The iconic duo – bacon and eggs – all wrapped up in flaky puff pastry. Egg and Bacon Pie is a staple of old-fashioned home cooking in the UK, New Zealand and Australia, and is perfect served for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
If you have already tried this popular pie, I don't need to tell you how wonderful it is. But if you're a first-timer making this recipe, here's why I reckon you'll be a fan in no time:
- you can get get bacon and egg pie on the table in less than an hour
- you only need a few basics to make this recipe
- it brings together much-loved combo of eggs and bacon in a convenient pie form
- enjoy it hot for dinner and cold the next day in lunch boxes
- it's so tasty and comforting, with the classic combination of eggs, bacon, flaky puff pastry and a few little extras sprinkled through.
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About the recipe
There's not much more to this recipe than the eggs, bacon and pastry. Right?
Well, it's the little extras and differences between the recipes that can take this simple dish from a good meal to a great one.
I've reviewed several recipes, including those pictured below from The Women's Weekly, Nana Ling's CWA recipe book and an Edmonds recipe book. And I'm confident I've included all the right little extras – and a little forgotten step – to create the best recipe for egg and bacon pie around.
TIP: Make it even better than wonderful by serving with Nana Ling's homemade Tomato Relish.
Ingredients
Ready to make Egg and Bacon Pie with Puff Pastry?
Well, make sure you have these ingredients:
- frozen puff pastry sheets
- bacon
- eggs
- onion (only a little, for a flavour boost)
- parsley (only a little, for a dash of "fresh" – I didn't tell my Dad it was in it and I don't think he noticed)
- Worcestershire sauce (another little flavour boost, this ingredient was included in Nana Ling's old CWA recipe book)
- salt and pepper
- milk.
NOTE: For precise quantities, keep scrolling to find the recipe card at the end of the post.
Ingredient notes
The star of the show here is the dynamic duo – the eggs and bacon. So go for the freshest and best quality you can afford and find.
When choosing eggs, look for:
- local eggs from farmers, markets or neighbours with backyard chickens
- eggs with an expiration date that is at least a few weeks away
- eggshells that are clean and uncracked
- eggs that are cage-free, organic, free-range or pasture-raised.
When selecting bacon, choose meat that:
- has a consistent pink colour and even marbling (a good balance of meat and fat contributes to flavour and tenderness
- is from a reputable brand or from a local butcher you know and trust.
I like to trim the rind and most of the fat from the bacon, but this is a personal preference and you can choose to include the parts of the bacon you enjoy.
How to make a Egg and Bacon Pie
The method is simple and can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
However, I'll step you through making this easy Egg and Bacon Pie here. I'll point out the little step that's usually skipped in more modern recipes – but makes such a difference to the final product.
Prepping
Pre-heat oven to hot (200 degrees celsius / 390 degrees fahrenheit).
Grease the pie dish and line with one of the pastry sheets. Place in the fridge.
Steep the bacon before frying
Before you gently fry the chopped bacon, this recipe involves adding some water to the process.
Pour boiling water over the chopped bacon and allow to steep for 10 minutes.
Yes, this is the step our nanas included! And I thoroughly recommend including it
Why steep the bacon?
For the little effort required to steep the bacon in hot water for 10 minutes, you'll get lovely tender fried bacon pieces in your egg and bacon pie.
America's Test Kitchen tells us the rationale behind this step: "The addition of water keeps the initial cooking temperature low and gentle, so the meat retains its moisture and stays tender as the fat renders."
Okay, let's keep going.
Once the bacon has steeped for 10 minutes, drain off the water and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Layering the pie
Take the pastry case out of the fridge and add half of the bacon, half of the onion and half of the parsley.
Make sure you sprinkle the ingredients out evenly.
Carefully add eggs on top, and break one or two of the yolks (if you didn't already accidentally break them when adding to the pastry shell).
Sprinkle the salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce over the top of the eggs.
Next, add the remaining bacon, onion and parsley on top.
Place the remaining pastry sheet on top. Press the edges together and trim any excess pastry.
Brush the top of the pie with a little milk.
Baking
Bake in a hot oven (200 degrees celsius / 390 degrees fahrenheit) for 15 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to moderate (180 degrees celsius / 355 degrees fahrenheit) and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Serving and storage
Serve your egg and bacon pie hot or cold.
As I mentioned above, it goes perfectly with Tomato Relish. I reckon Nana Ling's Tomato Sauce would also be the perfect accompaniment.
It should keep for up to a few days if stored, covered or in an airtight container, in the fridge.
To re-heat, place in a moderate oven (covering the pie with foil to prevent it drying out). This should take between 10 and 20 minutes. You could also re-heat in the microwave oven for about a minute.
Technically, you can freeze it. However, it can affect the texture of the egg so I recommend making this up fresh and eating any leftovers (stored in the fridge) within a few days.
Egg and Bacon Pie variation ideas
I think the version of the recipe you'll find below in the recipe card has the perfect balance of everything. However, if you can't help but change things up a bit, here are some ideas:
- Traditional Egg and Bacon Pie: omit the onion and parsley to keep things plain.
- Spicy Bacon and Egg Pie: add a little cayenne pepper or curry powder.
- Big Brekkie Pie: add some beans and chopped sausage pieces.
- Topless Pie: leave off the top pastry layer and add some grated cheese instead.
More quick and easy meals
Dish up something delicious in minutes with one of these other popular recipes:
Egg and Bacon Pie
Equipment
- 1 pie dish (approx 18cm)
Ingredients
- 2 frozen puff pastry sheets
- 1 cup chopped bacon (200 grams)
- 6 eggs
- ¼ onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- milk (to brush top of pie)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to hot (200 degrees celsius / 390 degrees fahrenheit, fan-forced).
- Pour boiling water over the chopped bacon and allow to steep for 10 minutes.
- Grease the pie dish and line with one of the pastry sheets. Place in the fridge.
- Once bacon has steeped for 10 minutes, drain off water and fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Take the pastry case out of the fridge and add half of the bacon, half of the onion and half of the parsley.
- Carefully add eggs on top, and break one or two of the yolks (if you didn't already break them when adding to the pastry shell).
- Sprinkle salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce over the top of the eggs. Add remaining bacon, onion and parsley on top.
- Place remaining pastry sheet on top. Press edges together and trim any excess pastry.
- Brush with a little milk.
- Bake in hot oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to moderate (180 degrees celsius / 355 degrees fahrenheit, fan-forced) and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.
- Serve hot or cold.
Annette Gannaway
I've wanted to make an egg and bacon pie for ages, and when you posted this recipe, I finally got around to making one.
I was dubious about its few ingredients and wondered if the filling was enough to make a decent pie.
I stuck to the recipe, and Oh boy, wasn't I surprised.
It's super easy to make, delicious, and satisfying and the amount of ingredients are perfect for this E & B pie.
Libby Hakim
Wonderful! I'm so glad you were pleasantly surprised, Annette. Enjoy - and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a rating and review x
chris
Was always BACON and egg in day - NOT Egg an BACON.
Libby Hakim
Interesting, I did actually research this and put some thought into it. Old newspapers and cookbooks were pretty divided, using both. The Women's Weekly in Australia seems to have always used Egg and Bacon Pie and it rolls off the tongue better IMHO - so I went with Egg and Bacon. Feel free to call it Bacon and Egg Pie or whatever you prefer 🙂 Happy cooking!