Basic Techniques: How to Fry an Egg

A fried egg over a simple salad or a bowl of grains and veggies is one of the best quick meals we can think of. It follows that frying a good egg is one of the best basic techniques you can know! Here's how we do it:

1. Choose The Skillet: Use a skillet that's large enough to hold all the eggs you want to cook. If we're cooking a single egg just for ourselves, we use our tiny 8-inch skillet. If we're cooking several for a big brunch, we use our larger 14-inch skillet. For fried eggs, we prefer non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron so that we can be sure the eggs don't stick. If you're using a stainless steel skillet, just be sure to use enough oil.

2. Heat the Skillet: Set your pan over medium heat and let it warm up. Add 1-3 teaspoons of oil or butter (depending on the size of your pan), and swirl to coat the pan. You can use any kind of oil here that you like. Butter gives the eggs an extra richness and olive oil will impart some of its clean, grassy flavor. You can also use canola oil, or if you're feeling very indulgent, bacon or duck fat.

3. Crack the Eggs: We crack our eggs directly into the pan, but you can crack it into a ramekin and transfer it to the pan if that feels more comfortable. Drop the egg into the pan slowly so the whites pour out first. If the pan is hot enough, the whites will begin to set and keep the yolk centered.

4. Cook the Eggs: Once you've cracked the eggs in the pan, just let them sit. Fried eggs don't need much help from us! They are done when the whites are set and the outer edges are just starting to curl up. If the edges start to curl before the whites in the center are fully cooked, cover the pan with a lid for a minute or two.

We like our eggs sunny side up to ensure a perfect runny yolk, meaning the egg is only fried on one side as we've described above. If you prefer your eggs over-easy, you can flip them partway through cooking once the bottom has set. This makes sure the top is cooked.

Is this how you fry your eggs? Any other advice or recommendations?

More Fried Egg Yumminess:
• How To Fry an Egg the Spanish Way
• Top Five Ways to Eat a Fried Egg
• 10 Ways to Eat an Egg Tonight
• Recipe: Breakfast Pizza
• On Why I Pay $7.50 for a Dozen Eggs

(Image: Flickr member Robert S. Donovan licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (34)

That's how I do it. Though I add a quick sprinkle of salt and pepper at the last minute before taking them out of the pan.

Does anyone have any recommendations for keeping the eggs separated in the pan when you're frying a good number of them?

Looking at that steamy, salt-and-peppered egg = I'm starving, lunchtime!

I use a pan with a lid so I can pop the lid on and firm up the whites a little bit more without having to flip the egg.

One trick if you're going to flip them is don't flip them half way through. Wait until they're just about done and then flip at the end just for a moment. This way they flip easier and you don't risk yolk breakage.

Miamuffins - just let them run together and use the spatula to break them apart. That or make sure the pan is super hot so that the whites will just stick.

I cook as you do for my eggs, because I like mine runny. For my husband, after I've removed my eggs I'll lower the heat to medium-low and add about a tablespoon of water and cover. This'll make it steamy and cook the top, and lowering the heat keeps the bottom from getting burnt.

I tried flipping them over, but even when I'm really careful the yolk bursts and makes a mess, which is why I steam the tops now.

I never considered making a fried egg in bacon fat. I will have to try this tomorrow morning!

A while back y'all did a post on Spanish-style fried eggs. I finally gave it a shot this past weekend and I will never fry an egg any other way: 1/4 cup or 1/4 inch of oil on the pan, heat to smoking, dump in egg (I usually do it from a ramekin, because I'm a huge wuss. It will bubble and pop angrily, but it won't get you too bad, even if you don't have a spatter screen up), spoon hot oil over top with a metal spoon for about 45 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon or fork, drain for a few seconds, put over toast. Bliss.

I like them over medium (white completely cooked, but yolk runny), with no crispy bits. That requires cooking at a slightly lower temperature, which is great if you want to use butter (and I do). Also, I'll second Tazer's tip to flip at the end, so as not to break the yolk.

I really wish my wife liked runny yolks. She's a "break the yolk" gal. Sacrilege.

