If you’ve never tried quail eggs, now is the time. These teeny speckled eggs look like something out of a fairytale book, but they’re actually a fairly common grocery store item that’s worth picking up on your next shopping trip. They’re quite similar to the chicken eggs that you are probably familiar with, and are comparable in taste, nutritional value, and applications. So, yes, you can absolutely use quail eggs to substitute chicken eggs, but there’s a few things to keep in mind when doing so.
First and foremost, it’s not going to be a one-to-one substitute. A quail egg is, obviously, much smaller than a chicken egg. When using quail eggs as a substitute, you’ll want to use 3-4 for everyone one chicken egg a recipe calls for. This applies to all kinds of recipes, whether you’re baking, hard boiling, or whipping up a lemony hollandaise sauce. You’ll also want to consider that the yolk to white ratio is greater in quail eggs, so any recipe you are using them in will be a little more rich and yolky compared to a chicken egg. Overall, anywhere you’d use a chicken egg, you can use a quail egg with similar results and an adorable miniature twist.
What kind of recipes are quail eggs best in?
The two main differences you’ll find when working with quail eggs and chicken eggs are that quail eggs tend to be a little pricier and they also have a thicker shell. This makes cracking a raw quail egg a tad difficult, but there are actually special tools made just for this task. Other than that, though, quail eggs are an almost perfect substitute for chicken eggs. Use them to make tiny deviled eggs to enchant guests at a dinner party, or the cutest, meatball-sized Scotch eggs. Quail eggs make a great addition to a nourishing and classic fire-roasted shakshuka because they are perfectly bite-sized, meaning a creamy burst of yolk in every bite of roasted tomato goodness. They’re also delicious in ramen, stir fries, or marinated and served over rice with fresh herbs and veggies for a tasty and healthy lunch. Really any recipe where you want the rich and yolky flavor of the egg to stand out would benefit from swapping quail eggs for chicken eggs.
Quail eggs were once revered as a luxury item, but have grown in popularity and become a lot more common in American kitchens. They don’t have to just be a substitute for chicken eggs, and can take center stage in a plethora of delicious recipes, too. Quail eggs are a main ingredient in many popular dishes across cuisines like Japanese, French, African, Italian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, and more.
