Cracker Barrel Egg in a Basket: Classic Country Breakfast Made Easy

Growing up, I thought only my Mom made these. I enjoyed the egg in a basket for breakfast. I probably didn’t try it sooner because I ate eggs in a basket so often when I was younger, and I didn’t recognize how Cracker Barrel had made it even yummier.

Cracker Barrel has deliciously reinvented this dish using sourdough bread. The result is simply tasty elegance: grilled sourdough bread with an egg cooked gently inside a toasted sourdough delight.

egg in a basket and a fork on a plate

Why This Recipe Works

This Cracker Barrel Egg in a Basket copycat succeeds by incorporating several key elements that make the restaurant version so popular. First, using sourdough bread instead of regular white bread provides a sturdier structure that holds up well during cooking while adding a distinctive tangy flavor that complements the richness of the egg. The generous use of butter on both sides of the bread ensures a perfectly golden, crispy exterior that contrasts beautifully with the tender egg inside

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Sourdough bread – Provides tangy flavor and sturdy structure
  • Butter – Creates rich flavor and perfect golden crust
  • Egg – Forms the creamy, protein-rich center
  • Salt – Enhances the natural flavors
  • Ground black pepper – Adds mild spice and depth
Cracker Barrel Egg in a Basket ingredients on a tray

How to Make Egg in a Basket

  1. Cut a circle in the center of the bread and remove the cutout circle.
  2. Spread butter on both sides of the bread.
  3. Place the buttered bread into a skillet over medium heat.
  4. Crack the egg into the hole of the bread.
  5. Cook the bread until it is toasted on the bottom side.
  6. Flip the bread over toast it on the other side.
  7. Season it with salt and pepper to taste.
egg in a basket on a plate

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

  • Reheating: Not recommended for best quality and food safety with eggs
  • Best served fresh: This dish is ideally enjoyed immediately after cooking
  • Not recommended for storage: The texture significantly deteriorates once cooled
  • Prep-ahead option: Cut bread holes ahead of time and store them in an airtight container
  • Pre-buttering: Not recommended as it can make bread soggy if done too far in advance
overhead view of egg in a basket and a fork on a plate
egg in a basket and a fork on a plate

Cracker Barrel Egg in a Basket Copycat Recipe

Make Cracker Barrel's famous Egg in a Basket at home with this simple copycat recipe. Perfectly cooked egg in toasty sourdough bread for a delicious breakfast!
5 from 22 votes
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Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cracker Barrel Recipes, Egg In a Basket, Egg In a Hole, One Eyed Jack
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: 348kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 slice sourdough bread
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 egg
  • salt
  • ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  • Press a small biscuit cutter or juice jar into the sourdough bread slice. Twist slightly to cut a circle in the center of the bread.
  • Remove the cut out circle.
  • Spread butter on both sides of the bread.
  • Place the bread into the pan.
  • Crack the egg into the hole.
  • When the bread is toasted on the bottom side (it takes about a minute), flip the bread over and allow it to toast on the other side.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 490mg | Potassium: 142mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 590IU | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3.1mg

Love Cracker Barrel? Try these copycat recipes!

Favorite Breakfast Recipes

Check out my easy breakfast recipes and the best Cracker Barrel recipes here on CopyKat!

About Stephanie Manley

Stephanie Manley is the creator of CopyKat.com. She has been recreating copycat recipes since 1995. Learn more about Stephanie Manley.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. donna

    I had never had this before Saturday. A coworker and I went to Cracker Barrell when we got off work at 8am. We both had the Egg in a Basket and fell in love with it and the Hashbrown casserole! I am not a breakfast food fan but this is wonderful. (Not a fan of cooking either but you have to eat) I will try your recipes for both items. Thank you. donna

  2. Kathie

    Do you have a copycat recipe for Cracker Barrel’s chicken pot pie soup? I’ve had it only once, and it is to die for! It is not a regular menu item, unfortunately. I wish it were.

    • Pat Padgett

      If you live in the Inited Stated and are not obsessed with gluten-free, non GMO and all the things some people are obsessed with… If you want comfort food like you grew up with… Then Cracker Barrel is like coming home. And their bathrooms are clean!!!

  3. Ron Estrada

    5 stars
    Instead of spreading butter on the bread, I just melt some in the skillet and brown both sides. Much simpler.

    • Laura H.

      5 stars
      That’s the way I’ve always made it, too, Ron. I also go ahead and cook/toast the circles I cut out in the butter when I’m cooking the rest. I use regular bread, though. I would imagine any bread would work with this. I grew up eating this and made it for my children, who are all now grown.

  4. Joanne Bishop

    5 stars
    My grandfather made a version of this with reg. bakery bread back in the 50’s. He called it a “One Eyed Sandwich”.

5 from 22 votes (1 rating without comment)

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