16 Savory Breakfast Dishes From Around the World That Might Make You Skip Cereal Forever

Ask people around the world what they eat in the morning, and very few will say a bowl of sugary cereal. In Turkey it is eggs cooked in tomatoes. In China it is a warm bowl of rice porridge. In Mexico it is crispy tortillas with salsa and a runny egg. A savory breakfast keeps you full for longer, wakes up your taste buds and makes even a plain Tuesday feel like a trip abroad. Here are our favorite savory breakfast dishes from around the world, each with a simple recipe you can make at home. If you love a slow weekend morning, also see our weekend brunch recipes. Grab a coffee and let us travel the world one plate at a time..

Shakshuka, the Savory Breakfast Everyone Should Try

Shakshuka is loved across North Africa and the Middle East, and once you try it you will see why. Eggs gently poach in a bubbling sauce of tomatoes, peppers, garlic and warm spices, then you scoop it all up with crusty bread. It is cheap, it is made in one pan, and it looks amazing on the table. Crumble a little feta on top if you like. Have you ever tried it, or is this your first time hearing of it?

You will need: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes, 4 eggs, salt, feta, cilantro, bread.

How to make it: 1. Soften the onion and pepper in olive oil for 6 minutes. 2. Add the garlic and spices, then the tomatoes, and simmer 10 minutes. 3. Make 4 wells, crack in the eggs, cover and cook 6 to 8 minutes. 4. Top with feta and cilantro and serve with bread.

Turkish Menemen

Menemen is Turkey’s answer to scrambled eggs, and it might ruin plain eggs for you forever. Soft eggs are stirred into sweet peppers and juicy tomatoes until creamy and just set. Turkish families eat it straight from the pan with fresh bread and a glass of strong tea. This savory breakfast takes 15 minutes and uses things you already have. Quick poll: do you like your eggs (A) runny, (B) soft, (C) firm or (D) not at all?

You will need: 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil, 1 green pepper, 2 ripe tomatoes, 3 eggs, salt, pepper, chili flakes, bread to serve.

How to make it: 1. Cook the chopped pepper in butter for 4 minutes. 2. Add the grated or chopped tomatoes and cook until thick. 3. Pour in the beaten eggs and stir gently until just set. 4. Season with salt and chili flakes and serve hot.

Chinese Congee, a Cozy Savory Breakfast Bowl

On a cold morning, nothing hugs you quite like congee. This gentle rice porridge is cooked slowly until silky, then topped with whatever you like: ginger, green onion, soy sauce, a soft egg or crispy shallots. It is easy on the stomach and very cheap to make. Many families in China and across Asia grew up on it. What would you put on top of yours?

You will need: 1/2 cup jasmine rice, 6 cups water or broth, 1 small piece ginger, salt, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, 1 soft boiled egg.

How to make it: 1. Rinse the rice and add it to a pot with the water and ginger. 2. Simmer on low for about 1 hour, stirring now and then, until creamy. 3. Season with salt. 4. Top with green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil and the egg.

Mexican Chilaquiles With a Fried Egg

Chilaquiles are the best thing that ever happened to stale tortillas. Crispy tortilla chips are tossed in warm red or green salsa until they are half crunchy, half soft, then topped with a fried egg, cheese, cream and onion. In Mexico it is a classic morning plate, and it is also a famous hangover cure. Would you go for (A) red salsa or (B) green salsa?

You will need: 4 corn tortillas cut into wedges or 4 cups tortilla chips, 1 1/2 cups red or green salsa, 2 eggs, crumbled cheese, sour cream, sliced onion, cilantro.

How to make it: 1. Fry or bake the tortilla wedges until crisp. 2. Warm the salsa in a pan. 3. Toss the chips in the salsa for 1 minute. 4. Top with fried eggs, cheese, cream, onion and cilantro and eat right away.

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos rancheros means ranch style eggs, and it was the hearty breakfast of Mexican farm workers. A warm tortilla is topped with refried beans, a fried egg and a spicy tomato salsa, then finished with avocado. This savory breakfast is filling, colorful and done in about 15 minutes. It is perfect for a slow Saturday when you want something special. Who in your family would ask for seconds?

You will need: 2 corn tortillas, 1/2 cup refried beans, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup ranchero or tomato salsa, 1/2 avocado, crumbled cheese, cilantro.

