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Here’s how to make over medium eggs, where the yolk is jammy and just barely runny! This is our tried and true method for cooking up this breakfast in a flash. Serve with toast, bacon, sauteed vegetables, or hashbrowns for a filling meal.
Why we love this recipe
Want eggs to start your morning, without a runny yolk? Enter the perfect over medium eggs. There’s a bit of confusion and misinformation around this breakfast technique. As two cookbook authors and recipe experts, let us clear that up!
Over medium eggs are eggs with a jammy center that’s just barely runny. (If you’ve got yolk running all over your plate, that’s no over medium egg: it’s over easy.) Here, we’ll show you our master recipe for how to cook over medium eggs and get the perfect jammy consistency every time! We make this often on weekends and everyone in our family loves it, paired with toast and fresh fruit.
Finding the right pan and ingredients
Ready to get started on your over medium eggs? Great! Let’s make sure you have the right raw materials and equipment first.
- Fresh eggs are best. It’s great to start with fresh eggs that were purchased from the store. Eggs that are over 1 week old tend to spread when they hit the pan. It’s fine flavor-wise, and you can use your spatula to push them back to the center. But the best looking over medium eggs are made with fresh eggs. Bonus points for organic, cage free, or local (they taste better!).
- Use a non-stick or cast iron skillet. The surface of the pan is important for sliding out after cooking. Pick a non-stick pan or seasoned cast iron skillet for easiest cooking.
How to make over medium eggs
Got your skillet and ready to go? Let’s get cooking. One thing to remember is to go low and slow! Eggs are delicate and easy to over-cook. This is especially important with over medium, since you’re trying to get such a specific condition of the yolk. Here’s how to cook over medium eggs:
- Heat the butter: Heat ½ tablespoon butter over medium low heat.
- Add the eggs: Crack 1 or 2 eggs into the pan, then 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.
- Flip: Flip and cook 1 more minute. The yolk should be jammy and just a little runny, but shouldn’t run out over the plate.
Tip: The best spatula for cooking eggs is a fish spatula for a cast iron pan, or a nylon spatula for a non-stick pan.
How to tell when they’re done
Here’s the hard part: how to tell when over medium eggs are done? Since you can’t cut into your egg while it’s cooking, you’ll have to go with your best guess! Use your finger to gently touch the top of the yolk. It should have a little give, but not feel hard.
If it feels very liquid, keep cooking! You’ll have to practice this one a few times to get it perfect, and it varies based on your pan and exact heat level.
Butter vs olive oil: what’s better for cooking eggs?
There are lots of people who have passionate opinions about the best cooking fat for eggs. Here’s what we think:
- Butter is best. Eggs cooked in butter just taste better, in our taste testing! Butter lends an ultra savory, almost nutty flavor that’s irresistible.
- Olive oil: Olive oil works too, though it can lend a bitter flavor to the eggs. It is one of the healthiest cooking oils, so you can use it if you’d like! Or you can try…
- Neutral oil: Neutral oil like an organic canola oil or vegetable oil works well and doesn’t have a bitter flavor. This is a good option for dairy-free diets.
Ways to serve over medium eggs
Once you’ve cooked them to perfection…let’s eat! Here are some ways we like to serve over medium eggs:
- With toast: Quick and simple: breakfast is served!
- In a sandwich: Over medium eggs work well in a Fried Egg Sandwich.
- With potatoes: Try them with skillet hash browns, oven hash browns, home fries or pan fried potatoes.
- On oatmeal: Add to savory oatmeal for a healthy way to start the day.
- With pancakes: Make a standard breakfast by adding oatmeal pancakes.
- Add bacon: Go standard or opt for plant-based substitutes like tempeh bacon or shiitake bacon.
More egg basics
There are so many great ways to cook eggs, why stop here? Here are a few tutorials on perfecting your egg game:
- Learn how to make hard boiled eggs or soft boiled eggs.
- Make perfect poached eggs.
- Try our master method for scrambled eggs.
- Learn how to fry an egg.
- Make sunny side up eggs, over easy eggs, or over hard eggs.
- Try our favorite egg recipes for breakfast.
Dietary notes
This over medium eggs recipe is vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Frequently asked questions
Over easy eggs have a very runny yolk and slightly cooked whites. Over hard eggs have fully cooked yolks and whites. Over medium eggs fall in the middle, with a yolk that’s mostly cooked but still a bit runny.
Gently shake the pan. The whites should be firm, and the yolk should have a slight jiggle but not be completely liquid. It takes practice to get the perfect over medium egg!
Over medium eggs are delicious on toast, alongside bacon or sausage, or on top of a salad. They are also a classic filling for an egg sandwich.
*Perfect* Over Medium Eggs
Here’s how to make over medium eggs, where the yolk is jammy and just barely runny! Cook up this tasty breakfast in a flash.
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Total Time: 4 minutes
- Yield: 2 eggs 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Eggs
- Diet: Vegetarian
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. Flip and cook 1 more minute until the yolk is jammy and just barely runny (press the yolk gently with your finger to assess doneness).
Notes
*Fresh eggs are best for frying because the whites hold their shape. The whites on older eggs tend to spread: simply use a spatula to pull back the egg whites towards the middle (it just won’t look as pretty!).
**The slower the better with eggs: they can easily get overcooked. Note that if you’re cooking a second batch, you may need to lower the heat to avoid overcooking the egg since the skillet is already hot.
I have been cooking for almost 30 years now and I have a different clarification for eggs than most. Conventionally people say sunny side up, over easy, over medium, over hard. I inserted over medium well and changed over medium. For me over medium is a done white but a runny yolk. Over medium well is the current statement for over medium a cooked white with a jammy center. Just some different information for people I guess.