We love to have ours fried, but we love to top our eggs with a little finely diced red onion (raw) and a teaspoon of vinegar. Sounds gross, and I avoided this for years, but when I relented, yum!! I can no longer have my eggs without onions and vinegar.

I've rediscovered how much I love eggs!
Now, I'm lucky to find a good tasting egg..I do the Trader Jo's brown eggs and these are wonderful. Tasty. Yes, there is a difference! Trust me!
Sorry, got off point there.. about cooking..we always used a small iron skillet which was designated for "eggs" only. We also had a deep large spoon that was used to splash the "grease" yes.. it was the 70's..or bacon fat or lard..lol. onto them until the desired temp was achieved.
I personally like mine over easy on the way to a medium..if that makes sense.. So this technique works well. It takes a bit more time but I only master the flip every now and again without breaking the yolk..plus I can cook at a lower temp and avoid those crispy edges since now I'm using butter.

yummmmmmmmmmmmy!

I use my cast iron skillet. Butter or bacon fat. Cook on medium heat until bottoms are set. Flip the egg and turn off the heat. Butter my toast. Put egg on plate with toast. Perfectly done 'over medium'.

I also like to put goat gouda or cheddar and the toast and make breakfast sandwiches. If I have bacon in the house I'll put that in there too. YUM!

One of these over a bowl of (drained) ramen with peas, is a favorite cheap Saturday lunch at our house.

Marco Pierre White once said that that a fried egg should be "gently poached in butter".

I think that sums it up - gentle heat some care and attention = a great egg.

Thanks for the article on frying an egg - I've always manged to either overcook, break the yoke, or simply burn the egg....

A couple of sunny-side-up eggs over a stack of pancakes.... good eats!

You don't need to completely pick up the egg to flip it--get the side of the spatula under half or so, then roll towards the non-spatula side. You will wind up with the egg moved to the spot beside where it was, but with less chance of breaking the yolk.

A griddle with very short sides makes flipping easier, whether it is an over-easy fried egg or an omelet.

Just as Mrs. Mack does, we steam the eggs just before serving. Perfect eggs every time. You,'re not the only one, Mrs. Mack!

Heard french chef Paul Bocuse puts white and yolk in two different ramekins, cooks gently the white in butter, then adds the yolk to get a perfectly cooked white with a right in the middle nicely runny yolk.

We're preparing a big move, getting rid of almost everything, but my wife won't part with a partially-melted white plastic spatula because it's the only one we've ever found - in over 20 years - that eggs don't stick to (other than metal).

If eggs are going to stick the spatula, forget fried eggs: it comes down to scrambled or omelets.

Any suggestions?

I find getting the right level of heat is key, which is medium high on my stove, and then some patience. The steam method works for me too.

To priehl: this is my favorite spatula... http://tr.im/xuRs
...it is very flexible with tapered thickness-- and a very thin leading edge where you slide it under the food. But do keep the old, reliable spatula until you find something as good or better.

Here's my technique for turning eggs without breaking the center: start by putting your spatula under the edge of the egg closest to the yolk. Once you have some of the egg on the spatula, use your fingers to pull the egg white toward you while gently squiggling the spatula farther underneath - until the yolk is completely supported by the spatula. Then you will be able to flip it without breaking it. I've never found the edge too hot to do this.

@priehl: I use silicone turners, I have several from different makers. Oxo makes a good one, but you can also find brightly colored ones that are fun. They don't scratch non-stick pans, they don't melt and they have the right mixture of thinness and strength.

Thank you for your suggestions!

I thought this post was going to describe how to fry eggs to the different kinds of doneness. But only sunny side up and very briefly over easy are described.

Not that I eat over medium or over hard, but I might need to make it if I have someone over that wants it. I generally have it down from experience, but if there were some tips to make sure how to get it right, it really would have been nice.

I usually use a silicone spatula and also flip just near the end for over easy. I usually turn off the burner and cook the second side with the residual heat only for a little bit.

I like sunny side up, yolks runny, whites completely cooked. I turn the heat down and put a lid on for a minute or so at the end to make sure the white at the edge of the yolk has cooked completely. Too long and the white over the yolk will cook as well. Not bad tasting, but not nearly as pretty.

