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How to Fry an Egg (4 Ways!)

How to fry an egg
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Here’s exactly how to fry an egg! Come learn the secrets to cooking up the perfect fried eggs, four different ways.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 tablespoon butter (or neutral oil for dairy free)
  • 1 fresh egg (fresh is best*)

Instructions

  1. In a large cast iron or non-stick skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium low heat until starting to foam (eggs are best on low to medium low heat**).
  2. 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. 
  3. 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.