Bacon, egg and cheese bagels are the perfect breakfast sarnie, tomato adds freshness, and sweet chilli sauce is the perfect splash of spice.
These delicious breakfast butties will take you around 25 minutes to prepare and cook, and they are just as good for lunch or supper as they are to start the day!
The Perfect Breakfast Bagel
As a cook, I am not the sort of person who gets fixated on something being the "best". Variety is very much the spice of my food life.
However, when it comes to breakfast, I am very prone to falling back on my favourite sausage and egg sandwich for an "indulgent" breakfast.
I do like to break out of that rut on occasions, and this bacon and egg breakfast bagel joins my spam breakfast sandwich in doing just that.
It's all very easy to make, and everything is about the bacon! The eggs get fried in the bacon fat, as do the bagels, in place of toasting them.
Some slices of beef tomato add freshness to this sarnie, and cheese, well, why not?
As for sauces, they really are not required, because the yolk provides plenty of moisture.
But I love the combination of sweet chilli sauce and bacon, I think it is heavenly. So I add a squeeze of that too, but feel free to omit it or swap it for brown sauce or ketchup!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use streaky bacon?
Yes, of course! Streaky bacon is usually my favourite, but back bacon works better in this recipe because it provides more coverage and stops that egg yolk from dripping out of the hole.
A note for US-based readers!
Back bacon in the UK is what you know as Canadian bacon.
What sort of cheese do you use?
I use whatever looks good at the supermarket. Swiss cheese is perfect because it is sweet, nutty and melts quickly.
I would usually pick up some Emmental slices, although I have made this with Raclette slices too.
I don't have a blowtorch. How else can I melt the cheese?
You can place the tomato slices on the bottom of the bagel, add the cheese and then either slide it under the grill (broiler) or drop it into an air fryer for 30 seconds.
You don't want the cheese to become "stringy", just to soften and little and warm through.
Can I make this "healthier"?
I firmly believe that everything and anything can be part of a healthy diet. But I concede that this recipe is on the indulgent side.
You could grill or bake the bacon, toast the bagel and even consider replacing the fried egg with some scrambled egg.
But for me, that would suck all of the joy out of this dish and the very essence of what it is meant to be.
Serving Suggestions
These bacon, egg, cheese and tomato bagels are a breakfast dish for me. I rarely serve breakfast with anything other than a mug of tea or coffee.
However, these also make a great lunch, dinner or supper munch and then a side is very much welcome.
I would usually add some air fryer cooked French fries, or air fryer chips.
If you were so inclined, sweet potato fries would also work well!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 30cm or 12" frying pan.
- Spatula and kitchen tongs.
- Oven: This is optional, and I use it to keep the bacon warm.
- Baking tray, if you are keeping the bacon warm in the oven.
- Kitchen knife.
- Bread knife.
- Chopping board.
- Measuring spoons: These are really not required; you can eyeball the measured volumes.
- Blow torch: I like to melt the cheese a little; you can use a grill (broiler) or even an air fryer.
Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Bagels Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Rashers Smoked Back Bacon (Thick Cut)
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 Pinch Salt
- 2 Pinch Black Pepper
- 2 Slices Swiss Cheese
- 1 Large Beef Tomato
- 2 Bagels
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 2 tablespoon Sweet Chilli Sauce
Instructions
- Cut the beef tomato into 3-4mm (⅛") rounds, across the tomato. You will need 3 slices per bagel.
- Slice the bagels.
- Heat a 30cm (12") frying pan over a medium high heat with a splash of the cooking oil.
- Using some scissors, make little cuts in the rind of the bacon around 1cm (½") apart, and place it in the pan, cooking for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked to your liking.Snipping the rind prevents the bacon from curling up.
- Remove the bacon and transfer it to the oven to keep warm. *see note below*
- Return the frying pan to the heat, add the remaining cooking oil and cook the eggs to your liking, adding salt and pepper as you cook them.I like nice runny yolks and a crispy frilly "skirt". This means a slightly hotter temperature; if you are not a fan of a crispy base, lower the temperature a little.
- Remove the eggs, and drain a little of the fat from the pan.
- Return the pan to a high heat and toast the bagels, cut side down, in the bacon fat. This will take around 90 seconds.
- Build your sarnie, I start with the sliced tomato (seasoned with salt and pepper), then add the Swiss cheese, at this point I like to blast the cheese with a blow torch to melt it a little. This only takes 30 seconds.Then add the bacon, fried egg and a squeeze of sweet chilli sauce.