Greek Breakfast Recipes
Avga me Loukaniko Recipe (Greek Eggs with Country Sausage)
Αυγά με λουκάνικο av-GHAH meh loo-KAH-nee-koh · Avga me loukaniko
In short
Avga me loukaniko is Greek country sausage, sliced and fried until its fat renders and the edges crisp, with eggs then cracked directly into the same pan to cook in that rendered fat. It is a simple, hearty everyday breakfast built on the same one-pan logic as lountza me avga.
Loukaniko, Greek country sausage, is typically made from coarsely minced pork seasoned with orange zest, fennel seed and a little wine, and frying it alongside eggs is one of the simplest, most satisfying breakfasts in the whole repertoire, following exactly the same logic as lountza me avga: let the meat render its own fat first, then cook the eggs directly in it.
The orange zest and fennel running through good loukaniko gives this dish a genuinely distinctive character compared with a plain breakfast sausage, a citrusy, aniseed note that plays particularly well against the richness of the fried eggs.
This is quick, no-fuss food, ready inside fifteen minutes, and it needs nothing more elaborate than good bread alongside to make a proper meal of it.
Key preparation steps
- Slice loukaniko and fry until the fat renders and the edges crisp.
- Push the sausage to one side of the pan.
- Crack the eggs into the rendered fat.
- Cook the eggs to your liking and serve together.
About loukaniko
Greek loukaniko is a coarse country sausage, most often pork, seasoned distinctively with orange zest, fennel seed or leek, and sometimes a splash of wine, giving it a flavour quite unlike a plain breakfast sausage. It is sold at Greek delis and increasingly in well-stocked supermarkets, either fresh or lightly smoked.
Rendering the sausage
Slice the sausage into rounds and fry in a dry pan over a medium heat, no oil needed, for five to six minutes, until the fat has rendered and the edges have crisped and coloured. This rendered fat becomes the cooking medium for the eggs, exactly the same principle behind lountza me avga.
Cooking the eggs
Push the sausage to one side of the pan and crack the eggs directly into the fat left behind, frying them to your liking, soft or firm yolks, for a couple of minutes. Return the sausage alongside the eggs for the final minute to bring everything back to serving temperature together, and serve straight from the pan with bread.
Tips from my kitchen
No oil needed
Loukaniko renders enough of its own fat to cook the eggs in, exactly as with lountza me avga.
Render it properly first
Five to six minutes lets the fat render and the edges crisp before the eggs go anywhere near the pan.
Serve it straight from the pan
This dish is at its best hot and freshly cooked, brought straight to the table.
Avga me Loukaniko Recipe (Greek Eggs with Country Sausage)
Αυγά με λουκάνικο · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 5m
- Cook
- 12m
- Total
- 17m
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Heat a frying pan over a medium heat with no oil.
- Add the sliced loukaniko and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until the fat has rendered and the edges are crisp and coloured.
- Push the sausage to one side of the pan.
- Crack the eggs directly into the fat left in the pan and fry to your liking, 2 to 3 minutes for a soft yolk.
- Return the sausage alongside the eggs for the final minute to warm through together.
- Grind over black pepper and serve immediately, straight from the pan, with bread.
Nutrition, per 1 portion
- Calories
- 386
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Sat fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Avga me loukaniko
What is loukaniko made from?
Coarsely minced pork, most often, seasoned distinctively with orange zest, fennel seed or leek, giving it a flavour quite different from a plain Western breakfast sausage.
Can you use a different sausage if loukaniko is not available?
A good quality coarse pork sausage with some fennel seasoning gets you reasonably close, though it will lack loukaniko's distinctive citrus note.
What do you serve with avga me loukaniko?
Good bread for mopping up the yolk and fat is the simplest and most traditional accompaniment.
