Switch things up and make savory pancakes instead of sweet for breakfast!
If my life was a cartoon and I was a cartoon character my skin would be green right now, a consequence of the amount of spinach I eat. Kind of like how Violet turned into a blueberry in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But, as you know, spinach is in season right now and I’m taking full advantage of it. And it goes so well with these savory pancakes, I’m telling you right now you need to make them ASAP.
When it comes to pancakes, I prefer my pancakes sweet. Nothing wrong with savory versions AT ALL, but pancakes I want to eat with Nutella and whipped cream or mixed with fruit. Rok, on the other hand, has his limits with sugar, especially when it’s time for breakfast. And so I decided to make the best savory pancakes I can. Something we can enjoy for brunch or have as dinner, because having breakfast for dinner sounds so damn good. Doesn’t it?
I don’t eat fried eggs often, but when I do crave them, I want them nice and crispy, preferably with some carbs on the side. A fried egg was clearly an obvious choice for these pancakes. Sweet pancakes usually come with some sort of syrup (or spread) and savory should too, in the form of a runny egg yolk, perfectly salted with a dash of ground black pepper.
Once I had my perfect pair, I added the rest of the ingredients pretty much on a hunch. I tested them out, decided what I liked and here I am. This doesn’t really sound that exciting, but this is what cooking looks like for me – I like to follow my intuition.
The secret of making these pancakes look really nice is finely chopping the parsley and sun-dried tomatoes. This way the pancakes have tiny green and red specks in them and look like a savory grown up version of funfetti pancakes. They’re fluffy and soft, the fried egg adds the crispiness and the spinach with lemon the freshness a meal like this desperately needs. I don’t add any salt or oil to the spinach, I truly believe a squeeze of lemon juice is all it needs.
Savory pancakes with a fried egg and spinach
Savory pancakes with an eggy surprise. This recipe makes 8-10 pancakes and can serve from 2-4 people.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 - 4 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For pancakes:
- 1 large egg
- 85 gr (1/3 cup) sour cream
- 200 ml (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup) milk
- 170 gr (1 1/4 cup) flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- about 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- oil for greasing the pan
The rest:
- 1–2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 2 large eggs (or 4 if serving 4 people)
- 50 gr (about 2 oz) baby spinach
- 1/2 small lemon
- freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste
Instructions
- First make the pancakes:
In a large bowl beat the egg until fluffy. Add sour cream and milk and stir until incorporated. - Slowly add the flour, baking soda and salt; gently whisk in. Do not overmix, lumps of flour are okay.
- Lastly fold in the chopped parsley and sun dried tomatoes.
- Warm a pan or skillet over high heat. When hot, lower the temperature to medium-high, brush the pan with sunflower oil (or melted butter) and ladle in approximately 60 ml (1/4 cup) of batter.
- Cook the pancake for a few minutes until it starts to bubble, then flip it over and cook for another minute or so.
- Continue with the rest of the batter. Transfer the pancakes on a plate.
- Make the eggs:
Reheat the pan or skillet over high heat and grease it with oil. When it’s really hot, crack in the egg close to the bottom of the pan. - Let the egg cook until the edges are crispy and the egg white is cooked.
- Do the same with the other egg(s) and serve right away.
Notes
If using jarred sun-dried tomatoes, which are usually preserved in olive or sunflower oil, drain them first and tap with a paper towel before chopping.
On making a good FRIED EGG:
The secret to a perfect crispy fried egg is a very hot greased pan. Don’t drop in an egg until you are sure it’s hot enough. You can feel the heat if you move your hand over the pan. Then crack in the egg, with your face away from the pan. When the egg hits the pan, it’ll make a funny noise, the egg white bubbles will burst and splatter over the pan and the edges will immediately start to turn into a perfect crust. Let the egg cook until the whites go from translucent to completely white and aren’t runny anymore. You can brush the uncooked whites over the cooked parts with your spatula to ensure the whole egg white is cooked through and through.
Also, you can speed things up a little by covering the pan with a lid or some aluminum foil, but I never do this for long, as I don’t want to risk overcooking the egg yolk. A minute or two is all you need for a good fried egg. I usually fry each egg on its own, but have cooked three at once before. The egg whites usually merge as they cook and I split the eggs with a spatula before serving.
If you want to spice things up, add a dash of Tabasco or other hot sauce to your egg.
I always eat sweet pancakes but I do enjoy making them for dinner sometimes- this would be a great alternative to sweet ones! Yum!
-Kelsey
Do give savory pancakes a try, I think they’re totally worth it. 🙂
Wow!!! THESE LOOK SO GOOD! I love the combination of flavors. Do you think I can sub yogurt for the sour cream, it is what I have on hand right now.
Thanks Rachel!
Yes, definitely, you can use yogurt instead, especially if it’s Greek, because that one is normally thicker from the regular. Just add a bit more flour if needed.
I’ve never had savory pancakes, what a revelation! These look delightful.
Thanks Daria, and you totally need to try some. 🙂
it looks amazing.nice idea
Thank you Sumit!
This looks delicious – the perfect brunch. I love the detailed directions on how to make a good fried egg, very helpful! I’m so glad I found your blog, I love it! The photography, and the recipes are mouth-watering!
You’re too kind, thank you so much! 🙂