How to make it: 1. Warm the tortillas in a dry pan. 2. Spread them with hot refried beans. 3. Fry the eggs and place one on each tortilla. 4. Spoon the warm salsa over and top with avocado, cheese and cilantro.

Japanese Breakfast Tray, a Savory Breakfast Ritual

A traditional Japanese breakfast is a calm, balanced tray: steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, pickles and maybe a rolled omelet. Each dish is small, but together they keep you going for hours. It feels like a little ceremony to start the day. You do not need every dish; rice, miso soup and salmon is a great start. Would you trade your toast for this tray?

You will need: 1 cup cooked rice, 1 salmon fillet, 1 tablespoon miso paste, 2 cups dashi or water, a few cubes of tofu, green onion, pickled vegetables.

How to make it: 1. Salt the salmon lightly and grill or pan fry it 4 minutes per side. 2. Heat the dashi, turn off the heat and stir in the miso. 3. Add the tofu and green onion. 4. Serve with warm rice and pickles.

The Full English Breakfast

The full English is not just a meal, it is an event. Eggs, sausages, bacon, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and toast all share one big plate. British cafes have served it for generations, and many people swear by it on a lazy weekend. It is a savory breakfast treat, not an everyday thing, but wow, what a treat. Be honest: which part would you leave off the plate?

You will need: 2 sausages, 2 slices bacon, 2 eggs, 1/2 can baked beans, 1 tomato halved, a handful of mushrooms, 2 slices toast, butter.

How to make it: 1. Cook the sausages and bacon in a pan until golden, then keep warm. 2. Fry the tomatoes and mushrooms in the same pan. 3. Warm the beans and fry the eggs. 4. Serve everything on one big plate with buttered toast.

South Indian Masala Dosa

A masala dosa is a thin, crispy rice and lentil crepe wrapped around spiced potatoes and served with coconut chutney and sambar. In South India it is a favorite breakfast at home and at roadside stalls. The batter is naturally fermented, which gives it a light sour taste. Ready made dosa batter makes it easy at home. Have you ever eaten one as big as your arm?

You will need: 2 cups dosa batter, 2 boiled potatoes, 1 onion, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, curry leaves, green chili, oil, coconut chutney to serve.

How to make it: 1. Fry the mustard seeds, onion, chili and curry leaves in oil. 2. Add turmeric and the crushed potatoes and season. 3. Spread a ladle of batter thin on a hot pan and drizzle with oil. 4. Cook until crisp, fill with potatoes, fold and serve.

Venezuelan Arepas

Arepas are round corn cakes that are crispy outside and soft inside, and in Venezuela and Colombia people eat them every single day. You split them open and stuff them with anything: cheese, eggs, beans, avocado or shredded beef. They are naturally gluten free and only need corn flour, water and salt. What would you stuff yours with first?

You will need: 2 cups precooked white corn flour, 2 1/2 cups warm water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon oil, fillings like cheese, scrambled eggs, black beans or shredded beef.

How to make it: 1. Mix the corn flour, water and salt into a soft dough and rest 5 minutes. 2. Shape into 6 thick discs. 3. Cook in an oiled pan 6 minutes per side until crisp. 4. Split open and stuff with your fillings.

Australian Avocado Toast With Egg

Australian cafes made avocado toast famous, and it is still one of the best ways to start a day. Creamy smashed avocado on crunchy sourdough, a soft poached egg, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of chili flakes. It brings healthy fats and protein that keep you satisfied. Fancy, but it takes 10 minutes. Poll time: (A) poached egg, (B) fried egg, (C) no egg or (D) extra egg?

You will need: 1 ripe avocado, 2 slices sourdough, 2 eggs, 1/2 lemon, chili flakes, salt, pepper, fresh herbs.

How to make it: 1. Toast the bread. 2. Mash the avocado with lemon juice, salt and pepper. 3. Poach the eggs in simmering water for 3 minutes. 4. Spread the avocado on the toast, top with the eggs, chili flakes and herbs.

Turkish Breakfast Spread, the Ultimate Savory Breakfast Table

A Turkish breakfast, called kahvalti, is not one dish but a whole table. Cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, honey, jam, eggs and warm bread are shared by everyone, with endless glasses of tea. It is slow, social and full of color. You can make a mini version at home with what is already in your fridge. Who would you invite to a breakfast table like this?

