It’s funny how oats have been pigeonholed for use in mostly sweet dishes in the U.S. We tend to eat oats sweetened at breakfast, or as part of delicious crumbly desserts, but oats do just as well with savory flavors as do any other grain. This savory oatmeal is a delicious and hearty meal any time of day, and there are so many options for toppings and add-ins, so you can make it work with whatever ingredients you have on hand. This might just end up being your new favorite easy budget meal!
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What Kind of Oats are Best for This Recipe?
You can technically make savory oats with any kind of oats, but the recipe below is written for old-fashioned rolled oats, which cook fairly quickly (about 5 minutes). I find that old-fashioned rolled oats are a nice balance between texture and convenience. Steel-cut oats take much longer to cook and you’ll need more liquid. Quick oats cook faster but don’t provide very much texture.
How to Flavor Savory Oatmeal
Oats on their own have a very bland flavor, and I think that’s why they often get a bad rap. Here are some tips for making sure your savory oatmeal is full of flavor:
- Cook them in a really flavorful broth. I like to use Better Than Bouillon because it tends to have a nice vibrant flavor. Plus it comes in several flavors and options.
- Use aromatics. A little bit of fresh garlic or ginger goes a long way! Green onion or shallots are also great.
- Add your favorite seasoning blend. You could experiment with your favorite bottled seasonings like Everything Bagel Seasoning, jerk seasoning, steak seasoning, furikake, onion salt.
- Top with your favorite sauce. Try adding a little chili garlic paste, sriracha, or gochujang!
Savory Oatmeal Topping Ideas
In addition to ingredients that can be added into your oatmeal, you can add all sorts of delicious toppings, too! Here are some oatmeal topping ideas:
- Grape tomatoes
- Sliced avocado
- Bacon bits
- Jalapeños
- Cilantro
- Green onion
- Parmesan
- French fried onions
- Sprouts
- Edamame
- Soft boiled egg or hard boiled egg
- Breakfast sausage
Can I Make it Ahead?
Yes, savory oatmeal is great for making ahead! You can change the number of servings in the recipe card below and the ingredients will auto adjust for you. After cooking, divide your savory oatmeal into single-serving portions and refrigerate. To reheat, simply microwave on high for about 2 minutes, stirring half-way through. If the oatmeal is too thick, just add a splash of water.
Make it Vegan
You can make the savory oatmeal recipe below vegan by swapping out the butter for your favorite cooking oil. Coconut oil would be very nice here because it has a rich mouthfeel, similar to butter.
Savory Oatmeal
Servings 1Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger ($0.05)
- 4 mushrooms ($0.62)
- 1 tsp butter ($0.04)
- 1 cup vegetable broth ($0.13)
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats ($0.09)
- 1/2 cup spinach ($0.19)
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil ($0.05)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the mushrooms.
- Add the butter, garlic, and ginger to a small saucepot. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for a few minutes more, or until the mushrooms have wilted a bit.
- Add the vegetable broth to the saucepot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the broth up to a boil.
- When the broth reaches a boil, add the rolled oats and stir to combine. Allow it to return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Let the oats simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened.
- While the oats are simmering, roughly chop the spinach. Stir the spinach into the thickened oats, along with the toasted sesame oil.
- Taste and add salt to your liking, if needed, then top it off with your favorite toppings. Serve hot!
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Nutrition
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How to Make Savory Oatmeal – Step by Step Photos
Mince one clove of garlic, grate about ½ tsp of fresh ginger, and slice 3-4 mushrooms. Add the garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon butter to a small saucepot. Sauté the garlic and ginger in the butter over medium heat for about one minute.
Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes more, or just until the mushrooms have softened.
Add one cup vegetable broth to the pot. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the broth up to a boil.
When the broth reaches a boil, add ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats.
Allow the broth to come back up to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let the oats simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened.
While the oats are simmering, roughly chop a handful of spinach. Stir the chopped spinach and ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil into the oats.
Give it a taste and add salt, if needed. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
It’s also really good with an egg on top!
