This Low-Carb Breakfast Egg Nest recipe is perfect for meal-prep. Prepare it ahead of time and make a double batch for a week’s worth of healthy & quick breakfasts. This recipe is also whole-30, paleo, gluten-free, and vegetarian.
They look all fancy the way they are staged into this plate up here, but trust me, these low-carb zucchini breakfast nests are very easy to make and so delicious!
Why I think You’ll Love this Recipe
- It only requires 3 ingredients. That right! You’ll need: Zucchinis, eggs, and sea salt. That’s it!
- Loaded with Nutrients. Eggs are considered one of the world’s healthiest foods and zucchinis, which are also very nutrient dense, also help with digestion and may help lowering blood sugar as well.
- Friendly to most popular diets: As stated above, this recipe is gluten-free, whole30, paleo, low carb, nut-free, flourless, dairy-free, and vegetarian.
How to Make Zucchini Egg Nests
Step 1. Spiralize the zucchini using a spiralizer. Alternately, you could grate it.
Step 2. Mix the spiralized zucchini with the sea salt and place them in a colander to sweat for 15-20 minutes.
Step 3. Preheat oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 4. Remove the zucchini from the colander, and place them on a dry cloth or paper towel. Gently squeeze them over the sink to get rid of as much excess water as possible.
Step 5. Make 6 nests with the zucchini, about 3-4 inches large, leaving some space between each of them, as such:
(OPTIONAL. If you’d prefer an easier recipe, or if you prefer the yolks cooked through, you could simply crack the eggs directly in the nests instead of separating them as I am about to show.)
Step 7. If you would like the yolk to be runny, you will have to separate them from the whites. Simply use two (2) bowls, crack the eggs, one at a time, in the first bowl you will place the egg white, and in the second you will place the yolks. Pour the whites, one at a time, in the middle each nest. (You might end up with a little extra egg white, keep it for another recipe!)
Step 8. Bake the nests for 18-20 minutes, or until the zucchini starts to brown. Remove from the oven and place one (1) yolk in each hole, carefully trying not to poke them. You can use a spoon to pick them up or if you are using a square bowl as I did, you should be able to pour them one at a time.
Step 9. Return to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how runny you like your yolks. The end result should look like this:
Step 10. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. I have topped my breakfast egg nests with quartered baby tomatoes, some olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar, paprika, fresh basil, fresh dill, and freshly ground pepper + sea salt. It was truly amazing.
*This recipe is also perfect for meal prepping. Let the nests cool down for several minutes, then place them in your meal prep containers along with your favorite breakfast sides. (You want to cook the yolks through if used for meal prep.)
Recipe Tips and Suggestions
- Sweat your zucchinis. Some of you will ask if you really need to sweat the zucchinis. I have tried this recipe without sweating them, and it turned out very, very wet. The pan literally filled up with water. So, although it is not entirely catastrophic, I do think you should not skip this step.
- Which spiralizer did you use? I used this particular spiralizer. It is a fantastic tool, and it is reasonably priced.
- Can I spice the zucchini before making the nests? Absolutely. I have made a version using 1 tbsp oregano, 1 tsp paprika, and 1 tsp garlic powder and it was fantastic. Simply mix the spices with the zucchini after you’re done squeezing them.
- For how long do these last for? These can be kept for up to a week in the refrigerator. Although if you are going to keep them for this long, you definitely need to cook the yolks through.
- Can I freeze these zucchini egg nests? I do not recommend it, as they will turn out very mushy when thawed and reheated.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment & rating below! Don’t forget to Follow Me on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for more delicious recipes. I also LOVE seeing your creations, take a pic and Tag @onecleverchef on Instagram!
More Breakfast Recipes
- Whole30 Breakfast Casserole
- Dairy-Free Breakfast Casserole
- 3-Ingredient Protein Pancakes
- Banana Oatmeal Protein Pancakes
***CLICK BELOW TO PIN FOR LATER!***
Low-Carb Zucchini Egg Nests
These simple, 3-ingredient zucchini egg nests are very simple to make, yet so delicious!
Egg Nest Ingredients
- 3 zucchinis (large)
- 6 eggs (free-range)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Spiralize. Spiralize the 3 large zucchinis (See notes for the spiralizer I use).
Sweat. Mix the spiralized zucchini with 1/2 tsp sea salt in a large colander. Let sweat for 15-20 minutes in the sink.
Preheat oven to 400F. Also, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Squeeze. Remove the zucchini from the colander and place it on a clean dry cloth or paper towel. Squeeze the excess water out with your hands over the sink. (You squeeze out a lot of water)
Make the nests. Using your hands, carefully arrange the zucchini into 6 nest-shaped circles, about 3-4 inches large.
Filling the nests. Now, you can either crack one egg inside each nest (this option will make for hard-cooked yolks, this is essential for meal prepping), or you can separate the white from the yolk and place the white from one (1) egg into each nest. To do so, simply use 2 bowls. In the first one you will place the white and in the second, the yolks. You will then pour egg white in each nest. Try not to overflow. You will likely have some egg white left, keep it for a future recipe.
Baking. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the zucchini starts to brown. Place one yolk inside each nest hole. Bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how liquid you like your yolks. For the hard yolk version, simply bake for 22-25 minutes, or until your eggs are set.
Serve. I served them with baby tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh dill, fresh basil, paprika, freshly ground pepper, sea salt. It was wonderful. These toppings are optional. You can have them plain, they are very tasty that way as well.
How to store. Can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 7 days (for the hard yolk version). Eat the liquid yolk version immediately. I do not recommend keeping any liquid egg yolk for later, for safety reasons.
I used this spiralizer it is a wonderful tool.
Nutrition information was calculated using the base recipe, without the optional toppings.
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