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Here’s exactly how to fry an egg! Here are the secrets to cooking up the perfect fried eggs, four different ways.
Want to make the perfect fried egg? Cooking eggs is a skill that many home cooks have never mastered. But you’re in luck! All you need are a few quick pointers and you’ll be making diner-style fried eggs like a pro.
There are 4 ways to fry an egg: sunny side up, over easy, over medium, and over hard. (Honestly, we didn’t know the exact differences until recently!) Here we’ll show you how to cook each one of them to perfection. Ready to fry?
Ingredients and Equipment You’ll Need
There are a few things that will set you up for success when making the perfect fried eggs. Here’s what to know:
- Fresh eggs are best. Fresh eggs make the best looking fried eggs. Why? The whites of eggs that have been in the fridge for a while tend to spread when they hit the pan. This is okay flavor wise, but can look a little funky. Don’t worry: you can push the whites back to the center with a spatula. But for best results, use fresh eggs.
- Use a non-stick or cast iron skillet. These pans are the best when it comes to cooking eggs. While you can still cook in an aluminum pan, non-stick is preferable.
How to Fry an Egg: The Four Styles
Ready to start frying? Let’s go. Here’s what you need to know about how to fry an egg…perfectly:
- Heat the butter: Heat ½ tablespoon butter over medium low heat.
- Add the eggs: Add 1 or 2 eggs and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds black pepper.
- Cook: Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites are firm but the yolk is still runny. Don’t flip them!
- Finish cooking: Pick the type of eggs you’d like to cook:
- Sunny side up: You’re done! Serve immediately. See Sunny Side Up Eggs.
- Over easy: Flip and cook 20 to 30 seconds on the other side. The yolk should still be runny. See Over Easy Eggs.
- Over medium: Flip and cook 1 more minute; the yolk should be partially set. You can press gently with your finger to assess doneness. See Over Medium Eggs.
- Over hard: Flip and cook 2 more minutes until the yolk is fully set. After 1 minute, press gently with a spatula to make sure the yolk is broken. See Over Hard Eggs.
Tips for the Perfect Fried Egg
Want to get cooking? Before you start, here are a few more quick ideas about making the perfect fried eggs:
- Lower heat is better. Keep in mind: eggs are delicate and easy to over cook! So air on the side of lower and slower (low or medium low heat).
- Butter is best, but you can use oil too. Butter is best for frying eggs: it has the best feel in the pan and the ideal savory flavor. You can also use oil: but olive oil can lend a slightly bitter flavor.
- The best spatula to use? Try a fish spatula for a cast iron pan, or a nylon spatula for a non-stick pan.
What to Serve With Fried Eggs
Once you’ve got your fried eggs, how to serve them? Here are a few ways to accessorize them and make a full meal:
- Toast: Make a few pieces of crunchy bread…or avocado toast.
- Egg sandwich: Throw it on bread with smoky mayo and it’s divine as a Fried Egg Sandwich.
- Hash browns: Nothing’s better with an egg than crispy potatoes. Try Homemade Hash Browns, Oven Hash Browns or Sweet Potato Hash Browns.
- Breakfast potatoes: Try these cozy Pan Fried Potatoes.
- Savory oatmeal: Place it atop Savory Oatmeal for a satisfying bowl.
Other ways to eat eggs? There are so many. Head to How to Cook Eggs and our favorite Egg Recipes for Any Meal or Top 10 Egg Recipes for Breakfast.
Storage and Make-Ahead Notes
Fried eggs are cook to order, so there’s not really any point of storing them! If you’re looking to store eggs, I’d recommend making scrambled eggs and refrigerating.
For make-ahead egg meals, try something like my Easy Egg Muffins!
Dietary Notes
This fried egg recipe is vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two to three minutes for sunny side up. Then flip and cook 20 to 30 seconds for over easy, 1 minute for over medium, and 2 minutes for over hard.
Butter, for flavor, though neutral oils like avocado or grapeseed work fine. I’ve even gotten olive oil to work well.
Use the freshest eggs you can find. Keep the heat at medium low. If the white does run, bring it back with a spatula in the first few seconds.
Preheat the empty pan over medium-low for two minutes before adding the butter or oil: a preheated stainless releases eggs just as well as nonstick.
How to Fry an Egg (4 Ways!)
Here’s exactly how to fry an egg! Come learn the secrets to cooking up the perfect fried eggs, four different ways.
- Prep Time: 1 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 egg 1x
- Category: Essentials
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon butter (or neutral oil for dairy free)
- 1 fresh egg (fresh is best*)
Instructions
- In a large cast iron or non-stick skillet, melt ½ tablespoon butter over medium low heat until starting to foam (eggs are best on low to medium low heat**).
- Add the eggs and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the white is firm but the yolk is still runny (do not flip). For sunny side up eggs, serve immediately.
- Or, flip and keep cooking 20 to 30 seconds (over easy eggs) where the yolk is still runny, 1 minute (over medium eggs) where the yolk is partially set (press gently with your finger to assess done-ness), or 2 minutes (over hard eggs) where the yolk is fully set, pressing gently 1 minute after flipping to make sure the yolk is broken.
Notes
*Fresh eggs are best for frying because they hold their shape. Older eggs tend to spread, which is ok: you can simply use a spatula to pull back the egg whites.
**The slower the better with eggs: they can easily get overcooked. Note that if you’re cooking a second batch, since the skillet is already hot you may need to lower the heat to avoid overcooking the egg.
