Low‑carb bacon and eggs with spinach and mushrooms
Quick, low‑carb cooked breakfast: crispy bacon, fried eggs, wilted spinach and browned chestnut mushrooms. Ready in 25 minutes.
A proper low‑carb breakfast that feels indulgent rather than austere. Crispy bacon, runny eggs and quick pan‑wilted spinach with chestnut mushrooms — simple, speedy and satisfying.
Perfect for a lazy weekend start or a protein‑packed weekday breakfast when you need something substantial without the carbs. The pan juices from the bacon are the secret seasoning — don’t waste them.
Ingredients
- 6 bacon rashers — about 150 g total (adjust rashers to appetite)
- 4 eggs
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — trimmed and halved or quartered if large
- 120 g baby spinach — large leaves left whole
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 15 ml olive oil — about 1 tbsp
- 10 g fresh chives — finely chopped
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
Prepare: trim and halve the chestnut mushrooms, roughly chop the chives and wash the baby spinach. Crack the eggs into a small bowl (one per egg) and set to one side.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium–low heat. Add the bacon rashers in a single layer and cook slowly, turning occasionally, until golden and the fat has rendered — about 10 minutes for medium‑crispy rashers.
Transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain and keep warm. Leave the bacon fat in the pan — you’ll use it to flavour the eggs and veg.
Turn the heat to medium and add the olive oil. Add the chestnut mushrooms and a pinch of sea salt; sauté without overcrowding so they brown, stirring occasionally until deep golden — 6–8 minutes.
Push the mushrooms to one side of the pan. Add the unsalted butter and the baby spinach, stir to combine and wilt the spinach — about 1–2 minutes. Season with black pepper and a little more sea salt if needed.
Lower the heat slightly. If the pan looks dry, add a little extra butter (up to 10 g). Gently fry the eggs in the bacon fat/butter to your liking: 2–3 minutes for runny yolks (sunny‑side), 3–4 minutes to set the whites with slightly runny yolks. Season eggs with a small pinch of sea salt and black pepper while cooking.
To serve, arrange wilted spinach and mushrooms on two plates, top with the fried eggs and divide the bacon rashers. Scatter over the chopped fresh chives and a final grind of black pepper.
Tips
- Cook bacon slowly over medium–low heat so fat renders and rashers crisp evenly — crank heat only at the end for a final char if needed.
- If you prefer fully set yolks, cover the pan with a lid for the last 30–60 seconds to steam the tops without flipping.
- Dry mushrooms brown better than wet ones — give them a quick pat with kitchen paper before slicing.
- Make ahead: cook the mushrooms and wilt the spinach, cool and refrigerate for up to 24 hours; reheat gently in a pan and fry fresh eggs to serve.
- To reduce sodium, rinse bacon briefly under cold water and pat dry before cooking, or choose a lower‑salt bacon.
Substitutions
bacon rashers → streaky bacon (same quantity)
Stays closechestnut mushrooms → sliced courgette, 150 g
Noticeably differentunsalted butter → extra olive oil, 15 ml
Stays closebaby spinach → rocket, 80 g (peppery flavour and slightly fewer leaves needed)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 460
- Calories
- 28 g
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this dairy‑free?
Yes — swap the unsalted butter for extra olive oil. The dish will still be rich thanks to the bacon fat.
How do I get perfectly runny yolks every time?
Crack each egg into a small bowl first, make a gentle well in the hot fat, slip the egg in and cook 2–3 minutes on medium–low without disturbing; cover for 10–20 seconds if the white needs finishing.
Can I scale this up for more people?
Yes — use a larger frying pan or cook in batches. Avoid overcrowding the pan when cooking mushrooms and bacon to ensure even browning.
How long will leftovers keep?
Cooked mushrooms and spinach will keep in the fridge for up to 48 hours; reheat gently and fry fresh eggs to keep yolks runny.
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