This is one of my new favorite recipes! I’ve eaten it for breakfast AND dinner… sometimes the same day. The only thing I did differently was double or triple the ginger and garlic. I didn’t really taste the ginger at first. I top it with a fried egg and yum!! So easy. I love when I can remake things without looking at the recipe again. I use BTB or unsalted broth depending on how closely I’m watching my sodium for that day. For the latter I can control the salt I add. Soooo goooood! Thanks!
I have made this two nights in a row, it’s fabulous! Thank you so much for the recipe. Savory oatmeal seemed a little odd to this southern girl but I’m so glad that I tried it!
I’ve never had savory oatmeal before, but this was amazing! I fried the mushrooms separately in bacon fat while everything else was cooking, and added half to the oatmeal towards the end and used the remainder as a topping.
I also added grated parm a few mins after letting it simmer, and parmesan rinds the second time as soon as I reduced the heat after it came back up to a boil.
I used frozen spinach both times, and it was delicious with a bit of homemade garlic herb sauce and a full teaspoon of chili crisp + a fried egg.
It also somehow tastes even better the next day (or after 3 days, when I had the leftovers)???
Amazing recipe. Love you guys to bits.
This was excellent! I added turmeric and red pepper flakes with the garlic. Can’t wait to make it again.
I added miso and red pepper flakes to this and it was great! Thank you for being my first savory oatmeal recipe!
I just found your site through a search for ‘savory oatmeal’ and made this recipe. It is amazing and so easily modified! I never knew I would like oatmeal this way, and I love it! It’s on my breakfast rotation now and I’ll be trying more of your recipes soon!
I’ve been making this for over 3 years on various occasions, and every time it’s a slam dunk! Especially when I can’t afford takeout and their ever-increasing prices. This is very simple and filling breakfast that is cheap and doesn’t sacrifice on flavor!
Surprisingly (if you don’t look at others ratings) satisfying and SIMPLE ❤️. I will be adding this to both my weekend brunch rotation and camping/hiking menu. Cracked an egg into the almost finished oats, put the lid on for 7 or 8 mins and ended up with a poached egg to boot. A real winner!!
Well, I HAVE to leave a comment. Stubbled accross this recipe a year ago and never made it until today. What was I waiting for ??? I honestly wasn’t expecting anything great, savory oatmeal sounded kinda bland but the comments conviced me and OMG the result was amazing ! The texture and taste is difficult to describe, it’s just very good and soft, like a puree of overcooked pasta but in a good way lol. Added shredded cheese and it was super melty ! Will definitely make it again.
Fantastic! Cooked 4 servings per instructions simmering 5 min. Used Chicken stock. Oatmeal absorbed liquid after standing a few minutes. Fluffed up like a basmati rice dish. Retained nice texture. Perfect alone or with topping. Reheats well.
Very happy to have found this recipe! My doctor tells me my cholesteral numbers are a little bit higher, but I refuse to eat bad food Lol! I’m not much of a ‘sweet’ person, more savory, and I had bought a bag of 1 minute oats. I tried it the traditional sweet way, and meh. I really was hoping this recipe would work with my 1 minute oats and it did! I sauteed a little garlic in a little sesame oil, added ground ginger and chicken broth. Added chopped spinach with the oats, and added my egg directly in to poach! Some sesame seeds and chili-garlic sauce on top, and my stomach is very happy!
Hi, the recipe is great, but why is the sodium contact is so high?
The only place the sodium would be coming from is the vegetable stock, so if that’s too high for you you can always use low-sodium broth! (It’s also possible that the nutrition calculator is over-estimating a bit)
Sooooooo good! My new favorite. The savory thing is my jam so this was perfect. I’ve made it twice now, once with mushrooms and once without (didn’t have any) and it is definitely better with the mushrooms.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Would it be better if your mom made it for you?😄
Of course it would!! Haha 😂
This was fantastic! I didn’t have mushrooms so I just left them out and I used chicken broth because that’s all I had on hand. Fried egg on top. Was perfect! Thank you for another great recipe that I can add to my rotation and customize to suit what I have in the fridge!
Hi Beth,
I am a huge fan of your site, and your recipes. This was my first time trying savoury oatmeal and I loved it!
Just wondering what a good substitute would be for mushrooms (no one else in my family likes them)?
Thanks again
Anything you like would be fine! I find that a little soy sauce or parmesan cheese (or both!) can mimic the umami flavor of mushrooms, but you can really sub with any vegetable you like or omit!
