The Best Sauces And Condiments For Eggs, Ranked

Ubiquitous, affordable, and nutritious, eggs are a valuable staple in most of our diets. It's a pleasant bonus that it doesn't take much skill, time, or effort to elevate their taste from mildly enjoyable to downright delicious.

The vast majority of global cuisines make use of eggs in some form or another, flavoring them with an incredible array of herbs, spices, sauces, and condiments. Exploring international foods opens up a world of culinary opportunities, from sampling traditional dishes to experimenting with a fusion of cuisines. Given their versatility, picking the right sauces and condiments for eggs is an excellent way to add some excitement and variety to your meals.

The ranked list below is somewhat subjective, based on recipes and pairings I've tried personally. However, I've factored in observations from an extensive career working in restaurants and kitchens, seeing which dishes customers love, and which ones fail to pass the taste test. Not only have I been fortunate enough to travel the world, exploring my passion for authentic international food, but a lengthy hospitality career has allowed me to sample an extensive range of menus. In an industry that demands long and unsociable hours, being able to cook quick, healthy meals for yourself is a necessity — and I've rarely found myself without a carton of eggs in my kitchen. 

While Italian pesto is most commonly associated with pasta dishes, it pairs incredibly well with eggs. A vibrant green sauce consisting of basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, parmesan cheese, and olive oil, it's an easy condiment to find in stores if you don't have the time to make your own.

The simplest way to complement eggs with pesto is by using it as a regular condiment, adding as much as you desire on top of fried, scrambled, or poached eggs, ideally with a couple of slices of crusty sourdough toast. However, I personally recommend cooking your eggs in the pesto itself. Sticking to a medium heat to avoid overcooking the sauce, you can use a pan to fry your eggs in the pesto, infusing them for a deeper flavor. You can also take a shakshuka-style approach, oven-baking your eggs in the pesto before topping the dish with a liberal crumbling of tangy feta cheese.

There are countless dishes and sauces that benefit from a few splashes of balsamic vinegar, with its intense grape juice acidity adding a unique dimension to fresh and cooked foods alike. The best quality traditional balsamic vinegar comes from Italy's Reggio Emilia region where it's considered a protected and regulated product, but even the real deal can be too tart as an accompaniment for eggs.

Balsamic glaze, on the other hand, is a fantastic addition to most egg dishes. A reduction of balsamic vinegar with added sugar, balsamic glaze amplifies the sweeter flavors of the vinegar, balancing its sour qualities. A more viscous, stickier sauce. Balsamic glaze still has an extremely bold taste profile, so less is often more when adding it to your eggs. However, a light drizzle is guaranteed to give you a tastier breakfast, and it's worth experimenting with using the glaze in all your favorite egg-based meals.

As a Brit, subjectively, it was hard not to place brown sauce a lot higher in these rankings, but it's still considered an acquired taste by many who try it for the first time. Often referred to as HP sauce after its most popular brand, the unique condiment is a kitchen cupboard staple across most of the U.K. and Ireland.

The precise ingredients of brown sauce can vary, but it's typically made from a base of tomatoes and vinegar, with its sweet and fruity characteristics provided by sugar, molasses, dates, and apples. Some recipes include garlic, onion, and ginger alongside seasonings like allspice and fennel, but the most important ingredient is arguably sour-sweet tamarind fruit extract. There aren't many cooked breakfast foods that don't benefit from a liberal dollop of zippy brown sauce, as it pairs or contrasts perfectly with most items, and boosts the flavor of all styles of eggs.

Although tomato salsa is an excellent sauce for pairing with eggs, it's been knocked out of these particular rankings by its close cousin, salsa verde. Despite its name, salsa verde isn't just a "green salsa," and differs from classic salsa more than you might think.

This particular Mexican sauce is made with tomatillos rather than tomatoes, and while the literal Spanish translation of tomatillo is "little tomato," it's actually from a different plant entirely. The two are related, but not closely enough that you can substitute one for another. Beneath tomatillos' papery outer shells is a much tarter fruit that's mor acidic and vegetal in flavor. Salsa verde isn't a particularly complex sauce, consisting of peeled tomatillos, onion, lime juice, cilantro, and chili peppers — usually jalapeños. Whether you bake your eggs in the bright, piquant salsa or drizzle it over a Mexican-style breakfast of fried eggs and refried beans, you won't be disappointed by this alternative to classic red tomato salsa.

If you've ever tried ramen eggs — hard-boiled with a jammy yolk and marinated in a delicious Asian sauce — then you've already experienced the powerful potential of soy sauce. Made from fermented soybean paste, soy sauce is famed for its ability to add umami and saltiness to almost any dish.

Delectable ramen eggs are fairly simple to make if you're careful with the marinating time, but you don't have to go that far to improve your eggs with soy sauce. If you're making scrambled eggs or an omelet, splash some soy sauce into your mixture instead of seasoning it with salt to boost the savory characteristics. A few dashes are all that's needed to enhance the flavor of the most basic egg dishes, especially rice-based recipes. Not only is soy sauce cheap and readily available but there are plenty of styles to choose from, including gluten-free and low-sodium.

In Thai, nam jim translates quite literally to "dipping sauce," so it's a term that covers a wide range of condiments, most of which combine sweet, sour, salty, and spicy elements. While certain ingredients are added depending on the intended food pairing, most nam jim have a base of fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, palm sugar, and bird's eye chilies.

In Thailand, this simple form of nam jim is usually served with seafood, but it's also a great condiment for elevating grilled meats and vegetables without overpowering the flavors of the base ingredients. Nam jim can be an excellent dressing for an Asian-inspired egg salad, or simply as a fresh and fiery substitute for your regular hot sauce. If you're feeling inspired, there are countless recipes for different styles of nam jim, and you can experiment with ingredients to adjust the overall heat and flavor profile.

While tomato ketchup might not be the most unique or inventive condiment for eggs, it's hard to deny its well-earned popularity. Added vinegar and sugar give the natural tomato flavors a sweet and sour profile that undoubtedly pairs well with any style of eggs, and the mild taste is rarely overwhelming.

Admittedly, ketchups can vary quite a bit — some are sweeter than others, and some can be spicier or more acidic — so it's not uncommon to try a new brand that doesn't hit the same spot as your go-to variety. If you find tomato ketchup too sweet, a quality tomato sauce with subtle herbs and spices will also make your eggs taste great. Plus, it's an excellent base for making baked egg dishes, like shakshuka. If you're feeling particularly inventive, you can even try your hand at homemade ketchup.