These healthy breakfast egg muffins are mini frittatas filled with vegetables, feta, olives, and fresh herbs. Bake a batch of 12 for a savory breakfast you can refrigerate or freeze for busy mornings.

Mediterranean Egg Muffins for Busy Mornings

My family is big on savory breakfasts. On a leisurely weekend, you can bet we’ll be making shakshuka. During the school year, I like having something ready before the morning gets busy.

These egg muffins take about 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to bake, plus a few minutes to cool before you remove them from the pan. Divide the filling among the muffin cups, pour the seasoned eggs over the top, and let the oven do the work.

I used leftover rotisserie chicken in this batch, along with bell peppers, tomatoes, and shallots. But the Mediterranean flavor-makers are what bring it all together: briny Kalamata olives, tangy feta, and plenty of fresh parsley.

You can leave out the chicken for a meatless breakfast or use cooked turkey instead. And if you’re serving brunch, add a salad and some bread and bring the whole batch to the table.

What You’ll Need for Breakfast Egg Muffins

The eggs hold everything together, but the vegetables, herbs, and salty bits of feta and olives give these egg muffins their Mediterranean flavor. Here’s what to have ready:

• Eggs: Use 8 large eggs for a batch of 12 muffins. Whisk them well so the whites, yolks, and seasonings are evenly combined before pouring.
• Extra virgin olive oil: For brushing the muffin cups. Be sure to coat the bottoms and sides. I use Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil.
• Red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and shallot: The pepper brings sweetness, the tomatoes add juicy bites, and the shallot adds a little onion flavor. Chop the pepper and shallot, and halve the tomatoes. These vegetables go straight into the muffin cups without precooking.
• Kalamata olives: These dark Greek olives bring a rich, briny flavor. Start with pitted olives and chop them so you get little bits throughout.
• Cooked chicken or turkey: Shred the meat before adding it. I used leftover rotisserie chicken, but cooked turkey works, too. For a meatless breakfast, simply leave it out.
• Fresh parsley: About 1/2 cup of chopped leaves adds freshness throughout the muffins. It goes into the filling along with the vegetables.
• Feta: Crumble in a handful to your liking for tangy flavor throughout the muffins. Keep its saltiness, along with the olives, in mind when seasoning the eggs.
• Spanish paprika: A little sweet Spanish paprika adds mild pepper flavor and color.
• Ground turmeric: An optional 1/4 teaspoon adds earthy flavor and a golden hue.
• Salt and black pepper: To season the egg mixture.

How to Make Breakfast Egg Muffins

You’ll need a 12-cup muffin pan or 12 individual oven-safe muffin cups, plus a sheet pan to catch any spills. Have the vegetables chopped and the cooked chicken shredded before you start filling the cups.

1. Get ready. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Brush the bottoms and sides of the muffin cups with extra virgin olive oil.
2. Prepare the filling. Chop 1 small red bell pepper (about 3/4 cup), halve 12 cherry tomatoes, and finely chop 1 shallot. Chop 6 to 10 pitted Kalamata olives and about 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves. Shred 3 to 4 ounces of cooked chicken or turkey.
3. Fill the muffin cups. Divide the vegetables, olives, parsley, chicken or turkey, and a handful of crumbled feta among the 12 cups. The filling should reach about two-thirds of the way up each cup.
4. Whisk the eggs. In a large measuring cup or mixing bowl, whisk together 8 large eggs, salt and black pepper to taste, 1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric, if using.
5. Add the eggs and bake. Carefully pour the egg mixture over the filling, dividing it among the cups. Leave a little room at the top; each cup should be about three-quarters full once the eggs are added. Set the muffin pan or individual cups on a sheet pan and bake for about 25 minutes, until the eggs are set.
6. Finish and serve. Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes. Run a small butter knife around the edges to loosen them, then carefully lift them out and serve.