WOW. This was my first time making savoury oats and I can 100% say that it’ll be my go to breakfast from now on. I used some frozen veggies and also added a little soy sauce. So warm and filling. The eggs were a nice touch as well.
I have your book,so i assume these are some pretty good receipes,but just too damn many ads.At least run the ads to the sides or between rceipes.
This is shockingly delicious
I’ve been trying to get into oatmeal and have hated it every other way
This is also the best it’s ever been cooked – maybe the microwave is my issue
This is my favorite breakfast. I’ve made the recipe no less than 10 times. I usually cook a pot of steel cut oats in no-chikn better than bouillion while prepping the rest of your recipe The sub in for a super hearty breakfast all week. Each morning I heat the leftover savory oats and top with a basted egg and a half teaspoon of Laoganma or Momofuko Chili Crunch. SOOOOO delicious. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Delicious! I doubled it, and added a scoop of Trader Joe’s cruchy chili onion which gave it a spicy umami kick. I also didn’t have fresh ginger on hand so I used powdered and it did the trick.
I love this recipe. I make a triple recipe with steel-cut oats since they are a little heartier and stay well as leftovers in the refrigerator. When I reheat, I put a fried or basted egg on top and stir in some chili crunch. It’s SO crazy good — my favorite breakfast.
Instead of salt, I added some marmite (less than a teaspoon) for more umami flavor. I also added some Mexican blend grated cheese, but don’t advise it. Pumpkin seeds gave it a good crunch, tho!
Your pages have so many pop-up & adverts jumping around that I found your website to be useless. I realize you need to make a living, but if one can’t read the recipes what’s the point.
It might be your browser or something. I see usually one discrete ad on her pages.
I haven’t seen a single ad? You sound like you have malware lol
That was rude! I saw a few ads but it didn’t interfere with the article.
Hi Kchestet, try switching your computer to “reader view”. It worked for me!
This recipe is a 5+ as is, but this morning I didn’t have all the ingredients so I substituted shallots and black garlic for the regular garlic, beef broth for vegetable broth, and Parmesan cheese for the sesame oil. Out of this world delicious!
This is such a winner. I like topping it with furikake seasoning from TJ’s.
I used homemade chicken stock and added a splash of soy sauce, some kimchi and a fried egg. The possibilities are endless and the base is delicious as is. I’m totally sold on savoury oats.
I make my savory oats with about 1/2 cup of quick caramelized onions, chicken BtB, a fried egg on top and some other veggies. I sautéed purple cabbage in the past. This morning I chopped some radish. I usually add half an avocado too. I love the topping ideas on your post and will have to play around with them
Loved it the 1st time (mixed home made veggie broth with Better than Bullion in 4/1 ration). This time made with all BtB and came out waaaay too salty.
I’ve loved savory oatmeal since I was a child, my mom used to make it for breakfast. I would add the oats before the broth comes to a boil, it gets creamier. Delish with a sot boiled egg!
This was very good. I was a little hesitant even though I liked the ingredients. I used reduced sodium chivken broth because it’s what I had on hand and added an egg white. I will definitely make again as it feel healthier than the cheese and bacon I normally throw in. Thanks for this recipe!
I’ve been feeling sick and queasy from a migraine so I thought why not savory oats? It was a really quick recipe and surprisingly delicious! I used 1/8 tsp of garlic powder, 1/8 tsp ginger powder, and vegan margarine. This is my first time ever having savory oatmeal and I really like it! It’s easy to get down when you feel ill and tastes great.
I tried the vegan oatmeal with spinach and mushrooms with the beef broth. Sooooooooooooooo delicious!!!! I had no idea I could enjoy oats like this cause I hate oatmeal porridge. You’ve totally changed my cooking of oatmeal and I thank you recipe Goddess!!! PS, I added a few bits of jalepenos. Game Changer!!!
ahh, finally a place that I can admit that I like oatmeal with kim chi . A splash of soy sauce and a drip of sesame oil and a couple of pieces of cabbage from the kim chi and I am good to go.
I usually do overnight oats but decided to try this instead. 10/10 easy, quick, delicious
This was delicious! To make it easier I used ginger paste and prewashed baby spinach. Your recipes never fail. Another winner. Thanks for providing meals for us vegans.
