeten the pickled vegetables and to balance the flavors of the gochujang sauce.
- Sauces: to make the simple Korean-inspired sauce you’ll need gochujang, toasted sesame oil and soy sauce. Store the opened container of gochujang in the refrigerator.
- Scallions: the scallion whites will be used to make the sauce while the greens will be reserved for garnish.
- Red Onion and Cucumber: half of a red onion and a couple Persian cucumbers (or half an English cucumber) will make up the pickled vegetables.
- Butter and Oil: you’ll need a high-heat cooking oil such as vegetable oil or avocado oil for the steak. Then you’ll need a tablespoon of butter to add to the drippings for cooking the eggs in.
Best Steak for Steak and Eggs
There are so many types of steak to choose from, but skirt steak is ideal for this recipe. It’s quick cooking and flavorful. If your butcher has the option, purchase an outside skirt steak (as opposed to inside).
Flank steak will also work here if you can’t find a skirt steak. Once cooked and rested, be sure to slice the steak against the grain. This is essential for this cut of beef! Learn more about how versatile skirt steak is and how to cook it!
How to Make Steak and Eggs
Steak and eggs may sound intimidating, but it’s actually an incredibly easy meal to make.
- Make the pickled vegetables: combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Add the vegetables and set aside.
- Make the sauce: whisk together all of the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Cook the steak: season the steak with salt and cook in a hot cast-iron skillet with oil. Transfer to a plate, brush with sauce and set aside.
- Cook the eggs: add butter to the steak drippings in the cast-iron skillet. Crack in the eggs and cook to desired doneness.
- Plate and enjoy: divide the steak, eggs and vegetables between two plate. Top with scallions and enjoy.
Tips For Cooking A Steak and Eggs Breakfast
- It’s imperative that you preheat the cast-iron skillet before adding the oil and cooking the steak. Preheating the skillet ensures it’s adequately heated and there are no cold spots in the pan. Together, this will help you develop a nice sear on the steak. Preheat the skill for about 5 minutes.
- Use a neutral-flavored high-heat cooking oil to cook the steak. We recommend avocado oil or canola. Learn more about cooking oils and smoke points.
- Cook by temperature, not time. We highly recommend using an instant-read thermometer (this is our favorite) to determine the doneness of your steak.
- Understand the temperature related to your desired doneness. Check out our article that’s all about internal temperature cooking guidelines.
Steak and Eggs Recipe Variations
- Skip the gochujang sauce and instead serve steak and eggs with our Chimichurri sauce.
- Go the mexican route and top the steak and eggs with our Roasted Salsa Verde. Serve with warm corn tortillas, cilantro and hot sauce.
- Keep it simple with no sauce at all. Serve everything with your favorite hot sauce and a side of toast or hashbrowns.
- Make it even more decadent and serve our Pan-Fried King Oyster Mushrooms with the steak and eggs instead of the pickled vegetables.
How to Serve Steak and Eggs
Sides
Honey Cornbread
Baking Recipes
Moist Gluten-Free Cornbread
Side Salad
Savory Citrus Salad with Peanuts
- If you’re serving this for dinner, pair it with our Skillet Cornbread or Gluten-Free Cornbread.
- Fill out the brunch menu and serve this meal with our Blood Orange Mimosas and Savory Citrus Salad.
- If you aren’t keen on pickled vegetables, keep the Korean theme going and serve the steak and eggs with our Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad.
How To Store Leftover Steak and Eggs
Store leftovers separately in airtight glass containers in the refrigerator. Stored this way, leftover cooked steak will last up to 3 days, the pickled vegetables will last up to 2 weeks, and the sauce will last up to 2 weeks. If you have leftover eggs, we don’t recommend storing them.
Gently reheat the steak in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second increments on 50 percent power until warmed through.
Reheat the sauce in the microwave for about 30 seconds until warmed through. Cook fresh fried eggs to serve with any leftovers.
Steak and Eggs Recipe FAQs
It’s important to allow a cooked steak to rest for a few reasons. One, you want to capture that carry-over cooking so it reaches your ideal internal temperature (steak will increase in temperature 3-5 degrees after cooking, so remove the steak from the cooking element just shy of your desired doneness).
Secondly, resting a steak before slicing allows the muscle fibers to relax. This allows the juices to redistribute to the edges of the steak and makes for a more evenly juicy steak.
It’s important to rest a steak before slicing, so to keep it from getting cold we recommend tenting the steak with a sheet of foil. Avoid tightly sealing the foil around the plate as this will steam the steak and soften any crispness you achieved. Just a light tent will keep the steak warm.
More Steak Recipes to Try
We love a perfectly-cooked Top Sirloin and we’ve got 4 ways for you to do it!
If you’re looking to play around with reverse searing, try our recipe for Reverse Seared Steak.
Cook up a tri-tip for our Italian Tri-Tip Sandwich. It’s the perfect picnic meal!
For a fun date-night or appetizer party, make Beef Negimaki. These Japanese Steak and Scallion Rolls are to die for.
Another great date night dinner: pan-seared filet mignon.
If you love a skirt steak or flank steak, then you’ve gotta try our Tacos al Carbón. They featured charred chipotle flank steak and a charred scallion salsa.
Steak and Egg Breakfast
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Ingredients
Pickled Vegetables
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 persian cucumbers, sliced
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white sugar or honey
- kosher salt
Gochujang Sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons gochujang (1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced
Steak
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 12 ounces skirt steak or flank steak
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- Crispy Rice or cooked rice for serving, optional
Instructions
Pickled Vegetables
- In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup vinegar, ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt. Add cucumbers and onion; stir to combine then set aside.
Gochujang Sauce
- Whisk together 1 ½ tablespoons gochujang, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce and scallion whites; set aside.
Steak
- Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil to skillet and heat until shimmering.
- Cut steak into two even pieces; pat dry with paper towels then season with 1 teaspoon salt.
- Add steak to skillet and cook until deeply browned on both sides and internal temperature reaches 125ºF, about 3 minutes per side for medium rare. (See recipe notes for different temperature doneness.)
- Transfer steak to a plate and brush with some of gochujang sauce; let rest 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon butter to cast-iron skillet (with steak drippings) set over medium heat.
- Once butter has melted and is starting to bubble, carefully crack 4 eggs into skillet. Cook eggs, carefully tilting skillet so oil pools. Use a large spoon to scoop oil up and spoon over egg whites. Continue basting until whites are completely set and yolk is cooked to desired doneness, 2–3 minutes. (If you like a runny yolk, avoid spooning oil over yolks. If you like a firmer yolk, spoon oil over entire eggs.)
- Slice steak against the grain and transfer to plates; brush additional sauce over steak slices. Add eggs and pickled vegetables to plate; sprinkle scallion greens over top and serve.
Equipment
Notes
It should temp 120–125ºF (49–52ºC) after resting Medium-rare: remove from heat at 120–125ºF (49–52ºC)
It should temp 125–130ºF (52–54ºC) after resting Medium: remove from heat at 130–135ºF (54–57ºC)
It should temp 135–140ºF (57–60ºC) after resting Medium-well: remove from heat at 140–145ºF (60–63ºC) (recommended USDA temperature)
It should temp 145–150ºF (63–65ºC) after resting Well-done: remove from heat at 150–155ºF (65–68ºC)
It should temp 155–160ºF (68–71ºC) after resting Buying Steak If your butcher has the option, purchase an outside skirt steak (as opposed to inside). Flank steak will also work here, but we prefer a skirt steak.
Nutrition
Been looking for a great steak and eggs for so long. This is it!