I use an 8" non-stick skillet- good quality makes a difference. I let it heat up for a minute while I put the english muffin down and pour the OJ. Then I rub the end of a stick of butter all over to coat the pan. You know the temperature is right when the butter starts to bubble but doesn't burn. I flip the eggs when they are like 90% done with by slide to the edge and a flick of the wrist - no spatula = no yolk breakage. If you have properly coated your pan they should slide no problem. At this point just turn off the stove until ready to eat - residual heat in the pan keeps em cooking and hot! Oh yeah - always shake some creole seasoning on top - YUM YUM.

I've always fried eggs in bacon fat, and instead of flipping the eggs, I just spoon some of the hot fat over the top of the egg, until the yolk is as cooked as I want.

Egg gets cooked on both sides and way easier than flipping.

To miamuffins--if you cook the eggs the "Spanish way" (this is also the Irish way, by the way) with more oil and on a higher heat, each egg solidifies more quickly. I would recommend dropping one egg at a time, for a few seconds until it's getting firm, then drop another one. You can also use your spatula to quickly separate egg whites that are touching before they get too firm. Tipping the pan just a little to puddle the oil on one side, then spooning the oil over the yolk heats the yolk while keeping it runny. It's the best way to do sunny-side up!

I like my eggs over medium, but couldn't flip them to save my life. So I made do by starting with a slice of bread. I use a 2in. cookie cutter to punch a hole in it, and toast each side very lightly in the pan over medium heat. (Depending on the type of bread and how dark of toast you like, you may skip this step.) Then I crack the egg into the hole in the bread, cook until the white is mostly set, and flip the entire thing over. It's much easier to flip the bread with the egg in it than to flip an egg. When it's done, you have your egg and your toast all in one. And I've gotten better at flipping over the past few years, so now if I want a fried egg for a salad or something else, I can flip it without the toast.

I made a caprese salad (minus the mozzarella) last night that I topped with two fried eggs. Holy yum! The balsamic vinegar and egg yolks sing when combined!

http://thewifeofanartist.blogspot.com/2009/09/eggstheyre-whats-for-dinner.html

@wunami: The only difference between over-easy, over-medium, and over-hard is the length of cooking time. Over-easy is the least cooked, wherein the yolk is still a bit runny, over-medium is cooked more but is not yet solid, and over-hard is fully set, with no runniness at all. Just add extra cooking time to the "over-easy" instructions to make the other two versions.

Me, I prefer mine sunny-side up, with the whites totally cooked. I usually serve fried eggs on top of something, though (such as rice with vegetables), and use the runny yolk as a sort of sauce. If eating eggs plain, though, I always prefer the yolk mixed in with the white.

...unless I'm making Toads In a Hole: a slice of bread with a hole cut in the center, place in pan with a healthy drizzle of olive oil, crack an egg into the hole, add salt and pepper, and fry away. You definitely have to flip this, but it doesn't matter if the yolk breaks, as the bread just soaks it up. It's my perfect weekend breakfast.

A Bread A Day

@eprewitt: Sorry, did you not read my whole comment? I didn't say that I don't know how to make the different style of eggs. As in "I generally have it down from experience". I just assumed that an article about frying eggs would attempt to be more complete by talking about the other styles of fried eggs.

The advice of cooking things for longer is completely useless. Duh, of course you need to cook them for longer. The problem is with exactly how much longer. I seriously doubt the only way to learn how much longer is just by experience. There must be some kind of guidelines and/or tips they could have included. Still, perhaps I'm being too harsh since at least what you said is more than what was included in the post.

I think I'm one of the few who does it "low and slow" with my eggs. It takes a long time, yes, but I start with the pan on low, crack the egg and tip the pan so the whites set in the corner without spreading, though I use my spatula to bring wayward whites back into the fold.

Once they set, I flip for about 10 seconds and pop it on top of my toast! I love over-easy eggs. Never got into Sunnyside-up--I guess because most of the time sunnyside gets leftover uncooked whites, and all I can think of is mucus and snot and all sorts of 14-year-old boy thoughts.