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If you’ve ever missed a gooey, runny yolk since going vegan, you’re not alone – and now, you won’t have to.
Brian Watson, known for running the Thee Burger Dude YouTube channel, recently shared a video where he explains how to make his favorite vegan fried egg. And no, this is not just tofu in a circle. This is a yolky, crispy-edged, over-medium-optional egg, complete with science-backed tricks and nostalgic flavor.
Watson is best known for reimagining fast food and comfort food classics in fully plant-based form. In this video, he walks viewers through a step-by-step method for recreating a fried egg that looks, cooks, and eats like the real thing – right down to the runny yolk. Using a method called reverse spherification, along with some clever pantry swaps, he creates something that might not fool a non-vegan, but hits all the nostalgic notes for those who miss the egg experience.
“This was super dang good,” Watson says. “And a lot easier to put together than I had anticipated.”
Read more: ‘My Favorite Plant-Based Breakfasts To Prep Ahead Of Time’
Building the egg white
The base for the egg white starts with plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt, glutinous rice flour (not regular rice flour), and aquafaba – the liquid from canned chickpeas. Watson combines the ingredients to get a thick texture that crisps up well in the pan. The key flavor enhancer? Kala namak, or black salt, which he recommends to add after cooking to preserve its signature sulphuric taste.
Creating a yolk using food science
For the yolk, Watson borrows a trick from other vegan creators like Sauce Stache and Ticho’s Table. It involves creating a sodium alginate bath that sets a pumpkin-and-yogurt-based yolk mixture into a gooey, golden sphere. The mixture also includes aquafaba, nutritional yeast, mushroom seasoning, and a bit of tapioca starch. He adds calcium lactate, which reacts with the alginate to form a membrane around the yolk.
Watson is absolutely right when he says, “You’ll feel like a food scientist.”
After chilling the bath overnight, he uses a scoop to gently drop yolks into the solution, forming perfect little spheres that mimic runny egg yolks. He notes the setup might look complicated, but the bath lasts a week in the fridge – meaning you can prep your vegan eggs for days in advance.
Frying it up
With yolk and white ready, it’s time to fry. A bit of oil (or vegan butter) goes into a nonstick pan, followed by the egg white mixture. Watson lets it crisp before carefully adding a yolk in the center. Once fried to his liking, he finishes it with black salt and a few shakes of hot sauce.
He admits, “Is this gonna fool a non-vegan? No, I doubt it. But if you are a fan of fried eggs, this definitely hits all the notes.”
Over-medium and sandwich-ready
For those who prefer a firmer yolk, Watson shares a shortcut: skip the spherification and mix a bit of extra starch into the yolk mixture. He spoons that into the center of the egg white in the pan, flips it, and melts on some vegan cheese for a perfect over-medium style egg. Sandwich it between toast, or better yet, throw it on a breakfast burger.
“This was so freaking good,” he says of the burger version, and recommends adding hash browns or chipotle ketchup next time.
If you’ve ever missed the ritual of a fried egg, this recipe gives you the joy of bringing it back – all while channeling your inner food scientist.
Craving more? Find more plant-based videos on the Thee Burger Dude YouTube channel.
Read more: 3 Vegan Bedtime Snacks To Help You Sleep
