Broccoli, Bacon & Chive Frittata
A tender skillet frittata where sautéed broccoli and shallot, crisp bacon, and fresh chives are folded into eggs whisked smooth with a spoonful of coconut milk, then baked until just set.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is an unfussy, one-skillet breakfast for anyone who wants something warm and savory that holds up through a busy morning. Broccoli and shallot give it real vegetable substance, crisp bacon carries a smoky, salty accent through every bite, and fresh chives keep it bright rather than heavy. It comes together in a single pan, cuts into neat wedges, and tastes just as good warm from the oven as it does at room temperature later in the day.
It starts on the stovetop and finishes in the oven. Sautéing the broccoli and shallot first drives off moisture and coaxes out sweetness, so the finished frittata is not watery. Letting the eggs set on the stovetop for a few minutes builds a base before the gentle, even heat of the oven cooks the custard through without rubberizing it. A spoonful of coconut milk in the whisked eggs adds just enough fat to keep the texture soft and creamy in the center instead of dry.
It is satisfying because eggs and bacon bring lasting, savory protein while the broccoli adds fiber and real chew, so a wedge feels like a full meal rather than a light bite. The fats here come from the eggs, olive oil, and coconut milk, which help the whole plate taste rich and keep you full. It is naturally free of grains and dairy, and flexible enough to fold in whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
- 2 slices bacon, crumbled
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp canned coconut milk
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Roughly chop the broccoli florets into small, bite-sized pieces, peel and thinly slice the shallot, and thinly slice the chives. Cut everything before the pan goes on, because the eggs move quickly once they are in and there is no stopping to chop.
- Cook the bacon: Place the bacon slices in a cold 10-inch oven-safe skillet and set it over medium heat, since the fat renders out slowly from a cold start and the slices crisp evenly instead of seizing and curling. Cook, turning once, until the bacon is deeply browned and crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, let it cool a minute, then crumble it. Pour off all but a thin film of the rendered fat from the skillet.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add the olive oil to the same skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced shallot and chopped broccoli and sauté, stirring often, until the shallot is soft and the broccoli is bright green and just tender when pierced, about 5 minutes. Stir the crumbled bacon back in and spread everything into an even layer, so that every wedge gets some of it rather than one wedge getting all of it.
- Whisk and add the eggs: In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the coconut milk, sliced chives, and salt until the mixture is uniform and slightly frothy. Pour it evenly over the vegetables in the skillet and let it cook undisturbed over medium heat until the edges begin to set, about 3 minutes, because a frittata that goes into the oven still raw underneath finishes unevenly.
- Bake until set: Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the center is set and no longer jiggles when you gently shake the pan, 15 to 18 minutes. The top should look dry and slightly puffed, which is the clearest sign the custard underneath has set.
- Rest and slice: Let the frittata rest in the pan for 5 minutes so it firms up and releases cleanly, then slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. Leave a mitt draped over the handle as a reminder, since a skillet handle out of a 375°F oven stays hot long after the pan looks harmless.
Variations
- Extra greens: Add a big handful of chopped spinach or kale to the skillet in the last minute of sautéing the vegetables, cooking just until it wilts, before you pour in the eggs. It boosts the fiber and folds in almost invisibly.
- Mushroom and shallot: Sauté sliced cremini mushrooms alongside the shallot until their liquid cooks off and they brown at the edges. They add a deep, savory note and extra body without changing the makeup of the dish.
- Sun-dried tomato and basil: Stir chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes into the vegetables and swap the chives for thinly sliced fresh basil. The tomatoes bring a sweet-tart concentration that plays well against the bacon.
- Sausage swap: Replace the bacon with crumbled cooked breakfast sausage, browning it in the skillet first and draining the fat. This adds pork sausage and gives the frittata a heartier, more seasoned bite.
- Warm and smoky: Whisk a pinch of smoked paprika and a little crushed red pepper into the eggs for a gentle warmth that echoes the smokiness of the bacon. Adjust the amount to your own heat tolerance.
Storage & Leftovers
Refrigerator: Let the frittata cool completely, then store wedges in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Pressing a piece of parchment against the cut surfaces helps keep the edges from drying out.
Reheating: Warm individual wedges in a 300°F (150°C) oven or toaster oven for about 10 minutes until heated through, which keeps the texture tender. A microwave works in a pinch at short 20-second bursts, but the eggs can turn rubbery if you push it too long. The frittata is also good cold or at room temperature straight from the fridge.
Make-ahead: Bake it fully the night before, cool, and refrigerate whole or pre-sliced for grab-and-go mornings. You can also cook the bacon and sauté the broccoli and shallot a day ahead, refrigerate them, and simply add the whisked eggs and bake when you are ready to serve.
Notes & Tips
- Cut broccoli small: Chop the broccoli into pieces no bigger than a bite so it cooks through in the short sauté and slices cleanly in the finished frittata. Large florets stay crunchy in the center and make the wedges hard to cut.
- Use the whole coconut milk can well: Stir the can of coconut milk before measuring so you get a blend of the thick cream and thinner liquid rather than a scoop of solid fat. A quick shake or whisk gives you the smooth richness the eggs want.
- Check doneness by the jiggle: The frittata is done when the center no longer jiggles and a knife slid into the middle comes out clean. If the top is set but the middle still wobbles, give it another few minutes in the oven.
- Chives are the finishing note: Fresh chives are mild and oniony, and losing them dulls the frittata's brightness, but sliced green onion tops make an easy stand-in if that is what you have.
- Double it in a bigger pan: This scales up well for a crowd or for meal prep, but move to a larger oven-safe skillet so the egg layer stays shallow. A too-deep frittata browns on top before the center sets.
- Serve it rounded out: A wedge pairs nicely with sliced avocado, a handful of dressed greens, or fresh tomato and cucumber for a fuller plate that keeps the meal fresh and light.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- The bacon, the broccoli and the eggs build on one another in a single pan. The bacon leaves its fat behind, the broccoli browns in it and picks up the smoke, and the eggs set around both and hold them there.
- Broccoli left in a hot pan until the florets catch color turns nutty and gently sweet, and the stems keep enough bite to be worth chewing. Fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K come along inside that browning.
- Eggs whisked with coconut milk set into a loose, tender custard with a faint sweetness under the salt. They carry complete protein and choline, and keeping the heat gentle is what leaves them soft in the middle.
- Bacon chopped small and crisped hard runs through the eggs as an accent, so you get salt and smoke in flashes rather than in every forkful, and it brings protein along with all that flavor.
- Shallot softened in the bacon fat goes sweet and almost jammy, and chives scattered over the finished frittata stay raw and green with a mild onion sharpness that lifts everything under them.
- As you eat, chase down the pieces of broccoli that browned hardest and the raw chive on top, and take this off a plate at a table rather than out of the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I taste the coconut milk in the eggs?
No, the small amount used here reads as richness rather than coconut flavor. It keeps the center creamy and soft, and the bacon, shallot, and chives are the flavors that come through.
My frittata came out watery. What went wrong?
Usually the broccoli held too much moisture. Make sure you sauté it until it is bright green and just tender and any excess liquid has cooked off before the eggs go in, and cut the florets small so they cook evenly.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes, but thaw it first and pat it very dry, then chop it small. Frozen broccoli carries extra water, so give it a little longer in the skillet to drive that moisture off before adding the eggs.
Do I really need an oven-safe skillet?
It is the easiest path since you cook and bake in one pan. If your skillet is not oven-safe, sauté the vegetables and set the eggs on the stovetop, then transfer everything to a greased baking dish to finish in the oven.