As you may have figured out by now, we LOVE French Toast in my house. Challah French Toast, Cinnamon Roll French Toast casserole you name it, we are on board. But during Passover, there is no bread allowed, and another Passover classic recipe must step in and take over. Enter stage right, Fried Matzo (as our family calls it) or Matzo Brei (as lots of other families call it).
Fried matzo is the perfect mix of eggs, matzo, salt and pepper all fried together in onion oil. It takes less than 15 minutes to make and uses super simple ingredients that are in everyone’s Passover pantry. Perfect for when you don’t feel like frying individual matzo meal latkes, waiting for your matzo kugel to bake or simply need to feed a crowd.
And yes, you make it a little savory, but serve it either sweet or savory so that everyone gets what they want.
Ingredients
- Matzo: I always use regular matzo, but egg matzo or any flavored matzo will work as well. Just be sure to check the certification as some of the flavored matzos aren’t certified Kosher for Passover.
- Eggs: I always use large eggs in my recipes
- Oil: Vegetable oil is great, but onion oil is even better.
Step by Step Instructions
Start by running each piece of matzo under warm water for about 10 seconds. Once each piece is a bit soft and pliable, break them up a little bit with a mixing spoon in the bowl. You should still see biggish chunks of matzo and it should be getting soft, but not completely breaking down.
In a small bowl, beat your eggs and then add them to the bowl with the matzo. Add your salt and pepper and stir until the matzo and egg mixture are incorporated.
Then to a pan set over medium heat, add your oil. Once the oil is hot, add all of the matzo-egg mixture in and let it cook for 2-3 minutes without touching it. You want the bottom part to get a little crispy before you start moving things around. Then take your spatula, and start breaking up the bottom matzo that has already been cooked and flipping the not cooked pieces over.
It’s kind of like scrambling eggs. You want them cooked through, but definitely not overcooked.
Once the whole pan of fried matzo is cooked, slide it onto a serving platter (or just pop the pan on the table) and enjoy.
💡Change up the Quantity
While many recipes need to be followed exactly, this isn’t one of them. The method is what's important. If I’m making fried matzo for just one kiddo, I’ll use just two sheets of matzo and two eggs.
If I need to serve a crowd, I’ll use as many sheets of matzo as my bowl will hold and then match the number of eggs to that. It’s a VERY forgiving recipe.
The important ratio to remember is: one egg to each sheet of matzo.
Serving Suggestions
If you think of fried matzo a little like a matzo frittata, you can find endless ways to serve it. Here are the two ways I serve it to my family during Passover. The rest of the year, it’s just in the rotation on request.
- Breakfast: Serve the fried matzo with cottage cheese or Greek yogurt and a bowl of fruit for a great start to the day. We top ours with a sprinkle of sugar and homemade applesauce because that’s what my mom and grandma did. You could also go savory and serve with everything but the bagel scrambled eggs and roasted potatoes.
- Dinner: We love breakfast for dinner and this recipe fits the bill perfectly. For dinner I serve the matzo brei alongside lox or smoked whitefish, a sliced onion, capers, etc. and people can build their own perfect bite. A bright green salad or a bowl of roasted veggies would also be a great side dish to add.
Storing & Reheating Leftovers
Like so many Passover recipes, Fried Matzo is the best straight out of the hot pan. If you happen to have leftovers, store them in a zip top bag in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat, pop them into the microwave for about 30 seconds, just until they are hot throughout. You don’t want them to go too long or the leftovers will get rubbery.
More Awesome Passover recipes
📖 Recipe
Fried Matzo (aka Matzo Brei)
Ingredients
- 4 sheets Matzo
- 4 Eggs
- Vegetable Oil (to cover the pan)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Start by running each piece of matzo under warm water for about 10 seconds. Shake it off and add to a mixing bowl. Once all the matzo bit soft and pliable, break them up a little bit with a mixing spoon in the bowl. You should still see biggish chunks of matzo.
- In a small bowl, beat your eggs and then add them to the bowl with the matzo. Add your salt and pepper and stir until the matzo and egg mixture are incorporated.
- Then to a pan set over medium heat, add your oil. Once the oil is hot, add all of the matzo-egg mixture in and let it cook for 2-3 minutes without touching it. You want the bottom part to get a little crispy before you start moving things around. Then take your spatula, and start breaking up the bottom matzo that has already been cooked and flipping the not cooked pieces over.
- It’s kind of like scrambling eggs. You want them cooked through, but definitely not overcooked. Once the whole pan of fried matzo is cooked, slide it onto a serving platter (or just pop the pan on the table) and enjoy.
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