Tips for Making Breakfast Egg Muffins

A little care when filling the pan and removing the muffins makes a difference. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Grease the bottoms and sides. Brush olive oil over the bottoms and all the way up the sides. Eggs can stick even in a greased metal pan, so silicone muffin cups are another option. Ordinary paper cupcake liners can stick to the eggs, too.
• Leave room for the eggs. Divide the filling among all 12 cups before pouring in the egg mixture. The vegetables, chicken, herbs, and cheese should reach about two-thirds of the way up, with the eggs bringing the cups to about three-quarters full. If you’re changing the filling, use those levels as your guide rather than piling in extra ingredients.
• Cook firmer vegetables first. The chopped bell pepper, shallot, and halved tomatoes can go straight into the cups. If you’re using carrots or broccoli instead, cook them first and let them cool before adding them. The baking time is meant to set the eggs, so those firmer vegetables need a head start.
• Give the muffins a few minutes before removing them. Run a small butter knife around the edges to loosen them, then lift them out carefully. Work gently around any spots that are still attached rather than pulling from the top.

Easy Ways to Change Up Your Egg Muffins

I like to use what I have on hand, which is how leftover rotisserie chicken ended up in this batch. Keep the olives, feta, and parsley for that bold Mediterranean flavor, or try one of these combinations:

• Make them meatless. Simply leave out the chicken or turkey. There’s still plenty of flavor from the vegetables, herbs, olives, and feta.
• Use cooked turkey. Shredded turkey works in place of the chicken, making this a useful breakfast for the days when you have leftovers to use.
• Try mushrooms, garlic, spinach, and feta. Use these in place of the vegetable-and-chicken filling for another savory combination.
• Go with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and prosciutto. Prosciutto is thinly sliced Italian dry-cured ham. Cut it into small pieces so its salty flavor is spread throughout the filling.

Keep the same 8-egg base and divide the filling among 12 cups, leaving room for the egg mixture. Keep the filling to about two-thirds of each cup so there’s room for the eggs.

For a spinach-and-feta version with its own ingredient amounts and instructions, try my Spanakopita Egg Muffins.

What to Serve With Breakfast Egg Muffins

For brunch, I like to add a couple of salads and let everyone help themselves. A Greek salad brings crunchy cucumber and fresh tomatoes to the table. Or make balela, a hearty chickpea and black bean salad with plenty of herbs.

If you’d like something sweet alongside the savory eggs, this orange and pomegranate salad adds bright citrus flavor. Finish the spread with bread and a bowl of roasted garlic hummus, and brunch is ready.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

You can bake these breakfast egg muffins ahead and refrigerate them for up to 3 days or freeze them individually for up to 2 months. Keep the muffins you’ll eat first in the refrigerator and freeze the rest for another morning.

Refrigerating Egg Muffins

After baking, let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, then loosen and remove them. Refrigerate in a covered container within two hours of cooking, or within one hour if the temperature is above 90°F. There’s no need to leave them on the counter until completely cold.

Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. If you’re taking them to work or school, pack them with an ice pack to keep them cold until you’re ready to eat.

Freezing Egg Muffins

Once cooled, wrap the muffins individually and place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Wrapping them separately makes it easy to take out just what you need.

Reheating Egg Muffins

Warm refrigerated muffins in the microwave on low power, checking in short intervals until the center reaches 165°F. Microwave strength and the number of muffins will affect the time, so use the temperature as your guide.

To reheat from frozen in the oven, loosely wrap individual muffins in foil and place in a 300°F oven. Start checking after 10 minutes, and continue heating until the centers reach 165°F. Ten minutes is a first check, not a guaranteed reheating time.

Stop heating once they’re hot through to avoid drying out the eggs.

More Savory Breakfasts to Try

Spanakopita Egg Muffins (Easy Egg Bite Recipe!)

Easy Breakfast Stuffed Peppers

Middle Eastern Zucchini Baked Omelet (Eggah bi Kousa)

Easy Mug Omelet with Veggies