Healthy Full English Breakfast! A traybake twist on the traditional fry-up. Featuring “Cumberland” turkey meatballs, sweet potatoes, crispy bacon, dippy eggs, caramelized onions, juicy tomatoes, and mushrooms, all baked to perfection. Enjoy as a delicious breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
*New and improved recipe!
As a Brit, I can tell you that the draw of a traditional English breakfast is still very much alive. For some, it’s a weekend breakfast meal that’s just as important as their Sunday roast. For me, it’s a comforting breakfast-for-dinner option.
But seriously, the whole calorie overload and the crazy number of pans to clean afterward? Such a buzzkill. So I’ve come up with a baked version that only needs one baking sheet. No more juggling a gazillion pans! And let me tell you, this upgraded brekkie is all about starting your day on a high note – no stress, just pure satisfaction. Time to make mornings awesome again!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Loaded with flavor and fiber-packed vegetables.
- Balanced with protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
- Lower in calories compared to a traditional fry-up but still incredibly satisfying.
- Not just for breakfast–it’s great for lunch, dinner, and everything in between!
- Gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free!
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make a healthier fry-up.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Turkey Breast: A lean quality protein that we’re going to load with herbs and spices, with a similar flavor to a Cumberland sausage.
- Bacon: Just a little for flavor. Omit if you’re avoiding red meat.
- Eggs: Baked sunny side up for a built-in protein-loaded dipping sauce.
- Herbs and Spices: A combination of thyme, sage, rosemary, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper adds a ton of flavor.
- Sweet Potatoes: Cut into ½ inch cubes so they cook evenly in the oven.
- Mushrooms: For their savory, umami flavor.
- Red Onion: Baked until sweet and caramelized.
- Vine Tomatoes: For their sweet juicy texture that doubles as a sauce.
- Kale: Any variety will work fine.
- Sea Salt Flakes and Black Pepper: To season the dish and lift all the flavors.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: For richness, crispiness, and to prevent the ingredients from drying out.
How to Make a Full English Breakfast: Step-By-Step
This recipe requires a little hands-on prep, and then the oven does the rest. Here’s what you need to do.
Find the recipe card with exact ingredients and full recipe instructions at the bottom of this page. ⇩
Combine turkey meatball ingredients in a medium bowl, then roll into 12 individual balls.
Add the meatballs, sweet potato, and onions to a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes.
Toss the meatballs and potatoes, and make some room for the tomatoes and mushrooms. Add the bacon and bake for a further 15 minutes.
Add the kale and toss everything together. Make four wells and crack in the eggs. Bake once more until the egg whites have set.
Tip: A rimmed heavy-gauge baking sheet will prevent juices from leaking over the oven, and it will not warp under the heat. I’m absolutely loving these Nordic Ware Naturals Baking Sheets.
Substitutions
- Protein: Swap ground turkey with ground chicken, pork, beef, or a plant-based ground meat alternative.
- Eggs: Baked eggs are great if you’re eating this dish immediately after cooking. But, when you’re making it ahead of time, reheating will dry them out. So, I recommend making fresh fried eggs, poached eggs, or scrambled eggs to have on the side.
- Herbs and Spices: Feel free to play with your favorite herbs and spices to create your unique combo. I often swap out cayenne pepper for smoked paprika and add a little garlic powder to the sausage balls, depending on how I’m feeling.
- Sweet Potatoes: Butternut squash is a great alternative.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: No olive oil? Keep things natural with a knob of butter or ghee over a more inflammatory vegetable oil.
Variations
- Vegan Full English Breakfast: Swap out the ground turkey for plant-based ground meat, or make these vegetarian meatballs. Also, opt for vegetarian bacon like tempeh bacon to infuse that smoky flavor. A side of tofu scramble is a great alternative to baked eggs.
- With Baked Beans: I know the purists would not agree, but I skipped the baked beans in this recipe to load up on veggies. If you’re a beans fan, Heinz baked beans in tomato sauce are the go-to. I’d recommend a low-sugar, low-salt kind, or try making your own baked beans. Heat ’em up in a separate pan for 3-4 minutes, and you’ve got a tasty side.
- With Bread: Can’t do without a slice of bread to mop up that golden yolk? Try a slice of whole wheat seeded bread, sourdough bread, or some crispy rye toasts.
Is a Full English Breakfast Healthy?
A traditional full breakfast often leans towards indulgence rather than healthy and balanced. Often, the ingredients are cooked with lots of oil, and the portions are huge, giving you way more energy than you need. Of course, there are always exceptions.
But if, like me, you’re on a health and/or weight loss journey, a little tweak here and there can help slot that full English breakfast right into your balanced lifestyle. And I’m not talking about taking loads of ingredients away. It’s more about what we can add for maximum benefit.
