Unusual Ways To Cook Eggs That You Probably Haven't Tried Yet

Eggs are an amazingly versatile food, and their unique protein allows them to hold together and stand up to many different cooking methods. Still, many of us fall into the old habits of just pan frying or hard boiling eggs in a pot. But there is so much more that we can do with them.

If you find yourself with a glut of eggs — either from overzealous chickens or an ambitious run to Costco — we have you covered. Eggs can be cooked in any number of unusual ways. We have gathered together a list of many of the methods you can prepare eggs, each with varying degrees of effort and equipment required. Whether you are looking for a new go-to egg recipe or are short on equipment and just trying to find something new, we have an option for you. While we can't promise you will love every method, we are sure you will find a few you will want to try immediately.

What doesn't taste better when it's deep fried? While deep frying eggs isn't all that common in many American homes, it is one tried and true method that transcends cultures. From the sausage wrapped and fried Scotch egg, to the Son-in-Law eggs of Thailand, deep fried eggs are delicious.

This method recently made the rounds on TikTok. To deep fry eggs, you first start with hard boiled eggs. Remove the shell from your hard boiled, and then it is time to add a coating. Dredge the egg with flour and an egg mixture for a basic batter coating, or jazz it up with some mashed potatoes, sausage, or bread crumbs for extra crunch. Or go keep it simple and just deep fry the egg without a cripsy coating — the choice is yours!

Next, carefully lower your eggs into the oil and fry them. While this method takes some time, as you are essentially cooking the egg twice, you are rewarded with a crispy, delicious exterior with a soft, eggy interior. Frying, of course, adds a rounded flavor to the exterior — in the same way as pan frying an egg will — and really elevates the whole egg eating experience.

Muffin tins are the unsung heroes of the egg cooking world, but not many people may know that you can hard boil eggs in them. This results in minimal clean up, and can give you an easy and perfect hard boiled eggs. 

Preheat your oven and place one raw egg still in its shell in each of the cavities of a muffin tin. From here, you will make the eggs in the muffin tin rather than placing them in a pot of boiling water. This may not be the conventional way to make a hard cooked egg, but it is easy. Bake them for 25-30 minutes and then leave to stand for a further 5 minutes. 

Once the eggs finish cooking, set them in cold water just like you would with traditional hard boiled eggs, and then shell them. You will be rewarded with perfectly cooked eggs, and the best part is no pot to clean up — even your muffin tin will stay relatively clean. Plus you can easily make a dozen at a time — depending on what size tin you have — perfect for making deviled eggs for a party or meal prepping for a week.

Don't put your muffin tin away just yet, as there are more ways to use this handy mold. If you love to make egg bites, but don't want to pay Starbucks for them every morning, your muffin tray is about to change your life.

Egg muffins are a perfect substitute for egg bites and frittatas. Spray each muffin tray with a nonstick cooking spray and scramble some raw eggs. Place the equivalent of one egg in each cup of the muffin tin, and top with your favorite fillings. This can be cheese, herbs, veggies, meat, anything you want, and then bake. The result will be a delicious egg bite at a fraction of the cost.

If you don't want to add fillings, you can do plain scrambled eggs, or crack one whole egg into a greased tin and bake it to make a sort of poached egg equivalent. These round egg muffins are perfect for breakfast sandwiches when paired with toast or an English muffin.

You've heard of boiled eggs, you've heard of scrambled eggs, but now it is time for boiled scrambled eggs. This method combines the techniques used for scrambling and poaching to create the perfect moist — yet fluffy — eggs of your dreams.

If you struggle with poached eggs because the egg always separates and simply won't stay in one piece, the good news is that you have a new path to success. With boiled scrambled eggs there is no need to try and lump the egg together to form one cohesive ball. Instead, simply whisk an egg and pour it into boiling water. Some even suggest straining the egg through a fine strainer for extra fine strands. However, that is not necessary if you don't want to. The eggs will cook in just under 30 seconds, and with a slotted spoon you can remove your fluffy delicious eggs.

Unlike pan-scrambled eggs, these eggs will not have any crisp or burned bits, and they will also stay perfectly moist and not become dry and rubbery. If that sounds like your kind of egg, give this method a try.

This is one of the more unorthodox methods, but it comes straight from the kitchen queen herself, Martha Stewart, so it is worth a listen. Sometimes, you may find yourself without a stove or simply not wanting to make a whole pan of eggs. In that case, Stewart suggests a trick to make fluffy scrambled eggs using only a steamer for coffee drinks.

In a video on her Facebook page, Stewart shows how you can add scrambled eggs to a pitcher and then use the steaming wand on the espresso machine to steam the eggs to cook them. While unusual, this method will cook the eggs and give you fluffy, airy eggs every time. Plus, this will prevent the eggs from drying out, becoming overly crispy, and turning rubbery. While you will definitely need to clean the steaming wand after this, you won't have to clean a pan with stuck-on eggs, and we think that is worth something.

