Healthy Roasted Turkey and Egg Sandwich Recipe (Nitrate Free)

Love breakfast sandwiches, but don't love all the sodium and unhealthy fats that come with them? My roasted turkey and egg sandwich is the answer to your breakfast sandwich dilemma. Made with leftover roasted turkey, fresh eggs, and avocado on sourdough bread, it's totally delicious and totally good for you, too!

Breakfast sandwiches are a staple in my household.

Not only do we have 16 backyard chickens (a.k.a. tons of fresh eggs), but my fiancé is also mildly obsessed with breakfast sandwiches. He has one almost every morning. But, unfortunately, he also suffers from migraines.

What do migraines and breakfast sandwiches have to do with each other?

Well, migraines can be triggered by the nitrates in bacon and sausage, both of which are common breakfast sandwich ingredients. Therefore, we typically stick to the classic egg and cheese breakfast sandwich.

However, sometimes a breakfast sandwich just needs a little something extra. So on the occasion that I make roasted turkey breast, I always make sure there are leftovers for this turkey and egg sandwich.

I love this sandwich not only for the fact that it's nitrate-free, but also because it's packed with heart-healthy fats, dietary fiber, and lean protein. Read on to learn everything you need to know about making this tasty and healthy breakfast treat.

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Why This Recipe Works

• Healthy- This turkey and egg sandwich is a good source of fiber and has plenty of heart-healthy fats thanks to the avocado. It's also naturally dairy-free, nitrate-free, and lower in sodium than a typical breakfast sandwich.
• Uses Leftovers- My favorite part about this sandwich is that it uses leftover roasted turkey. Often, when I make turkey, I'm always struggling to make use of the leftovers. This sandwich will help you use it up in a delicious and healthy way!
• Quick + Easy- Since it uses leftovers, this sandwich comes together super quickly. All you really need to do is fry up an egg, mash the avocado, and toast the sourdough bread and you're good to go.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes on key ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.

• Sourdough Bread- A naturally leavened bread, sourdough is made by fermenting flour and water. This fermentation process means that sourdough bread is easier to digest and has a lower glycemic index than other types of bread. Try making your own sourdough bread or visit your local bakery to purchase a loaf.
• Roasted Turkey Breast- I chose to use roasted turkey breast in this recipe in order to reduce the sodium, saturated fat, and nitrates that are typically found in bacon or sausage-based breakfast sandwiches. Making roasted turkey breast for dinner and then using the leftovers the next morning is the easiest way to make this sandwich.
• Fried Egg- My favorite way to eat eggs is over-hard and fried, which is exactly what I put on this sandwich when I make it for myself. While I recommend doing a fried egg, you can really put any style of egg you enjoy on this sandwich.
• Avocado- I wouldn't be a dietitian if I didn't add avocado to my sandwich. The avocado gives this sandwich a boost of heart-healthy fats and fiber while adding a creamy element that is oh-so-good.

Step by Step Instructions

Here is how you make this roasted turkey and egg sandwich.

Step 1: Fry the egg. Melt 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small, non-stick frying pan over low heat. When the olive oil is hot, crack the egg into the pan and season with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook the egg for about 3 minutes or until the white has completely set. If you like your eggs sunny-side-up, you can remove the pan from the heat at this point.

• For Over-Easy: Flip and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
• For Over-Medium: Flip and cook for an additional 1 minute.
• For Over-Hard: Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes

Step 2: Toast the sourdough bread. In a toaster or in the oven, lightly toast your sourdough bread slices to desired darkness.

Step 3: Mash the avocado. Mash the avocado with a fork and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4: Assemble the sandwich. Spread the mashed avocado evenly onto both slices of toasted sourdough bread. Then, place sliced turkey onto the bottom slice of bread. Top with the egg and, finally, the other piece of sourdough bread. Enjoy!

Substitutions and Additions

Here are a few ways you can make this turkey and egg sandwich fit your diet.