I apologize if someone already asked this but did not see one in the most recent comments at least …. can this be made with frozen spinach instead of fresh? Looking for recipes I can buy my ingredients for at the beginning of the month and use them over that month … thanks!
Yep, you could add some frozen spinach, if that’s what you have. :) The texture might not be as nice, but it will work! I add frozen spinach to just about everything. :D
Forgot the rating
Very good! I had already started the batch of oatmeal before I saw your site, so did not saute anything. Added garlic and ginger to cooking oatmeal. Put some grassfed butter on top of the served oatmeal and topped it off with a fried egg, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Yum!
This was really tasty, even though I forgot the garlic and didn’t have sesame seeds. I did scramble an egg and added that. I made multiple servings for this week and will definitely make again. Tasty, filling and inexpensive. Can’t beat that. Thank you Beth!
I went to 3 markets by me and couldn’t find fresh ginger. Would a 1/4 tsp. of the powdered kind work instead? Any suggestions for other fresh seasonings to use? Thanks.
There’s not really a standard conversion for fresh ginger to powdered, since they actually taste quite different, but I think it would be safe to start with ¼ tsp and then just add more to taste. :) This oatmeal is very flexible and I think you could use any number of different seasonings. Even just a bit of everything bagel seasoning would probably be nice!
Thank you. Love your site!!
I made enough to get me through the first week back to work after the holidays, and it’s wonderful! I can’t wait to make it again when I actually have some mushrooms (I subbed red onion and bell pepper). Like another commenter, I much prefer savory breakfasts to sweet, and this dish is a welcome addition to my rotation!
Toast the oats and you’re in heaven.
Oh my goodness, this was awesome. I really loved this!
I had to make this with some substitutions based on what I had on hand, but if you have any doubts about savory oats, throw them out the window. This is SO GOOD, and might be my new favorite go-to breakfast. I didn’t have any eggs and I can only imagine how perfect this would be with a fried egg on top. Versatile, quick, and easy! As someone who usually prefers savory breakfasts to sweet ones and gets tired of scrambled eggs every day, I’ll be making this all the time.
Forgot to rate!
Absolutely phenomenal! I added some chopped green onion to the top after cooking as well as tossed in an egg after I stirred in the oats, covered the pot, let it sit for the 5 minutes. AMAZING!!! This recipe tasted so good. It will undoubtedly become a staple in my diet. Thank you so much for posting this online. I LOVE IT.
So amazingly tasty and easy! I love the possibilities that go with this recipe. As a vegetarian I am always looking for new and easy recipes and your site never disappoints:)
I was very skeptical at first, but my boyfriend insisted. Absolutely delicious! Fantastic umami goodness.
I made this but used kale and miso broth then sprinkled parmesan instead of sesame oil put an egg on top it’s Bomb!I’ve never thought of making oats savory great idea😋
I have been looking for a good savory oatmeal recipe for the longest time and this one just might be my new “go to” morning meal. I have high cholesterol and generally dislike oats with sugar/milk, but I know I should be eating them for health reasons. Thank you Beth for creating an easy but delicious recipe that is cheap, super filling, and great for my cholesterol! I have been a long time Budget Bytes user, but have not been cooking as much in the past years (mostly due to laziness). However, I know that you have a ton of tasty, healthy recipes at your site (and a lot of veggie/vegan options) and I shall once again be returning for more… my arteries (and taste buds) thank you in advance! One question though: do you think you can add cholesterol content to your nutrition info? I know it’s just an estimate, but it would still be helpful.
Hi Jennifer, I’m glad this recipe has inspired you! Unfortunately, we don’t have the capability to add cholesterol to the nutrition facts at this time. I’m sorry!
I have been trying to find a good savory oatmeal recipe for ages. This is stellar. Tastes like Ramen, as I think someone else mentioned. I made the mistake of adding salt before tasting…didn’t need any! But still delicious.
I love savory oatmeal and will have to try your version. I usually make mine with just a bit of butter and some nice sharp cheddar, then top with a poached or over-easy egg. Soft-boiled would be good too. Chives and/or parsley to top if I have ’em on hand. You’ve got me excited to try riffing with some veg!