Stewart served the eggs on toast with some sliced meat, showing perfectly creamy scrambled eggs that look delightful and tasty.

If you are like the "Parks and Recreation" character Leslie Knope and find waffles to be an essential part of life, may we present the egg waffle to you. Waffle irons aren't just for traditional waffles anymore. Instead, these beauties can be repurposed to make a delicious crispy egg piece that has all kinds of nooks and crannies for delicious sauces and toppings.

To make eggs in a waffle iron, scramble up some eggs with your favorite toppings, pour the contents into a greased waffle iron, and cook as you would any batter-based waffle. We have offered a lot of soft, fluffy eggs in this article, so we don't want to leave out our people who love those crispy-edged eggs, and this method provides just that.

When the waffle iron is done, the eggs are crisp on the outside and should come right out of the waffle iron in one easy-to-eat piece. Top with sauce or sour cream, and enjoy an egg dish that is somewhere between a waffle and an omelet.

Hard boiled eggs aren't always the easiest to make. The basic premise is simple, but as many people who have made hard boiled eggs know, there is a lot that can go wrong. Overcooking, undercooking, and trouble peeling are among the issues. The secret, as it turns out, is using an Instant Pot.

To make hard boiled eggs in an instant pot, you will need an instant pot trivet; this will hold the eggs off the bottom of the pot and keep them from overcooking. Then, place enough water inside the pot to cover the bottom. The eggs will pressure cook for 5 minutes, rest for five minutes, then sit in an ice bath for five minutes. Easy to do and easy to remember. In the end, you have hard boiled eggs that are perfectly cooked and peel like a dream. It may be non-traditional, but this method works. These eggs can be used in any way you typically eat hard boiled eggs. They can be used to make deviled eggs, egg salad, or eaten as a snack on their own.

If you are looking to cook with eggs in a way that requires very little actual cooking, we have an option for you — cured egg yolks. Like cured meat, cured egg yolks are made by heavily salting the yolks of eggs. The process dries them out and preserves them for later use.

Making cured egg yolks is easy, though it does take some patience. To make cured eggs, you need to mix salt and sugar. The yolks are placed in the salt and sugar mixture. Carefully, so as not to rupture the yolks, cover them in the mixture. The yolks then need to rest for a week in the refrigerator. Once they are done, the yolks can be rinsed and baked on low heat to further solidify them. Then, they are ready to use. The yolks are perfect for grating over dishes to bring a creamy, eggy flavor.

While not as common in the United States, steamed eggs are a popular way to cook eggs around the world, including China and Korea. Unlike some of the methods earlier, such as using a steamer wand to scramble the eggs, the goal here is to use steam to create an ultra-silky egg consistency, similar to a savory egg custard.

To make Chinese style steamed eggs, combine water and eggs. The goal is to completely emulsify the water and eggs into one consistent liquid. Using a strainer to remove clumping and help silken the texture can be helpful. Other ingredients, such as broth or salt, can be added for flavor. The eggs are then poured into covered bowls and placed in a steamer and cooked until they reach a luxurious, almost gelatinous consistency. Add your favorite toppings to fill out the flavor. Meats and veggies can be added to make it a substantial savory treat.

If you want an easy way to prepare eggs for a meal, the jar is the way to go. A simple heat-proof jar, such as a canning jar, can become a vital tool in your egg journey.

If you are a fan of egg bites, and in particular sous vide bites but don't own a sous vide machine, don't worry. Using a canning rated four-ounce jar, you can add eggs and fillings to the jar, and seal it tight. Then, place the eggs in a water bath until fully cooked. This will give you creamy, rich egg bites you will love.

The use of a jar doesn't stop there, though. In some cases, it is the ring of the jar you want to use. If you want to emulate that perfectly round egg they make at McDonald's for your own sandwich, take a wide-mouth jar ring. Use only the ring, not the flat part of the wax seal. Spray it with oil. When your pan is hot, place your ring in the pan and crack your egg directly into the ring. The ring will contain the egg and give you a perfectly round fried egg perfect for your copycat McGriddle.

What is life without some whimsy? There is no reason you can't bring some joy to even the simplest of tasks like making some eggs. If you are willing to put in some extra work, this method will reward you with cloud-like eggs, which are perfect for creating a mealtime scene.

These eggs either look like a sun in the clouds or a volcano, depending on how you wish to see them. The first step is to separate your whites and yolks. Whip up your egg whites; we recommend using an electric mixer unless you are looking to get an extra arm workout in. On a baking sheet, make two mounds of whipped egg whites. Make a small hole in the center of each mound. Bake until the eggs are set. Place one reserved egg yolk in each of the craters in the egg whites. Your yolk will still be runny even after cooking a bit from the residual heat. When cut into, the yolk "lava" will pour into your eggs. These are a fun and delicious way to eat eggs. You can add veggies and cheese to the whipped whites to offer more to the now ultra-light whites. Maybe top off your plate with some dino nuggets for a cool prehistoric scene that kids will love. Whatever your choice, turn your eggs into a creative and tasty project.