Substitutions

• Gluten-Free- While sourdough bread is thought to be easier to digest than non-fermented wheat bread, it is not considered gluten-free if it is made using gluten-containing grains. To make this sandwich gluten-free, opt for a clearly labeled gluten-free bread product like New Grains Gluten-Free Sourdough.
• Deli Turkey- If you don't have any leftover turkey, you can use sliced deli turkey. However, keep in mind that this will raise the sodium content of the sandwich.
• Vegetarian- You can make this sandwich vegetarian by subbing out the roasted turkey breast for vegan deli turkey slices or homemade vegan turkey.

Additions

• Leafy Greens- Romaine lettuce, spinach, arugula, or even some microgreens can add a little crunch and a lot of nutrition.
• Other Vegetables- Tomato, cucumber, or red onion would all make great additions to this sandwich.
• Mayonnaise- Either in place of the mashed avocado or in addition to it.
• Cheese- Cheddar, colby jack, or pepper jack cheese are delicious melted on top of the egg just before it finishes cooking.

Storage

Store all of the ingredients for this roasted turkey and egg sandwich separately and only assemble just prior to eating.

• Sourdough Bread- For the freshest sourdough bread, store at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I do not recommend storing bread in the refrigerator as this causes it to stale quickly.
• Eggs- If you buy or have fresh, unwashed eggs, you can store them on the counter for up to 2 weeks or up to 3 months in the refrigerator. Grocery store eggs should always be refrigerated and will last 3-5 weeks. I recommend making your fried egg at the same time you plan to eat the sandwich.
• Turkey- Leftover roasted turkey breast will stay good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, which is why this sandwich is super helpful for using it up! You can also freeze cooked turkey breast for up to 6 months.
• Avocado- Depending on how ripe the avocado is when you buy it, it can last for a few days at room temperature. Once cut, store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To limit browning, wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Nutrition Facts

One whole roasted turkey and egg sandwich contains:

• Calories: 431
• Fat: 18 grams
• Carbs: 37 grams
• Fiber: 3.5 grams
• Sugar: 3.5 grams
• Protein: 31 grams

FAQ

What should I serve with a turkey and egg sandwich?

Here are a few ideas of what to serve with this roasted turkey and egg sandwich.

• Butternut Squash Home Fries by The Real Food Dietitians
• Apricot, Berry, and Nectarine Fruit Salad by Dietitian Debbie
• Simple Green Salad by Nutrition Stripped
• Diner-Style Home Fries by The Kitchn

How should I season this turkey and egg breakfast sandwich?

I kept it pretty simple with this recipe by using only salt, pepper, and a little smoked paprika on the fried egg. However, feel free to spice things up as much as you'd like! I've also enjoyed garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne on my eggs or mashed into my avocado spread. Get creative!

Are egg sandwiches a healthy breakfast option?

They certainly can be! Like with many recipes, it depends on how you prepare the egg sandwich. Eggs are an excellent source of high-quality protein. Whole grain or sourdough bread are good choices for carbohydrates, which help give you an energy boost in the morning.

From there, your choice of meat and other toppings can affect how nutritious the breakfast sandwich is. I chose turkey for this recipe because it's lower in sodium than bacon or breakfast sausage and is also nitrate-free.

Are the nitrates in bacon harmful?

Nitrates and nitrites are naturally-occurring compounds that are sometimes added to food, especially meat, to help preserve it. They are mainly found in processed meats such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and ham. When nitrites are cooked at high heat, they can turn into carcinogenic compounds called nitrosamines.

I recommend limiting your consumption of cured and processed meats in order to limit your exposure to nitrosamines.

What's the difference between brown and white eggs?

I love this question because I never really understood the difference either until I started raising chickens.

Nutritionally speaking, there is absolutely no difference between white and brown eggs. The difference is simply the color of the eggshell, which all depends on the breed of chicken. I even have a few chickens that lay olive-colored eggs!

Recommended Equipment

This list includes affiliate links.

• Non-Stick 8" Skillet Frying Pan

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