Toad in the Hole is one of those simple breakfast recipes we love because it takes basic ingredients and turns them into something fun. A slice of bread gets toasted in butter with an egg cooked right in the center, making it crisp on the edges and soft in the middle.
We love this for quick breakfasts, kid-friendly mornings, and easy weekend brunch because it’s fast, filling, and made in one skillet. Serve it warm with fruit, bacon, or a little extra salt and pepper for a simple meal everyone can make.
Egg and toast is a classic combination! For another quick egg dish try our perfect Scrambled Eggs.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Only 3 ingredients!! Bread, eggs, and butter- it couldn’t be simpler!
- Simple. Perfect for busy mornings, weekend breakfasts, and brunches.
- The butter crisps the bread. Cooking the bread in melted butter gives it golden edges and great flavor.
- The hole keeps the egg in place. Cutting a 3-inch hole gives the egg space to cook neatly in the center.
Toad in the Hole Ingredients
- Bread (1 slice): Holds the egg in the center and toasts up golden in the skillet. We used white sandwich bread, other great options include Texas Toast, whole grain, or Sourdough.
- Butter (1 teaspoon): Adds flavor and helps the bread brown.
- Egg (1 large): Adds protein and makes this simple breakfast filling.
- Salt and pepper (to taste): Seasons the egg and bring out the flavor. Try paprika or add heat with sriracha sauce or red pepper flakes.
- optional ingredients: Makes a slightly larger hole and include bacon bits, green onions, spinach, or crumbled pork sausages in the egg.
How to Make Toad in the Hole
PREP. In a small skillet, melt 1 teaspoon butter. In the middle of your bread, cut a 3-inch hole and place it in the skillet.
COOK. Crack 1 egg and pour in the hole. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the bread is lightly browned. Turn and cook the other side until the egg yolk is almost set. Season as desired with salt and pepper. Enjoy warm.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Use a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or small cup to cut a clean hole in the bread.
- Cook over medium heat so the bread browns while the egg cooks through.
- Flip gently with a wide spatula so the egg stays in place.
- Cook a little longer if you prefer a firmer yolk.
- Make several at a time: Use the skillet to make one at a time, or use a large electric griddle that can cook several at a time.
- Make-ahead tip: this is best served fresh, but you can cut the bread centers ahead to make breakfast even faster.
Toad in the Hole Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 slice bread
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 large egg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small skillet, melt butter. In the middle of your bread, cut a 3-inch hole and place in the skillet.
- Crack egg and pour in the hole. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the bread is lightly browned. Turn and cook the other side until egg yolk is almost set. Season as desired with salt and pepper. Enjoy warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store leftovers in a container in the fridge for 1-2 days. The best way to reheat them is in a toaster oven, broil in the oven, or heat in a frying pan.
Complete The Meal
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Bacon in the Oven
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Breakfast Sausage Recipe
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How to Make Hash Browns
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Breakfast Sandwich
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How to Make Eggs Benedict
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Flatbread Breakfast Pizza
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Breakfast Egg Rolls
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This recipe was originally published February 2019.
I hate to tell you, that is not a toad in a hole. That is and egg in a basket.
I thought this was Toad in the Hole. From a descriptive perspective it make makes more sense – there is a hole.
British toad in the hole is not a breakfast dish at all. It’s a lunch or evening meal.
Thanks for sharing! That version is different than this one… both very delicious though! 🙂
Grew up with these, called them bird’s nests
Toad in the hole is made with sausages and pancake batter. This is not toad in the hole.
Nice recipe but it’s not toad in the hole.
Thanks for the feedback!
This is NOT Toad in the Hole and never had been Toad in the hole is sausage in a Yorkshire pudding batter.
Have never heard this called toad in the hole. Only ever sausage in batter. This is called egg in the window and sometimes the cut out circle is cut in half and fried and the put over yolk to be the curtains. I believe the American troops taught it to the British during manoeuvres in WW2.
In the UK toad in the hole would be universally be taken to be sausages (normally simple pork British sausages) baked in a pool of batter in a hot oven. The result is like a large (traditional) Yorkshire pudding with sausages embedded in it. In Yorkshire sliced apples replacing the sausages with a sweeter batter can be served as a dessert.
That is not toad in the hole. No idea why the American chef that came up with this idea called it that. We certainly don’t eat it in the UK. Toad in the hole is sausages roasted then covered in Yorkshire pudding batter and cooked until the batter has risen and is golden.
This is toad in the hole https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sams-toad-hole/amp
Absolutely NOT toad in the hole. TITH is sausage cooked in a Yorkshire pudding batter. You yanks are mad!
Thanks for your feedback.