Now, I’m not that girl who tirelessly counts calories, but having some idea of the energy density of food helps us with our goals. And to show you just how much difference some healthy swaps can make, here’s a comparison table… and you wonder why I call myself a GEEK 😉
Calories in a Typical Full English Breakfast (approx.)
| Ingredients (Fried & Grilled) | Calories | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Protein: 2 pork sausages, 1 egg, 1 back bacon rasher | 619 | 46 |
| Vegetables: 1 tomato, hash browns, mushrooms | 308 | 19 |
| Extras: baked beans, black pudding, fried bread | 317 | 18 |
| TOTAL (one portion) | 1244 | 83 |
How Many Calories in This Healthier Full English Breakfast
| Ingredients (Oven-Baked) | Calories | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Protein: 3 turkey meatballs, 1 egg, 1 slice streaky bacon | 267 | 15 |
| Vegetables: sweet potato, 1 tomato, mushrooms, kale, onion | 114 | 0 |
| Extras: extra virgin olive oil, herbs and spices | 35 | 4 |
| TOTAL (one portion) | 416 | 19 |
Wow, that’s quite some makeover. My recipe slashes the total calories by a jaw-dropping 66% and trims the fat content down to less than a quarter of what you can expect from a classic full English breakfast!
All because we’ve changed the cooking technique from fried to baked, used quality real food ingredients, cut down on fat, and loaded up on nutrient-dense veggies.
And the best part is–this all-day breakfast is designed to keep you full and fueled for the hours ahead. That means less chance of overeating later in the day.
Storage
Refrigerate: Allow the leftovers to cool to room temperature, and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Don’t forget to refrigerate within two hours to prevent bacteria growth.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this meal. Various ingredients, like eggs, tomatoes, and kale, will lose their texture and quality upon defrosting.
Recipe Tips
- Evenly-Sized Turkey Meatballs: A 1-tablespoon ice cream scoop or a tablespoon-sized measuring spoon makes is a nifty trick to ensure your meatballs are roughly the same size for even baking.
- Make it Meal Prep Friendly: Once cooked, divide the breakfast into four meal prep containers. This way, you’ve got a hearty meal ready when you need it. And if you’re planning to reheat, think about using boiled eggs instead of baked – they keep their texture better when warmed up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this full English breakfast is a good source of protein, essential for building and repairing tissues, supporting immune function, and helping you feel full and satisfied. The turkey, eggs, and bacon all contribute to its protein content.
The generous size of a full English breakfast is rooted in historical needs, particularly for laborers and farmers in the 19th century who required substantial sustenance for demanding physical work. This hearty tradition is now associated with weekend and holiday indulgence.
More Breakfast Ideas
Looking for more delicious breakfast recipes, try these next:
Full Recipe
📖 Recipe
Healthy Full English Breakfast
If you love this recipe, rate it with 5 stars below!
PRINT PIN RATEEquipment
- Medium Bowl
Ingredients
- 14 ounces (400 grams) ground turkey breast (turkey breast mince)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 10 ounces (285 grams) sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and chopped into 1.5cm cubes
- 1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 salad tomatoes, washed and halved
- 3 cups (375 grams) button mushrooms, brushed clean
- 4 rashers streaky bacon, sugar-free
- 1 cup (100 grams) chopped kale, thick stems removed, washed and dried with kitchen towel.
- 4 medium eggs
Instructions
- Prepare: Gather and prepare your ingredients. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 5.
- Turkey Meatballs: In a medium bowl, add the ground turkey, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, and nutmeg. Mix with your hands (or a fork) until well combined. Then, roll the mixture into 12 meatballs.
- Bake: Place the turkey meatballs on a large baking sheet along with the sweet potato cubes and onion wedges. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss together with the rosemary, salt and pepper. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Add Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Bacon: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and toss the turkey meatballs and sweet potatoes so they brown evenly on all sides. Then, make some room for the tomatoes and mushrooms and add them to the tray. Set the bacon on top. Bake for a further 15 minutes or until the turkey meatballs are golden brown.
- Add Kale and Eggs: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add the kale. Toss everything together. Then, make four wells to crack the eggs into. Bake once again for 6-8 minutes until the egg whites have set, and the yolks are still runny. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Information (Per Serving)
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional information is estimated using an online nutrition calculator. For accuracy, we recommend you calculate using the exact ingredients and brands you used.
More Healthy Recipes
Looking for more delicious and nutritious recipe ideas?
Pin Recipe for Later
Robin
I have a question,Cheryl.
Is this recipe interesting for meal prep? Like, for freezing or just making ahead for the week?
If yes, for how long can it be kept in the fridge and what would be the best way to store it?
Cheers from Brazil!
Cheryl Whyte
Hiya Robin,
Thanks for getting in touch! You can absolutely use this recipe for meal prep. It will be fine in the fridge for about 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container. I usually portion it out into 4 separate glass containers, so I can grab and go when I need them. You may find the kale loses some of its crispiness, though. Also, I personally prefer fresh eggs to refrigerated baked eggs, so I’d probably leave them out of the recipe and fry up some eggs on the day I want them. Alternatively, if time were an issue, I’d probably batch-cook some boiled eggs to serve with it. You can also freeze this recipe for about 4 weeks before the kale starts to turn. But, I don’t recommend doing that as you will lose some texture and quality from the food. Hope that helps. Cheryl.