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Here’s how to cook eggs: 10 basic ways! From sunny side up to scrambled, there’s something for everyone and every occasion.
Good morning! It’s your two egg-sperts here at A Couple Cooks (sorry, we had to!). Want to master sunny side up? Need a skillet of scrambled eggs or the perfect omelette? We’ve got you. Here’s the 10 best ways showing how to cook eggs! These master methods will get you from 0 to breakfast in minutes. These are the egg basics every home cook should know. Ready to get started?
How to cook eggs…10 basic ways!
Sunny side up eggs are cooked until the whites are solid but the yolk is still runny. The round yellow yolk gives a sun-like appearance, hence the name!
How to cook it: Melt butter in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add the egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are firm but the yolk is runny.
Over easy eggs are cooked on both sides, but the yolk remains runny.
How to cook it: Melt butter in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add the egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are firm. Flip and cook 20 to 30 more seconds.
Over medium eggs are cooked on both sides until the yolk is jammy and slightly runny, like the yolk of a soft boiled egg.
How to cook it: Melt butter in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add the egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are firm. Flip and cook 1 more minute.
Over hard eggs are cooked on both sides until the yolk is fully cooked.
How to cook it: Melt butter in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add the egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are firm. Flip and cook about 2 more minutes until the yolk is fully cooked, gently pressing the yolk with a spatula to make sure it’s broken.
Scrambled eggs are beaten and then gently cooked, scraping them into folds.
Also try: How to Make Fluffy Eggs
How to cook it: Beat the eggs with a whisk, usually 2 eggs per person. Season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs. When they begin to set, use a flat spatula to slowly scrape sections of eggs, creating folds. Remove from the heat just before they fully harden, cooking about 2 minutes total.
Poached eggs are cooked outside the shell in boiling water until the whites are hard and the yolk is still runny.
How to cook it: Fill a large skillet with 1 ½ inches of water. Heat to just under simmering (190 degrees Fahrenheit). Working quickly, crack each egg into a small bowl, then slide it into the water. Cook for 4 minutes until the whites are set. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Hard boiled eggs are boiled in their shells in water until the yolks are fully cooked. You can also hard boil eggs in an Instant Pot.
How to cook it: Place eggs in a large pot and and cover with 1 inch water. Bring the water to a boil. As soon as it boils, remove the heat, cover and let stand 15 minutes. Then place the eggs in an ice water bath to cool completely before peeling.
Soft boiled eggs are cooked in their shells in water until the yolk is jammy. You can also soft boil eggs in an Instant Pot.
How to cook it: Fill a medium pot of water and bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer where the water is just vibrating. Gently lower the eggs into the water with a spoon. Simmer for 7 minutes. Then place the eggs in an ice water bath to cool completely before peeling.
An omelette is made with beaten eggs that are folded around a filling while they cook. This French method takes just a few minutes in a hot skillet.
How to cook it: Go right to the recipe for this one! It's a precise technique that's important to read in detail.
Baked eggs are baked in the oven in small dishes, instead of cooking them on the stovetop! This cooks the whites and leaves the yolk runny.
How to do it: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In the bottom of each small oven safe dish or ramekin, place 1 small pat butter. Place the dishes on a baking sheet and slide in the oven to allow it to melt (about 1 minute), then brush it around the sides of the dish. Add 2 eggs to each dish and season with salt and pepper. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until the whites just set.
Egg nutrition
Eggs are some of the most nutritious foods on the planet! Recent research has found that eggs can increase the good cholesterol the body needs. They’re an affordable and easy-to-eat source of high quality protein. They’re also especially helpful for vegetarian diets as a natural source of B12. One egg has:
- 75 calories
- 7 grams of protein
- Nutrients like Omega 3’s, Vitamin B and others
More egg recipes
There are so many more egg-cellent egg recipes to try (again, sorry about the puns!). Outside of these top 10 ways to cook eggs, there are varied dishes from the frittata to shakshuka. Here are some of our favorite egg recipes:
- Grab bread for a fried egg sandwich or egg salad sandwich
- Whip up a quiche
- Try a tasty spinach feta frittata or veggie mini frittatas
- Go for a colorful breakfast vegetable scramble
- Make Mediterranean-favorite shakshuka (eggs in tomato sauce)
- Whip up quick and easy egg tacos
- Go classic with deviled eggs
- Try this tip to freeze eggs and scramble them later
- Sample our top 21 egg recipes for breakfast!
How to Cook Eggs: 10 Ways
Here’s how to cook eggs: 10 basic ways! From sunny side up to scrambled, there’s something for everyone and every occasion.
- Prep Time: Varies
- Cook Time: Varies
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 1 serving
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Eggs
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- Eggs
Instructions
- Sunny side up eggs: Melt butter in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add the egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are firm but the yolk is runny.
- Over easy eggs: Melt butter in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add the egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are firm. Flip and cook 20 to 30 more seconds.
- Over medium eggs: Melt butter in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add the egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are firm. Flip and cook 1 more minute.
- Over hard eggs: Melt butter in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add the egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are firm. Flip and cook about 2 more minutes until the yolk is fully cooked, gently pressing the yolk with a spatula to make sure it’s broken.
- Scrambled eggs: Beat the eggs with a whisk, usually 2 eggs per person. Season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs. When they begin to set, use a flat spatula to slowly scrape sections of eggs, creating folds. Remove from the heat just before they fully harden, cooking about 2 minutes total.
- Poached eggs: Fill a large skillet with 1 ½ inches of water. Heat to just simmering. Carefully the eggs (it’s easiest to crack it into a small bowl first). Cook for 4 minutes until the whites are set. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Hard boiled eggs: Place eggs in a large pot and and cover with 1 inch water. Bring the water to a boil. As soon as it boils, remove the heat, cover and let stand 15 minutes. Then place the eggs in an ice water bath to cool completely before peeling.
- Soft boiled eggs: Fill a medium pot of water and bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer where the water is just vibrating. Gently lower the eggs into the water with a spoon. Simmer for 7 minutes. Then place the eggs in an ice water bath to cool completely before peeling.
- Omelette: Go to this Basic Omelette Recipe. It’s a precise technique that’s important to read in detail.
- Baked eggs: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In the bottom of each small oven safe dish or ramekin, place 1 small pat butter. Add the egg then 1 tablespoon milk on top. Season with salt and pepper. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the whites harden.
I am an egg
These recipes had my guests bEGGing for more 😋
I love how well explained how to cook these eggs.
I like eggs how the heck do i bake em though
Here’s the recipe for baked eggs: https://www.acouplecooks.com/baked-eggs/
The reciepes for making eggs in all different way was genius! I never has soft boiled eggs before, didn’t even know they were a thing until I came across this read! I will definitly be making these for breakfast!