So excited to see this recipe by you! I had this favorite pre-packaged savory oatmeal that I used to buy but can no longer find. This recipe is inspiring me to attempt to recreate (or possibly surpass!) something I’ve missed eating!
Hi Beth – I haven’t tried your savory oatmeal yet but my husband and I love our version which is more like jook or congee:
– on top of a bowl of oatmeal add soy sauce and sesame oil to taste.
– sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
– add desired toppings like cooked greens, crumbled sausage, sautéed mushrooms, Parmesan cheese etc.
– top with an egg scrambled, fried or poached…and hot sauce!
A terrific start to the day or easy cheap dinner.
Ps. I love love love your site! Thank you
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That sounds perfect! I love congee, so I know I’d like that. :)
I can’t believe this is the first time I’m trying savory oatmeal but my GOD it’s amazing. Made the recipe exactly as written and it came out perfect, so delicious! I stirred in a handful of Parmesan cheese at the very end and topped with a fried egg. With the egg that I salted as it cooked and the parm, I didn’t need to add any extra salt. I’m a busy and broke grad student, and this will become a staple for me!
This is so good! I was hesitant to try a savory oatmeal, but man, it’s awesome. I highly recommend adding lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese at the end, which makes this taste just like risotto—or, rather, “ris-oat-o”. My new favorite meal, and even better that it’s so cheap and quick to make. Also a healthier alternative to rice, which I can’t eat.
Haha! Ris-oat-o! :D
This is maybe more on the line between savory and sweet, but I love oatmeal with a tablespoon of peanut butter or tahini and a dash of cinnamon. No sugar, no honey, no maple syrup. Just creamy goodness.
I had very low expectations here. I made it exactly as the recipe is written, and added a poached egg and a small dollop of chili garlic sauce. I made it as an experiment to see how savory oatmeal would be.
I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW GOOD THIS IS!
It is super fast, super tasty, and healthier than the ramen noodles I was going to make before I saw this recipe and decided to give it a shot. Seriously Beth, you have expanded my palate and recipe range so much in the years that I have been cooking your recipes. Thank you!
I couldn’t have asked for a better compliment, so thank you! :)
About a year ago I realized I needed a gluten free alternative for stuffing, and I found a Scottish dish called skirlie. It was a big hit in my house – this looks like it might be similar but a little more moist? Can’t wait to try it!
Ah I love the list of ideas for toppings. Definitely feeling inspired right now to try out different savory oatmeal combos. And that last photo with the egg on top? Perfection. Thanks for yet another fantastic recipe/post!
I’ve been making savory oats for decade! Eggs are too smelly to eat at work and I don’t care for sweet first thing in the am. I love spinach but have recently seen people adding shredded zucchini which seems fun! I usually add flax, nutritional yeast and everything seasoning or seasoned salt. I LOVE IT!
Hi Beth! Love this ❤️ healthy recipe! Definitely going to make the steel cut oats with broth instead of water next time and enjoy a tasty dish with veggies for breakfast or lunch. So many possibilities! Thanks for another brilliant post😍
I wanted to make a bowl with leftover meat and roasted vegetables but I didn’t have any rice and I didn’t want to wait the 20 minutes to make it. I remembered seeing this recipe and decided it was a great time to try it. I absolutely love this savory oatmeal! I didn’t add the mushrooms or ginger because I didn’t have any, but this was such a good option for a fall/winter leftover night.
I have fallen in love with savory oatmeal over the past year or so. I love chopping up savoy cabbage and sautéing it before adding my oats, as well as adding a splash of soy sauce while cooking.
Hi—can you use frozen spinach or would it add too much liquid?
You definitely can, but it would be best to thaw it first and just squeeze the extra liquid out. :)
I make savory oats with chopped frozen spinach all the time and its fine! Maybe just account for a tiny bit of extra moisture by reducing how much you cook with.
Oh Beth. This. THIS. I’m a huge fan of savory breakfasts, I was first introduced to veggies for breakfast after a trip to Israel. This is right up my alley. Plus, my 1 year old is allergic to eggs, and finding savory breakfast without eggs is like finding a needle in haystack. Thanks for all your work over the years, been a fan from the beginning.
And thank YOU for sticking around since the beginning, Katherine. :)