You will need: White cheese or feta, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, boiled or fried eggs, honey, butter, jam, fresh bread, black tea.

How to make it: 1. Slice the tomatoes, cucumbers and cheese and arrange on small plates. 2. Set out the olives, honey, jam and butter. 3. Boil or fry the eggs. 4. Warm the bread, brew the tea and let everyone build their own plate.

Malaysian Nasi Lemak

Nasi lemak is called Malaysia’s national dish, and locals often eat it for breakfast. Fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk is served with spicy sambal, crunchy peanuts, crispy anchovies, cucumber and a boiled egg. Every bite is creamy, spicy, salty and crunchy all at once. It is often wrapped in banana leaf to go. Could you handle a spicy breakfast?

You will need: 1 cup rice, 1 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, 1 pandan leaf (optional), sambal chili paste, roasted peanuts, fried anchovies, cucumber, 2 boiled eggs.

How to make it: 1. Cook the rice with the coconut milk, water, a pinch of salt and the pandan leaf. 2. Fry the peanuts and anchovies until crisp. 3. Warm the sambal. 4. Serve the rice with sambal, peanuts, anchovies, cucumber and egg.

Flaky Paratha, a Savory Breakfast Favorite in Pakistan and India

In Pakistan and India, the smell of paratha on a hot pan means it is morning. This flaky, buttery flatbread is served with eggs, spicy curry, yogurt or a cup of sweet chai. Every layer is crisp on the outside and soft inside. It is a weekend treat in many homes and worth the extra effort. Do you eat yours with (A) eggs, (B) curry, (C) yogurt or (D) chai?

You will need: 2 cups whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoons ghee or butter, extra flour for rolling.

How to make it: 1. Knead the flour, salt and water into a soft dough and rest 20 minutes. 2. Roll a ball thin, brush with ghee, fold into layers and roll again. 3. Cook on a hot pan, brushing with ghee, until golden on both sides. 4. Serve hot with eggs or curry.

Korean Kimchi Fried Rice With Egg

Kimchi fried rice, or kimchi bokkeumbap, is how Korean home cooks turn leftover rice into something amazing. Tangy kimchi, a little gochujang and sesame oil give it a bold, spicy flavor, and a fried egg on top makes it a full meal. It is ready in 10 minutes. Fermented foods like kimchi are a fun way to add more variety to your plate. Have you tried kimchi yet?

You will need: 2 cups cold cooked rice, 1 cup chopped kimchi, 1 tablespoon gochujang, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 green onions, 2 eggs, sesame seeds.

How to make it: 1. Fry the kimchi in sesame oil for 3 minutes. 2. Add the rice and gochujang and stir fry until hot and a little crispy. 3. Fry the eggs in another pan. 4. Top the rice with eggs, green onion and sesame seeds.

Spanish Tortilla, a Make Ahead Savory Breakfast

The Spanish tortilla is a thick omelet packed with soft potatoes and onions, and it tastes even better the next day. In Spain it is sold in slices at cafes for breakfast, lunch or a snack. Make one on Sunday and you have quick breakfasts for days, warm or cold. The flip is a little scary, but you can do it. Do you take it with onions or without? This is a big debate in Spain!

You will need: 4 medium potatoes thinly sliced, 1 onion sliced, 6 eggs, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt.

How to make it: 1. Gently cook the potatoes and onion in the olive oil for 20 minutes until soft. 2. Drain them and mix with the beaten eggs and salt. 3. Cook in a nonstick pan on low heat for 8 minutes. 4. Flip onto a plate, slide back in and cook 4 more minutes.

Costa Rican Gallo Pinto

Gallo pinto means spotted rooster, and it is the proud breakfast of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Rice and black beans are fried together with onion, pepper, cilantro and a splash of tangy sauce, then served with eggs, plantains or tortillas. It is a cheap, filling savory breakfast full of plant protein. So, which of these savory dishes are you making first? Tell us in the comments!

You will need: 2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans with a little liquid, 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire or Salsa Lizano, cilantro, 2 eggs.

How to make it: 1. Cook the onion and pepper in oil until soft. 2. Add the beans with a little liquid and simmer 2 minutes. 3. Stir in the rice and sauce and fry until well mixed. 4. Add cilantro and serve with fried eggs.